Carlos Hathcock was not a typical "old country boy". He was unusual even among trained snipers in his patience, skill and stubborn perseverance.

Owning and handling firearms does not always result in "already skilled marksmen"

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Backwoodsman: you say "We know that it's not simple, that there's a huge cultural implant to be overcome ..." and then follow it with "what's wrong with you>?"

WHAT you? Nothing is wrong with many of us! What would you have us do? A "can do nation" is a slogan, not a simplistic answer to the very things you admit are "not that simple".
*WE*& are not "a nation of people who think it's their right, and perfectly OK, for every citizen to possess firearms,..."...*some* are that way, and they have bought congressmen on their side! What part of the Catch-22 situation of 2nd Amendment, legal process & "states rights" coupled with Gerrymandering and fear mongering do you not understand?

We see constantly various media reporting, explaining and educating on the issue... but those who want to keep all those guns do not WATCH those media... and they have a vested interest in NOT seeing a sane view of the situation.

I sometimes think that a 'liberal' buying an AK-47 and shooting up NRA headquarters might get the message across, but they would just claim it proved their point..

somehow, images of Sisyphus & King Canute come to mind