Don, I think my informant was just voicing his resentment of immigrants and Travelers by giving them rights that don't exist.
Machismo? I saw a friend's new purchase that he bought at a gun show, a Glock 9 banana clip. THAT is offensive even to a guy who supports the second amendment.
In this country, if you kill someone you had better be prepared to convince a jury that you felt that your life was in immediate peril.

America is not populated by a gang of witless cowboys as is believed by many foreigners.They get all the bad press because that's what sells newspapers.
Many Americans think that all Brits wear bowler hats and say,"Bloody good show, eh what"? Ignorance is international.