American Stereotype™ walks Google's mean Street View

Being Canadian...

I know America and Americans and I can categorically say that all Americans are NOT like that. Only about one in four.

But you can guess who's going to be ready when the revolution comes. That's right "the trailer park boys". The rest of us will just have to hope for mercy or that they pass out after the fight, so that we can then tie them up. That only seem implausible if you don't know them.

Paintballer

Sorry to disappoint you lot, but that is a paintball gun, and the "liquor bottle" is the air canister.

@chris

ok, we may have traded in the right to own guns for the right to not be shot, but if you look at the murder stats for the US versus the UK, it seems to have been a good plan.

<maths>

murders in the UK in 2007 :: 784

murders in the USA in 2007 :: 16,929

</maths>

mines the one with the calculator and the pocket protector.

Poor crime ridden Brits

Just a couple facts to ruin your day.

South Dakota violent crime rate: 172/100,000

The UK violent crime rate: 2300/100,000 (that's the low number and lets not forget the UK.gov has been cooking the books by only counting violent crimes that result in a conviction. We count all crimes regardless of how sneaky the perp was.)

Enjoy your gun free paradise, serfs.

A view from another American

Hey hey now. I am an American. I don't have a harley davidson sweater, I have a Cardinals Football jersey. I don't have any of that swill in the picture. I only drink the good stuff like crown and coke. I also don't have a hunting rifle. I have an assault rifle, 3 shotguns, and 5 pistols.

Not all Americans fit the stereotype shown in the picture.

Weight and @sigh

Regarding weight... as an American I can tell you the hunters are in much better shape than average. They go out in the fields or woods for hours, stand or squat still in odd positions waiting for deer etc. to wander into view. This does burn much more calories than the lying in bed sleeping they'd probably be doing otherwise (most hunters like to go out at like 5AM to start hunting.) They tend to actually eat some of the venison etc. they shoot too, which certainly is more healthy than fries and hamburger.

@sigh, "I can make stereotypes too, ready? All Londoners are pasty, tea drinking ninnys. See it's easy."

Come on prove it! I'd LOVE to see a Google street view with some pasty ninny drinking tea 8-)

Meh.

Just a note, that canister bears striking resemblance to the ones used to hold reloading propellant.

I suppose as a much maligned Yank (from one of the original 13 no less) I should address the gun debate. Don't think I can't see the humor in this though, that is a very undignified pose to be caught in while handling a firearm, and most people experienced with firearms would be quick to inform him that he was being a hazard to those around him.

However on a more abstract plane, as I see it, many Americans are just more keenly aware that there have been, and will be, times when the collective bargain just doesn't pay off. Sure, things like government and society are nice as far as they go, and in many cases are well worth paying into, but their ability to give the individual a meaningful return on investment is limited, and not always reliable.

To keep this lighthearted, let's say the zombies come, in lieu of some other unforeseen catastrophe. The bodies of the dead rise and walk the earth seeking human flesh to devour, their victims joining the hard as they fall. Governments crumble and the world is thrown into chaos. In this scenario, it doesn't matter that you voted, obeyed the law, payed all your taxes, and were otherwise a good and loyal citizen; It doesn't matter that you were supposed to receive the support of police forces, armies, a medical infrastructure, and the best research apparatus money could buy; It doesn't matter that you trained for years, at great personal expense, to become a specialist and fill one of society's greatest roles. In this end you are left with nothing but what you can do by yourself and provide for yourself. There is no one else left to intervene on your behalf and ensure that your rights are respected.

That is why I believe people need guns, and why many Americans, as citizens of a younger nation born out of conflict, desire to keep and be practiced with firearms. They aren't to shoot neighbors who wrong us or to stage an overthrow of the government or even to play sports with, they are just tools that help make us a little stronger and a little more independent, in order to help preserve the balance between the collective and the individual, so either way we don't slip through the cracks.

I know that all makes me sound like a survivalist nutcake, but I'm really not. I just don't have the arrogance to believe that my country is so perfect as to be rendered eternal and invulnerable (stereotypical US Right), or that it may be made so by more completely devoting myself to its service (stereotypical US Left).

Flames, since fire is a tool as well.

(I think I just used up my entire run-on sentence quota there :-) )

Meh.

(oops the IW spell check changed "horde" to "hard")

@ Pete "oranges" B

What's more likely, "Resident Evil" or someone using easily available firearms to threaten an old granny or dispose of a girlfriend's new lover?

Seeing yourself as "stronger, more independent" implies you aren't taken by surprise, you've got the best gun, the best training and you aren't facing two people who might, seeing your M15, lob a grenade into your log cabin to kill the occupants but leave the canned food in the cupboard relatively untouched?

@Chris - "God--given right[s]" to bear arms? You're not talking about the Christian God I assume. Shiva perhaps, or those who live by "survival of the fittest", but not the "turn the other cheek", "thou shalt not kill" one.

But it's all alright 'cos

Well, at least he's not "carrying concealed"!

Unless, of course, he has some more guns on him too.

@Lee

You are looking at my example in a way that is much too specific. The entire point of using an entirely improbable scenario, rather than one which might seem plausible such as a flood or invasion, was to prevent a scenario/counter-scenario argument as to when a particular set of tools would or would not be useful or beneficial, since that's really not the issue.

The point I was making was that guns merely exist in a broad spectrum of individual tools that form part of the human experience, and that such objects cannot be fully replaced by collective tools like governments. A society needs a healthy mix of both collective and individual tools to function well. Too much reliance on collective tools fractures a society into many specialized fragments which are helpless on their own, while over reliance on individual tools inhibits a society's ability to tackle challenges that can only be met collectively.

Now, whether any given individual or collective tool is appropriate for any given society is really a matter that only that society can address. Questions as to whether guns, wrenches, chainsaws, senators, members of parliament, presidents etc. are appropriate and if so the exact forms they should take is a matter a best left to the people directly affected by the relative presence or absence of such tools (no pun intended as far a politicians are concerned).

The only thing I object to is when members a society, having determined what is best for their unique case (in any area, not just weapons), come to believe that their ability to make that decision is the result of some universal wisdom or insight and go about making themselves out to be superior to all societies not conforming to their decisions (May I be the first to say that many of my countrymen are guilty of this in spades, however). Yes, it may be all in good fun, but it does represent a serious set of underlying issues in regard to how people all over the world view the right of self determination.

Is it not amazing how, not just now but through out history, it is not our differences that divide us most but rather our similarities? They are the basis for the constant temptation to look at ourselves and in our pride try to mold others to our image.

No surprise

Here in America, we believe the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be in charge of planning parties, and not a law enforcement agency!

If it comes down to it

The only time that firearms would be useful in Britain would be if the Rule of Law finally broke down. And if that happened, it wouldn't matter too much that they were illegal. My first stop, therefore, is to be my old comprehensive school; where there are still well-equipped chemistry and metalwork labs. I know the correct proportion in which to mix sulphur, charcoal and saltpetre, and I know how to run a lathe.

Until it comes to such a time as a rather crude home-made gun will be much better than nothing, I am quite content with nobody else having guns.

the stereotype

Ah, man, I don't wear Harley-Davidson t-shirts.

--Glenn

Zombies are easy to deal with without guns

Grab a bat, jump in the car make sure the family is ok, batter a couple of zombies, pick up the girlfriend, batter a few more zombies, get back in the car, hole up in the local boozer, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of it to blow over.

How's that for a slice of fried gold!

Thanks to Shaun of the Dead for teaching us that zombies are infact slow moving monsters and shooting them just ain't sporting.... get in there crack a few heads and sit back for a pint, thats the best way :)

Grossly Offended - Again

I am considerably offended by being referred to as 'yellow' . To equate my jaundice to mental incompetence is grossly offensive and an attack on my human rights. I demand this person be fired immediately.

Peace, out.

@chris

"welcome to America where we haven't traded in our god given rights"

You have none.

Deliberate Misrepresentation.

The guy is crossing the street in front of a sporting goods store. It looks like he's purchased a rifle and a 1lb. jug of smokeless propellant. Now he's crossing the street to his parked car. That's nothing to be excited about. In fact, in Britain before the poor sods there gave up their God-given freedoms to socialists oligarchs, that would have been in unremarkable sight once as well.

One can only wonder and shake one's head in pity at a mentality that goes hysterical over a man exercising his freedom in a safe manner.

dear mr usa

i would like to point out that knives are less dangerous than guns because you must have it in your hand or throw it, both giving the victim avoiding injury. also a knife will slice into you but a built will blow straight through or get stuck somewhere inside again causing more damage than a knife. in the usa you are likely to see a gun with violent crime where as in the uk you are a lot less likely to.

i want guns in the uk like i want a hole in the head (which i will probs get if they do)