False Impressions

This sportsman posed for a portrait at a shooting range near my home.

    An African priest delivered a sermon at my church. He was a citizen of Zambia. He had recently arrived for a visit to the United States.
    I asked him to share his initial impressions of our country. He said he was surprised that nobody was walking around with guns.
    I wasn’t surprised by his response. Holywood films and news media convey an impression that our society is infatuated with firearms. That impression creates another belief that violence is pervasive.
    Those outlooks are wrong. My town is peaceful. My town is safe. The same conditions prevail in most communities I visit in our nation. For the most part, the people I am acquainted with do not posses firearms. Those who do possess guns are responsible and law abiding.
    Sure, there’s problems within some inner cities. Chicago comes to mind. But those places are not indicative of the nation as a whole.
    I wonder if most foreigners have false impressions of this country.