I have always said that the majority of Americans still think they live in the Old Wild West with Billy The Kid, Johnny Ringo, Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, etc still running around, I know when I carried a loaded weapon around (SLR) in Northern Ireland on a tour of duty, inside, I was shitting myself knowing I had something in my hand that could kill a human being just by pointing and pulling the trigger.
We had to be a 100% focused at all times even if we (patrol) were dog tired after doing a 6-8 hour foot or mobile patrol, you would get some old guy with a walking stick and then he would point it at you as if shooting or some kiddies playing Cowboys & Indians and run towards you with a toy gun, you had a split second of judgment "were they real guns or were they not?" knee-shaking times they were, especially on a cold and dark evening.