minor plot-bunny: Stargate / Avatar: the Last Airbender
I'm not sure if it was while watching Avatar: the Last Airbender or while reading related fanfic, that I discovered that benders didn't tend to use weapons. Zuko is unusual in that he is a fire bender who can also use a sword. Most benders just use their bending for both offense and defense, and people with weapons are clearly marked as not being benders.
Another thing is that the Air Nomads all seemed to be benders. The other nations had a much longer percentage of benders in their populations. But let's pretend for a bit that instead most people, in any given nation, are benders.
So, I had a thought:
SG-1 walks through the stargate and comes out near some small village in the Avatar universe. It doesn't even matter which nation it is. Just four soldiers all armed to the teeth, saying, "We're just peaceful travelers. We come in peace. etc."
O'Neill thinks it's getting to be increasingly ridiculous to introduce themselves that way when they are so obviously armed soldiers. Most of the people they meet on trips think it's ridiculous, too, and tend to try to kill them. These villagers on the other hand seem only slightly amused and condescending when they agree that SG-1 are peaceful visitors.
What's odder still is that a couple of times the adults in the village have had to take the village children to task for making fun of the poor strangers with their many guns.
Then they see some school yard scuffle between two kids. It might involve them throwing boulders at each other or maybe shooting flames. The school teacher walks right into the middle of it, breaks up the fight and gives both kids detention. Nobody is hurt.
But even Teal'c is disturbed.
Jackson goes around chatting with various people and finally comes back to the SG-1 to explain that, "well, everyone is a bit condescending BECAUSE we're carrying weapons, not despite it."
"Oh."
"It's a bit like if someone on prosthetic legs or in a wheelchair came to the SGC and announced that they didn't intend to challenge anyone to a hand-to-hand fight."
"Oh."
"I'm beginning to see why the Goa'uld never tried to conquer this place."