Show of Hands

An armed society is a polite society.

Neither, I think. They just sit there doing nothing until someone picks one up, no different than any other simple machine - or even a rock, for that matter.

Guns by themselves are just neutral objects. It is the culture of a nation that determines how violent it is. Easy access to guns especially ones that can kill many persons in just seconds does contribute to the escalation of the collateral damage.