The problem is not carrying, the problem is the mentality that at any minute, they are going to need to "draw down" on somone or something.... I asked him if he thought he was in that much danger most of the time... he said yes... Fear is a powerful motivator.
You're right, there is a fear - of everything - woven into their social conscious. Another GTAM member suggested in another thread that it stems from the way the U.S. was formed, through revolution. It makes a second one seem more plausible.