Gunning for Money

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"Despite the colder realities of the business, the gun industry packages firearms in the sepia tint of nostalgia, conjuring up the Western frontier, fathers and sons hunting at the turn of the century, and grand moments of martial history," writes Tom Diaz of the Violence Policy Center. "For decades, the gun industry has portrayed itself in this way as a repository and guardian of fundamental U.S. cultural values. Indeed it is difficult to think of another industry -- with the possible exception of professional sports -- that has so successfully transformed its image from profit-making business to national institution. But however grandly the gun industry may portray itself, the plain truth remains that the gun industry is simply a business ... scrapping over profit, not who gets the most credit for preserving 'heritage.'"