By David Taintor
"Anytime you see a Western movie, the revolver in John Wayne's hand is a Colt single action," Arizona state Sen. Ron Gould (R) told Reuters. "This is a historic firearm and it fits well with the story of Arizona."
But state Sen. Albert Hale (D)--former president of the Navajo Nation--said "the gun symbolized the extinction, the extermination of those Indians who were here."
For more on the subject, see Arizona Is the New Alabama and Guns in the Giffords Shooting.
P.S. I think California's state gun should be a movie prop. Maybe a phaser from Star Trek.
An official State gun? I'll never understand American gun love.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what firearms the Navajo and others mainly used?
ReplyDeleteMuskets were popular with the NW tribes from French fur traders, so guns among natives goes back a bit. Comanches supposedly got guns as far back as the 1740s and Navajos the 17th century.
ReplyDeleteI know with plains tribes, the carbine rifle was popular during early western expansion.