Psychology behind America's gun culture.

[Estro Felino]

Didn't you miss the bit about wiping out the indigenous population?

Also.

 

[Estro Felino]

Many Americans see it the other way around, that potential revolution is a reason to be armed. That guns give power to the people. Of course that is an illusion, and everytime someone in power posed a threat to our democracy and liberty, the gun crowd supported them rather than opposed.

In Europe the armies stand with the populace. Not with the élites.

 

[Erebus]

It's not really a "pro-gun vs. no-gun" argument. It's a "real, effective gun regulation vs. ineffective pretend regulation" argument.

Yes and no. Keep in mind that the people who oppose stricter regulation generally feel that what's already in place is effective (or as effective as it can be anyway).

Personally though, I agree with you that tighter gun control is needed.

 

[Nakosis]

Let's play armchair psychologists.

I suspect that many enthusiasts see guns as an extension/representation of their masculinity, and thus consider restrictions to be emasculating.
Perhaps even silently considering dead school children to be an acceptable cost.

What say you?

Majorities of both groups of gun owners consider the right to own guns to be essential to their personal sense of freedom (70% of women and 77% of men), and somewhat similar shares say being a gun owner is very or somewhat important to their overall identity (46% and 52%, respectively).
How male and female gun owners in the U.S. compare

So a majority of gun owners see it as important to their sense of freedom.
I would have guessed differently.

Men see a gun as a sport activity. Hunting, target practice, gun knowledge trivia.
Women mostly see gun ownership as a means of protection.

As far as mass shootings or specifically school shootings, it is not about whether they are an acceptable cost. The opinions are about 50/50 whether increased gun restriction would have any impact on their frequency.
So lets say you limit magazine size. The frequency of school shooting remains about the same. What is the next step?

There exist other theories on how to address the problem.
Unfortunately since it has become a political issue and the US is about equally divided, none are making any headway at least at the federal level.

 

[Father Heathen]

I already gave my armchair psychologist answer in the other thread: Yet another mass shooting...

And I like to add another observation. Very few here or the other thread (or the many previous threads) are willing to see any grey. You are either pro or contra guns. The gun lobby somehow managed to hammer that into so many people.
The "anti gun" crowd usually isn't. We want reasonable regulations without loopholes. But there seems to be no compromising with the gun nuts. I think that alone is worth to psycho analyse.

I'm not anti-gun, but I'm for significantly more stringent restrictions and regulations. I also believe there is a toxic cultural element that fetishizes guns. I know this doesn't apply to all gun owners.

 

[Audie]

nice, another that has no idea if I own a gun or not...or for that matter what my actual view is on gun laws and ownership....but, if you think that is a reason to use a gun...I pray to God you don't have one.....not a reason to use a gun now is it

see.... pro vs anti gun ownership posts and calling it a discussion makes about as much sense as saying let's have a Republican vs Democrat post and see if we can reach an understanding....to much emotion, and extremism on both sides of that...and not enough real discussion in a real attempt to actually fix anything

The snark you responded to is even
less likely to achieve anything productive.

 

[Curious George]

His thought process was "I want to defend gun rights. What mental gymnastics can I pull off to utilize the race card and throw abortion in as a bonus?"

So you are suggesting there is no merit to the idea that gun control has racist origins and that black people may disproportionately suffer if gun control measures were implemented?

and what role do you think generational and historic trauma has in shaping this man’s worldview?

 

[Revoltingest]

Let's play armchair psychologists.

I suspect that many enthusiasts see guns as an extension/representation of their masculinity, and thus consider restrictions to be emasculating.
Perhaps even silently considering dead school children to be an acceptable cost.

What say you?

I say that people who oppose gun rights are weak
timid folk who lust for security provided by a
parental figure, ie, government.
Perhaps they silently wish for dead school children.
They're politically useful.
But shouldn't the OP be in the joke forum?

Psychological analysis is fun!

 

[Father Heathen]

I suggest watching Red Dawn if you want a glimpse into American gun culture. It's a solid reflection of how tons of Americans believe that with no training, no experience, no organization a ragtag group of civilians with their guns can defend an entire town from an invading professional army (that too is a part of American gun culture, which is a pervasive and unrealistic fear of being attacked).

The recent remake that replace Russia with North Korea was garbage.

 

[Revoltingest]

I would say you have that spot on

Of course you would.
To froggies, guns are for dropping before running.

 

[Shaul]

What's your theory on why they run their tongue along the length of their gun's barrel?

I don't need a theory since any such acts are aberrations and inconsequential. I think it is more telling that you find such images interesting. That and your associating an inanimate object, such as a gun, as masculine says more about you than gun owners. By extension you must have peculiar notions of women gun owners.

 

[Estro Felino]

I'm not anti-gun, but I'm for significantly more stringent restrictions and regulations. I also believe there is a toxic cultural element that fetishizes guns. I know this doesn't apply to all gun owners.

The Parkland mass shooting took place because someone could buy a semi-automatic rifle.
That is unthinkable and should change.
Semi-automatic rifles shouldn't be available to any civilian.

 

[Father Heathen]

The Parkland mass shooting took place because someone could buy a semi-automatic rifle.
That is unthinkable and should change.
Semi-automatic rifle shouldn't be available to any civilian.

To many American conservatives, they see such weaponry as an extension of themselves.

 

[Revoltingest]

What's your theory on why they run their tongue along the length of their gun's barrel?

How are you aware of this....a secret youtube pleasure?
Liberals...so many love to sexualize guns.

 

[Father Heathen]

In Europe the armies stand with the populace. Not with the élites.

How are those in power that you adore not part of "the elite"?

 

[Revoltingest]

Yeah, we have reached a point where a certain part of the population does deserve blame, scorn and contempt.

But we'll rise above temptation, & discuss gun
regulation with you anyway....when you become
amenable. That won't happen in this thread though.

 

[Revoltingest]

see.... pro vs anti gun ownership posts and calling it a discussion....

But that's not what the OP was about.
It's a bash thread. Discussion discouraged.
As is so often said on RF, there should be
no tolerance for wrongful beliefs. And so
we have barbs about wanting children
murdered, & guns being sex objects.

 

[Father Heathen]

such acts are aberrations and inconsequential.

How are you aware of this....?

lmao... I don't think anyone actually does that, not literally.

 

[Estro Felino]

How are those in power that you adore not part of "the elite"?

The élites run the banking and financial sectors, not governments.

 

[PureX]

So a majority of gun owners see it as important to their sense of freedom.

And yet the right to drive while intoxicated is not being seen as important to their sense of freedom. Why is that?

Men see a gun as a sport activity. Hunting, target practice, gun knowledge trivia.

If that were the case, they'd have no use or interest in pistols, and military style guns. And yet these outsell hunting guns by a wide margin. No, the obsession is clearly with the guns that are designed to kill humans.

Women mostly see gun ownership as a means of protection.

Women almost never commit the gun crimes that we are trying to stop. Which pretty much demonstrates that the "macho" accusation holds a lot of water.

As far as mass shootings or specifically school shootings, it is not about whether they are an acceptable cost. The opinions are about 50/50 whether increased gun restriction would have any impact on their frequency.

Except that one side of that argument hasn't got any evidence at all, while the other side has the example of countries all over the world as evidence. So the opinions may be "50/50", but the facts are more like "2/98".

So lets say you limit magazine size. The frequency of school shooting remains about the same. What is the next step?

The magazines aren't the problem. The shooters are. So the solution is to keep the guns away from the people most likely to use them to murder other people. It ain't rocket science.