Open carry is legal in only a few states so of course this doesn't depict everyday life in America and that makes open carry overall a rare thing. Pictured is just one twit playing dress up. What is more common and legal in many states is concealed carry which in some states, such as my own, doesn't require any training or permit - you don't know who is packing and any idiot could be.

While the U.S. has about 4% of the world's population it has 40% of the world's privately owned firearms. For every 100 people here there are about 120 firearms while 70% to 75% percent don't own firearms; that's a lot of guns in the hands of some folks. The guns are status symbols and talismans that are said to represent freedom but often represent the desire to be dominant or just plain fear. People have been shot for knocking on a door to ask directions. A guy just went to prison last week for shooting a young woman to death - she was in a car with some friends and they had pulled into the end of the guy's driveway to turn around because they were lost. Schools, stores, chuches, sporting events, county fairs, driving down the highway.... most normal public activities have been subject to shootings which has caused fearful people to arm themselves for protection and their fear and inexperience leads them to shoot at the wrong people.

Our streets are not awash in blood and there are not armed people everywhere you go but there are still so many of them that you never know when and where there'll be another shooting, another "mass casualty event" . It's way out of hand.