Marjory Stoneman Douglas student leader Cameron Kasky has clearly spent a lot of time over the last 2 weeks thinking about gun violence and how to curb it, because he distinguishes between the NRA and its members.

We got Cameron at LAX Friday night ... on his way home after appearing on Bill Maher's show and scoring a little swag as a parting gift.

Cameron has contempt for the NRA over its hard line position on any meaningful gun control, but he not only respects its members ... he says they're patriots.

And speaking of contempt ... Cameron rails on people who dismiss efforts by the students to change hearts and minds -- people who have never experienced the horror of February 14th.