I'm going to vote "yes" on this one. I've grown up with guns, learned to shoot at a very early age, and now own several: a highpower rifle and a few handguns. I don't hunt, but not for ideological reasons; it's just not what I'm interested in. Mostly I just punch paper, or tin cans.
The thought processes of people who support gun bans in this country (the US) is something I've decided is nearly beyond my understanding. Frankly every intelligent argument I've ever had on the subject has degenerated into a dispute about whether on the whole people are good or evil, and I've begun to wonder if there isn't some fundamental difference of opinion which drives people to one side of the argument or the other. But really, we should move the thread to politics or philosophy if we want to discuss this.
If you're interested in firearms, go to a local range, gun club, or gun store and see if you can get the names of some local people who are certified instructors. These people will almost certainly be both knowledgeable and eager to teach you about guns, and perhaps take you shooting. If I may make one suggestion: start small, like with a .22LR.
I've had to spend hours training people to overcome flinching problems because somebody handed them a S&W .44Mag their first time out. And, of course, safety first!!
My local club runs a twice-yearly "Fun Day" where they invite people who are interested or just curious to come down to the range and see what it's all about (under extremely close supervision). They do bowling-pin and balloon shoots, as well as more traditional bullseye, skeet, and trap shooting. It got started as a way to show the neighbors what all the noise was about, and has been a huge success.
So anyway, it's not for everybody, but it can be a fun, rewarding, stress-relieving activity if you know what you're doing and take all the right safety precautions.