From about 1961 to 1966, the US put a great emphasis on physical fitness and science education for the same reason: fear of a Russian (i.e., Soviet) attack. A while back I posted a phonograph record to which we all exercised in the regular classroom. #chicken-fat This record was distributed to all schools for free by The President's Council on Physical Fitness. They wanted us to be fit to serve as soldiers.

As a kid, my father gave me both a 16-gague shotgun and a bolt-action .30-30 rifle. He wanted to make a big game hunter of me. I have no idea what happened to those firearms. I haven't had a firearm since I graduated from high school. In my six years in the US Navy, I never so much as touched an actual firearm. That's not to say we didn't have weapons. We had Poseidon missiles and torpedoes, but those belonged to the Weapons Division. We were Engineering. We had a nuclear reactor.

I would be happier, I think, if the US had firearms laws and regulations more like those of the UK.