President Obama’s new initiative aimed at curbing gun violence has drawn attention to how the average American views policies and attitudes related to guns.

And tonight, President Obama will hold an invitation-only town hall event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia as he continues his campaign against gun violence, and for greater regulation of firearms. 

The summit is intended to bring together people with varying opinions on the issue - to try and find common ground.

But some argue that before you try to understand how to better regulate gun ownership, you need to understand WHY people own guns in the first place. Which isn't necessarily an easy thing to do 

Professor Bindu Kalesan is a well respected expert on gun violence, and has researched the topic of gun ownership extensively. She's an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.