...A man on a saddle with rifle and revolver symbolized the West in both nations. Canada's character was the government Mountie, and America's the independent cowboy. Indeed, The Lone Ranger would have been an outlaw in Canada, since 19th century law forbade carrying a firearm while "masked or disguised." Toronto Professor John Hagan contrasts the Mountie with another American symbol, the eagle, "a fiercely independent animal prone to outbursts of violence."
Symbols such as Mounties, cowboys, and eagles reflect and create social reality. So do constitutions. Professor Friedland contrasts the American Constitution, with its right to keep and bear arms, and the Canadian constitution, which simply provides for "peace, order and good government," and signifies obedience to authority.
In short, Canadians have faith in government power in a way that Americans do not. Their gun laws are merely one aspect of the Canadian system of relying on the government to take care of everyone's welfare -- in contrast to the American system, where many citizens distrust government power, and insist that they possess the means to protect themselves...
(
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Mags/The-Failure-of-Canadian-Gun-Control.htm)
