| In general the term of identity defines as whatever | | | | dangers. |
| makes an entity with different qualities and | | | | There are two views of the wilderness; either it |
| characteristics recognizable and distinguished from the | | | | means savagery which threatened new settlers' |
| others. A person's identity includes a sense of | | | | community or a fertile land enabled settlers to |
| continuity, a sense of uniqueness from others and a | | | | cultivate there what they desired. Both of these two |
| sense of affiliation; by them an individual is | | | | views share the common belief that it was the |
| recognized. | | | | wilderness helped settlers to establish civilization |
| There are several different types of identity such as | | | | during the time when they were trying to remove |
| cultural identity, social identity, ethnic identity and | | | | obstacles presented by nature and indian people. |
| religious identity. | | | | The 'Wild West' is still in the psyche of the US. A |
| American identity: | | | | good example to prove this claim is the request of |
| To explain the term of American identity it is | | | | Mr. Bush to have Bin Laden 'dead or alive' which |
| necessary to know about the American cultural and | | | | reaped continuously in aftermath the terrorist attacks |
| national identity. In general Cultural and national | | | | in 9/11. |
| identity refers to the common feelings and beliefs of | | | | The importance of guns in American culture also |
| a group with common culture, all the individuals in the | | | | stemmed from the necessity of hunting in the culture |
| new World are divided into different nations sharing | | | | of American people, especially in those early years of |
| their own common identity and usually common origin. | | | | the European arrival to the New Land of America. |
| As culture is the main factor in articulating a nation's | | | | "To understand gun talk, I had to understand what |
| identity, we can concentrate on the American culture | | | | America means to millions of ordinary people and |
| in order to explore American identity. | | | | how these beliefs shaped their sense of who they |
| Gun as a symbol of power and violence is one of the | | | | are, were, and must remain in the future." Joan |
| cultural icons in the United States. Guns have | | | | Burbick, 2006 |
| occupied a unique position in US politics. The United | | | | Joan Burdick, a professor of English and American |
| States' society has been divided in two groups; a | | | | studies at Washington State University, in her book |
| group which advocate the right of caring guns for | | | | "Gun Show Nation" talks about the trace of gun in |
| self-defense and a group which is against the right to | | | | American national and political identity. She focuses on |
| possess and carry arms that leads to the violent | | | | how far gun identity has been successful in |
| crimes and massacres in America. Although the | | | | introducing its products, guns, so cleverly to convey |
| second group tries to ban this right but it seems | | | | the concept of patriotism and to label those who use |
| impossible to become successful because the | | | | them as law-abiding civilian shooters. |
| American mind and heart have been intermingled with | | | | Burdick also draws a picture of a white, middle-aged |
| the idea of the necessity of having gun. As much | | | | man [as a symbol of many white people in America] |
| they try to convince other group by reminding them | | | | who believe that gun itself can stop violence, in |
| massacres in American schools for example the | | | | contrast with the history of America [that not only |
| massacre happened in the year 1999 at Columbine | | | | had been witnessed many wars between American |
| high school in Colorado which led to the death of 12 | | | | people and the world beyond the sea but even the |
| students and their teacher by two of their friends | | | | trace of guns in the death of many people in the |
| caring gun to the school, less they gain success in | | | | United States.] |
| gun control issue because those anti-gun advocates | | | | Although the American identity intermingled with the |
| can not establish the proper link between gun and | | | | identity of gun which has been troublemaking inside |
| violence , they face with this claim that "people kill | | | | the America , reminding the presidential assassination |
| people not gun kill people by itself" The idea of | | | | and the death of students in their schools as a |
| possessing guns has stemmed from nation's frontier | | | | notable examples in the history of the United States, |
| history. | | | | but this identity helped America to feel proudness |
| The trace of guns can be seen in every part of the | | | | and self-confidence to follow the concept of |
| America's soil especially in west where the wilderness | | | | manifest destiny in order to bring democracy beyond |
| of environment and the existence of Indian tribes | | | | the continent through wars relied on the power of |
| forced settlers to use guns in order to secure | | | | gun. |
| themselves and their families in confrontation with | | | | |