As much of a pinko liberal as I am, I really do love the US, and my study of cultures around the world makes me appreciate what we have here all the more. That said, I don't think guns are the problem, it's the attitude we have about them in the US that's the problem. In other countries, their histories were tied to their most basic traditions. They could trace their histories back to basic origins.They grew up smacking each other with rocks, then went on to civilized eras, then started slicing each other up with blades, and after hundreds of years, moved on to guns. They all built up thousands of ideas worth of identity in order to be where they are now.

The United States barely registers in terms of world history and civilization. Sure, we've left our mark, but compared to the legacy of other nations, we're still damned young. In US history, nearly all of our major, well-known events involve guns in some way. The American Revolution, War of 1812, wars against the natives, Civil War, our imperial ages, World War 1/2, and tons of other milestones that most Americans can name-drop very quickly. They all had firearms associated around them, and we developed this attitude around guns that held them as important tools to achieve some great victory or another. I feel bad because I read a few persuasive papers espousing similar ideas, and I basically just did them a disservice by oversimplifying them.

What I'm saying is, we have gun worship due to their usefulness in giving power to an individual, which I believe should be a sobering thought, not an empowering one. Taking life or engaging in a conflict involving firearms is not something that should be taken lightly. I've gone to gun shows, gun stores, and even learned how to build basic firearms and explosives from home. I've heard every fantasy from people talking about burglars breaking into their homes or seeing muggers (in the middle of Appalachia, for god's sake), all the way up starting revolutions or protecting ourselves from invaders. It'd be nice if everyone here knew how to safely and responsibly operate a firearm, but that's certainly not the case. I don't think gun laws will necessarily solve the problems here (or anywhere), but I do believe keeping them out of the hands of those who don't appreciate the weight of their actions should be a goal.

Also, post-script: I hate people like Spike Lee joining in on this. Here we are, pointing out problems and trying to have a discussion, but numbskulls like him are posting Zimmerman's parents' address and other unhelpful (in many ways) shit.