It appears that men are the ones who will take up arms to protect themselves and those they love. And for many, the country and freedom they love.
I am from a long lineage military family - even as far back as being directly linked to Rob Roy on my mother's side. My father's side, well, mostly the kind we need to keep AWAY from guns
, however, my dad was retired from the armed forces, as is my brother, and my other brother was in the Marines in Vietnam and did not come home - along with my great grandfather in WWI, with relatives on that side in the civil war. When my dad was alive he had a gun.
So this is something that is carried in our DNA. And I think it is much more strongly expressed in men. I understood my father, the men of his generation, and my brother much better, after I saw the movie Platoon, Saving Private Ryan (albeit hollywood shiny versions), and reading first accounts of war. I realized only a small part of
what men have been required to do in this world. And are currently doing in the Middle East. And I can say I don't think most women have it in them to do it.
Men understand brotherhood - they will die for one another - but will women die for another woman? For their family they are known to, but in past wars? How the current generation of female soldiers is doing it is beyond my capability.
In general, bc so many men have responded to this thread,
it seems most women are depending on their men to protect them from the level of harm
that a gun will remedy.