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posted by on Monday January 09 2017, @08:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the second-amendment dept.

The love of guns in the United States has been well documented, as have multiple mass shootings across the country such as those in Orlando, San Bernardino, Newtown, and Virginia. The ease of access to guns in American society comes at a shocking cost.

As of September 2016, almost 11,000 people have been killed as a result of gun violence. Despite this high death toll, mass shootings in America show no sign of disappearing.

The Stateside obsession with guns can appear baffling to UK observers unfamiliar with its origins. So just how did this gun culture become so deep-rooted in the American psyche?

BBC source: Why Are Americans so Obsessed with Guns?

Wikipedia: Gun politics in the United States


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  • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by Fishscene on Tuesday January 10 2017, @03:43PM

    by Fishscene (4361) on Tuesday January 10 2017, @03:43PM (#452092)

    I can't recall a topic where most of the replies above my threshold are so useless, Statistically irrelevant, or just plain dumb.
    This is an opinion piece. Let's get some real opinions on the matter, shall we?

    Here's my reason's why I think we like guns:
    - We like to take care of our own. In a land BY the people, FOR the people, WE are the defenders of personal freedom. Anyone who tramples on our freedom to life should expect the their own life to be trampled on. This is true in all kinds of situations, from muggings to bank robberies. The fact that some places (such as California) are trying to make it a crime to exercise your right to life is a bastardization of everything the United States stands for.
    - The handling of guns should teach 2 things: Responsibility and respect. Not just for the firearm, but for people in general as well. One of the reasons why we (should) respect police officers is that they are trained to handle escalations all the way to taking a person's life to defend others are protect the freedoms of others. Now imagine if most adults had that same training and/or mentality. Many *do* have this view, but you only hear about them briefly, if at all on the news. They are the unsung heroes who rose to a situation when they could have cowered.
    - Guns help equalize power. The "bad guys" are always going to strive to have the upper hand. So yes, they will go to lengths to acquire firearms, knives, shiv's, whatever it takes to get the upper hand. The "good guys"? Yea, lets take away access to things that help them defend.
    - We have a history of rebellion against corrupt power. So much so, that we are called to overthrow our own government if need be. When governments are overthrown, it's usually peaceful, with lots of pens, paper, and parades. Oh wait, no, that's not quite right, it takes great acts of courage (however displaced it may be) and blood.

    ...which brings me to my last point, which I've said before:
    Life is dangerous. Safety is NOT guaranteed in any situation. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either a hypocrite (they have armed protectors) and doesn't believe the lies they spew from their own mouth, has an agenda to screw people over, or is just plain ignorant of reality and should probably try living outside their safe zone before they advocate for taking away the liberties of good people.

    Speaking of good people, there are more "good people" who own firearms than "bad people". If we had a gun problem, we wouldn't have a country. If we had a people problem with guns, we wouldn't have a country either.

    So why do we like guns? Because they help equalize power in the hands of "the good guys". It helps with acquisition of food through hunting. It teaches respect, responsibility, and consequences - something many of our leaders, children and adults need to learn. It allows us to have a fighting chance against a tyrannical government if need be. And to be truthful, they're a nice hobby and some are really cool and fun. Some people have a fear of guns - honestly, I don't care. Your fear of something not harming you is no reason to remove my rights to carry in whatever safe fashion I choose. If I fear people who try to take away my rights, does that mean we should remove those people? or stop them from having a voice or opinion on the matter? No!

    Also, don't you dare think or twist my words to say killing people is a cool, fun, hobby.

    As for mass shootings, I recon there are several factors:
    - Lack of love and respect for your fellow man. Entitlement plays a role here.
    - People disarming themselves, preventing an adequate response when the danger is at its highest.
    - Mass shooters aren't stupid - they know people aren't going to be prepared to respond to them in time.
    - Injustice towards the mass shooter before the mass shooting event. ("zero tolerance" and such)
    - The best places for a mass shooting are usually the same ones that ban "good people" from defending themselves and others.
    - People that teach guns are bad. It creates a kind of black market mentality - which naturally encourages the "good guys" to acquire them and keeps the "bad guys" wary of such things. Err... other way around.
    - We have a "justice" system that blames almost anything but the perpetrator. These days, we like to hold guns responsible for mass shootings. We are stupid beyond belief in this regard. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if a mass shooter got away scott-free because the gun did the killing - not him. And I equally wouldn't be surprised if he was a US state-actor with an agenda.

    --
    I know I am not God, because every time I pray to Him, it's because I'm not perfect and thankful for what He's done.
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