@jonnythan Said 
Here's something I wrote once upon a time on the topic:
There is an obvious reason behind our gun culture: guns already existed when America was colonized. Modern men – men with guns – landed on a basically virgin forest and plains continent already interspersed with some relatively primitive native peoples.
So America’s history is a history of violence in various forms. Violence against nature and violence against other people. As the colonists “tamed the land” as it were, it was done with guns. Guns to shoot animals, guns to kill the natives and take their land, guns to defend yourself in the relatively lawless expanses of land, guns to drive out and defeat the British and the French and the Spanish.
Guns have always been a part of America. Since the very first days. Guns have been absolutely integral to the formation of this country.
In contrast, most European nations (in particular the UK, which is commonly used as a point of contrast) were rather completely settled, with land ownership and laws already well sorted out, by the time the gun was even invented. In these areas, guns were basically introduced as a tool and sport for the wealthy and privileged – people who actively worked to keep weapons out of the hands of their subjects.
It’s a rather significant difference, and that difference is lost on a lot of people who never stop to think about it.
What about the Canadians though?.
Dec 16, 2011 @ 17:32:09
