American gun veneration rests on historic and mythic frontier narratives

Evidence

The veneration of guns is rooted in this nation’s heritage, with citizen militias fighting for independence, the U.S. Cavalry protecting settlers from Native Americans, and legendary heroic citizens stamping out rampant lawlessness in the frontiers of the Western expansion. Through events both historic and mythical, guns developed deep social and cultural roots in society. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1012

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the myth-of-the-frontier literature and to the broader theme of morally disengaged national origin stories.