Ralph Conant said, "Americans like to think of themselves as a peace-loving people,?

You could argue that large American conglomerates and their strong position within the global economy operate in ways that are economically aggressive. But in terms of violent situations, look at the secret service funding and or training of Al Qaeda agents, South American dictatorships, the military actions in Vietnam, the Iran contra affairs, and obviously Iraq.

Mettalica said it best: "Love it or leave it, she with the deadly bite, quick is the blue tounge, forked as the lightning strike, never begins it, never but once engaged, never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage. So be it, tread no more! To secure peace, is to prepare for war. Don't tread on me."

Everyone likes to think of themselves as "peace loving people". Just because there isn't peace doesn't mean people don't want peace. And stop trying to make statements like that just about the U.S. Every country is pretty much the same way.

Why, the settlement of the country for one. It was inadvisable for anyone to venture into the frontier without a gun, not because of wild animals and unfriendly Indians (although there were some of each), but because you didn't know who else might be out there or what they might be capable of.