How do you view the American?

Idealistically, I'm for guns because I don't believe the state has a right to prohibit its citizens from owning guns. I still don't believe it is reasonable to blame the hammer, no matter how many nails get bent (maybe a little more elegant a phrase than "guns don't kill people..."? ).

And on a practical level I don't want the only guns to be in the hands of other people (legally authorized or not). If the sh*t hits the fan, putting my loved ones at risk in some unforseen breakdown of security and/or society, I am comfortable with the operation of my firearms and justifiably proud of my aim. I am concerned about people who have never fired a gun...all that means is that they're a danger to everyone if they ever have to. If everyone respected guns instead of fearing them or worshipping them, they'd be a lot less perilous. 

And let's face it folks, the big fear didn't come down on us from crazies wielding guns, but from crazies with viruses, with letter bombs, with airplanes, with the desire to kill and a blindness to the suffering they would cause...denying them guns simply means they get creative.

I didn't answer because I'm totally conflicted ... my politics generally pits me against what most American governments want to do ... yet, I went to uni in Virginia, half the best friends of my teenage years are in America, my sister's married to an American.

Simplistically, America did save the Euro's butts from the Germans and our Asian butts from the Japanese so for that I am grateful, Gleam .. but what do you make of people who murdered the Indians (native Americans) for the land, worked it with the blood of African slaves, and allowed organizations like the KKK, the mafia and most dangerous of all, the CIA, to flourish alongside with the awesome American dream ... I do miss America, it's been more than a decade since I left ...

And on another note, James, amazing how many people are pro-gun ownership. Nothing to do with that murder capital of the world thing, eh? Guns don't kill people, people kill people, right?

I'm very much in favor of guns and dogs, and I'm landlocked. Guilty!

However, I was born on a coast and possess more than my share of irony- and I tend to stay as far away from churches as possible, except maybe to admire the architecture.

Americans are a mass of contradictions which is a good thing. We work hard and play hard. Millions of people come from all over the world every year to share in the ideal. 

There are many wrongs in our country, but all in all there is a lot of good too. In general, the average American means well. I think the most important thing to remember is that we are the luckiest people in the world.

Oh, btw Tony R. Your welcome... We will be more than happy to save your asses a third time, just as we did in the previous two wars. After all let's face it, if not for us you would be speaking German.

I see Americans as much the same as all Western peoples at the mercy of rampant Capitalism.

We are thrown enough titbits from the master's table to keep us sweet and compliant.Meanwhile the "great and good" defecate all over the planet in our name.They make sure that enough of us want to sit at their table (even though there aren't any seats available) to maintain the status quo.

Yet the man in the street sings about the Land Of The Free.....

We are all blind,cowardly and ignorant and that is how "they" like it.

I cannot answer to this poll: I haven't personally met all the Americans.

I think there are a couple of Brasilians, four or five Canadians and maybe three Peruvians that don't even know I exist...