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| quote: | Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov
I disagree... I don't think we have a culture that fears the use of guns at all - in some odd twist guns have become synonymous with machismo and bravery. Clint Eastwood and Jack Bauer are heroes on tv because of their courage in using firearms. Gangs inculcate honor and pride in drive-by shootings. If anything, we live in a culture that doesn't fear guns enough. Parents keep loaded weapons in the closet with the safeties off in fear of a burglar... the way we use, celebrate, and proliferate guns throughout our society is anathema to any sort of fear (which, I might add, would be based on an accurate appraisal of what guns really represent - as you said, an unnatural and easy extension of human power). |
I completely agree. It's an awkward dynamic though - people both fear and respect weapons because they represent empowerment in the "right" hands and terror in the "wrong" hands. People's susceptibility to this sort of polarity lends itself both ways - they both elevate homegrown heroes who would murder in the name of their personal sense of justice while vilifying that same power in the hands of foreigners or untrusted neighbours invading their streets. Just as you said - they will keep a loaded weapon next to their bed at night, for fear that a robber will come to their house with a weapon all the while glorifying gun violence in the media and on television when it either suits their particular sensibilities or creates a fascination of fiction.
| quote: | Your point about Africa is interesting - child soldiers represent a concrete example of how drastic the danger of guns really are. A nine year old boy can lift a five pound AK-47 and kill without burning more than a few calories. In terms of physical exertion, killing a man with a gun is not all that different from simply wishing him dead - all you have to do is raise your arm and move your finger two centimeters.
That kind of power over fellow man is completely new in human society. Before the entree of guns into mainstream society, death required some premeditation and a little elbow grease. The proliferation of guns throughout society without fear shows the importance of trust - at any given moment a dozen permit-carrying citizens could put an end to your existence without breaking a sweat. |
I think you've explained my point far better and more succinctly than I could have.
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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
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