Nail on the head...
"Cannot you (plural usage) just admit that you folks see things differently for different reasons? We are all creatures of our environment and we on this side of the Atlantic tend to do things unless it is prohibited while you over there appear to do things only if it is clearly spelled out and approved."
Think you've got it there Bob. The UK has more than a few hundreds of years of being ruled, by Kings and Queens, by politicians, and now by the European Community......we expect restrictions and permissions, we thrive on commitees as we're conditioned from birth to avoid risk. Over there you start with a declaration of rights for the individual and fight against restrictions (the right to bear arms springs to mind). Just because we speak a similar language we often get sucked into thinking we're the same.