America’s love affair with the gun

THE pro-gun lobby in the US is summed up for many by actor Charlton Heston brandishing a musket and declaring “If you want to take my gun away, you’ll have to take it from my cold, dead hands.”

The screen legend, now 82, has long stepped down as president of America’s National Rifle Association, the powerful pro-gun lobby, but the image still persists.

To many, this apparent love affair with the gun remains a mystery.