Tak, I think were arguing over interpretation of words. I *think* your arguing against the idea that guns define our national identity, when taking issue with the word of "gun nation"; and I would agree, guns do not define who we are.
What i'm arguing is that "The gun", has been with us, and part of our society since it's first beginnings. They don't define who are, but they have always been with us, and because of that, you'll see guns represented in symbolic ways throughout our history. As such, the gun as come symbolic in and of itself, and while not defining the American identity, certainly part of the American tapestry.
EDIT:
And yes i'm well aware of the Pilgrim mythos. I don't agree with all the puritan bible toting symbolism in the first picture I linked, I only use it as an example of how guns are woven into our national fabric.
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