They don't need them. But many really really want them, and this "want" is often justified as a bonafide "need" out of concern for self-defense. In reality, gun

They don't need them. But many really really want them, and this "want" is often justified as a bonafide "need" out of concern for self-defense. In reality, guns are rarely used properly for self-defense and most deaths in a home from a gun are due to an accident or a suicide. Gun ownership is deeply entrenched in American history and written into the constitution since centuries ago. When something is that fundamental to a culture and its government, it is unlikely to change. Though I fail to understand why machine guns remain legal. You can't buy a grenade launcher or anti-aircraft missile system, so why other weapons of war? That's the one oddity. Disclaimer: I have family members in the states; one of them own 15 guns.