They are both: Prototypically American Old-fashioned Noisy Rough around the edges The cause of strong positive and negative emotions Attention-getting when speaking Intimidating until one becomes familiar There when needed Heavy to carry but worth the effort Dangerous to enemies Protective to friends A source of strength in a dangerous world Impossible to ignore Called upon only in the gravest extreme â—AuthorÂ’s Note: The phrase “in the gravest extreme” is borrowed from the title of a book by Massad Ayoob, a firearms trainer and expert witness on use-of-force. He was referring to the perception that human life is at...