Americans and their guns?

Question

Do you own a gun? Can you use one? WOULD you use one?

What is it with Americans and their long-standing love affair with guns and the gun culture? Would you like to see gun ownership banned or do you think gun ownership is a good thing?

Would anybody care to explain this aspect of American culture to a curious Brit?

Answer 1

i don't own a gun but my father owns many, and i was raised with respect for guns and knowledge of guns. i would only ever use a gun on another human if my life was in danger. I do use guns to hunt, i hunt deer and pheasant. hunting is enjoyable and we eat the meat we kill.
what i don't like is the people that buy guns with out any knowledge of them or people that by guns to hurt other people. I have a gun license and I have taken gun safety and hunters safety. i think that people should have to take these classes in order to purchase a gun but all there is, is a ten day waiting period. and maybe the reason we love guns comes from the wild west days where it was a part of life for safety and food. I didn't really know that Americans were seen as a people with a love of guns. I know we have a lot of people that have guns that shouldn't though.

Answer 2

I don't own a gun, have never shot a gun and would never willingly use one. However, I happen to be dating an avid gun-lover who believes guns are one of the greatest inventions of mankind. Why? They're great for self-defense - you can use one to instantly harm a predator from a long distance away. They're very masculine - 9 times out of 10, if you're a guy and you own a gun of some sort, most other guys will gain respect for you (or become a little more afraid). They can be considered fun - most people use them for sport, hunting being the largest form of sport that uses a real gun, and there are sub-forms of this aspect such as paintballing. Some people just simply enjoy shooting guns. It gets their adrenaline pumping and their heart beating, and then associate shooting a gun with excitement.

As far as banning gun ownership, I'm not sure where I stand. On the one hand, banning gun ownership would be great - people would have more of a chance of survival on the streets and in violent situations. Careless accidents with guns, such as accidentally shooting a friend/family member because you thought the gun was unloaded when it wasn't, would be virtually non-existant. On the other hand, though, would it really matter in the long run if we banned gun ownership? People would find other ways to be just as harmful and deadly with different weapons. There would still be violence, still be careless accidents, still be deaths - just not by guns.

So there is my lengthy answer. I applaud you if you read it - I apologize for the length, but I've actually though about this for a while.

Answer 3

Guns are cool and also to the touch and have such a reputation. Why, if you wanted you could go out of town and actually make a hole in something just by pulling the guns trigger. Now isn't that the coolest thought? I think thats why so many signs get holes in them.

Answer 4

Look, its really very simple. We like guns. There really is no reason. It's like with the Brits. We like guns, you like Bean. Same thing.

Answer 5

yeah i have a gun.. 2 real guns and 2 bb guns

Answer 6

I shot a BB gun when I was a kid and it got me in trouble. (I shot my little brother) Some people should not have guns. I am one of them! lol

Answer 7

1) We don't trust that the rest of the world has our best interests at heart... You guys are usually OK though... =)

2) It is a fundamental human right to be able to defend yourself and your family...

Answer 8

the right to bear arms is in the Constitution. I have many. You can have my guns when you pry them from my cold dead fingers

Answer 9

I don't have a gun!! And I don't think I want one

Answer 10

For a false sense of safety.