Cause and Effect of Gun Violence in America
INTRODUCTION
Cultural and social problems attributed to gun violence have been a prevailing phenomenon for years. In a society where one could be fragile to the effects of cultural crackdowns and psychological breakdowns, guns have been a prevalent tool in addressing violent actions. Guns induce both violence and personal protection, but using it would likely trigger more instances of violence than self-defense. This is best illustrated in the series of school shooting tragedies that have gripped the whole nation and the world in fear for their safety and the saddening reality of the disintegration of society. However, despite the heated arguments surrounding guns in the society, guns are necessary tools for law enforcers in enforcing the law and maintain peace and stability. The focus now shifts to the influence of mass media in perpetuating a culture of violence through guns. Mass media is an unavoidable part of today’s daily lives, and people’s constant exposure to the popular culture that it transmits that encourages the possession and use of guns proves to have numerous negative consequences that ultimately lead to bloody tragedies. As such, popular culture and mass media in general, having a wide and influential reach, should be more responsible in the messages that they are trying to communicate. Guns should not be depicted as something “cool” which defines masculinity and a tool for one to be accepted.
ANALYSIS OF SOURCES
Causes and Effects
Mass media eats up a large chunk of people’s daily lives. From the newspaper that people read in the morning, the music that people listen to, the movies and TV shows that everyone watches, to the news that they watch at night, mass media is a constant companion of people from all ages in a daily basis. There is no escaping it, as everything people do wherever they may be involves mass media. Outside in the open, advertisements in all its form find its way to the consciousness of the people. It is successful in reaching its target audience as more and more avenues are made available for them to do so. However, with its ubiquity, it is also able to reach the wrong audience. Violence is rampant in almost all forms of media, and gun ownership has now become a medium that elevates someone ordinary to being cool. This phenomenon can be traced back to late nineteenth century, when images of the gun-toting, horse-riding men in the Wild West became rampant. These men with their squinting eyes became the new definition of masculinity that many men and women found appealing. What was clearly misunderstood by many was that out in the West, people needed guns for them to protect themselves from bandits, the natives, and the wildlife that inhabits the untamed wilderness (Winkler, 2011). The idea of men being more masculine was associated to the guns in their holsters, and this was what media captured and perpetuated.
People enter the world of media to get experiences and information that are not availale in real lives (Potter, 2004, p.61). Media helps people expand their experiences of the real world, but it has to be remembered that media is a different world from reality. As illustrated by the given example, media influences the audience with its presentation of a situation that is a bit different from reality. Men in the West may appear more manly with their guns and leather and horse, but what it failed to convey was that it was a necessity for their own protection in the wild. In the city where there is an abundance of law enforcers and wild animals are relatively if not completely absent, possessing gun and carrying it around is unnecessary and futile. This is not conveyed by media, and this is what is corrupting the minds of the audience. People are led to believe a world of fantasy where everything is perfect and ideal while overshadowing what is real.
Another cause of gun violence is exposure to elements depicting crime, hate, and gore. Regardless of the parenting style used, the exposure of children to images and signs of anger is inevitable. Numerous cases explaining both sides of pop culture as an element that triggers gun violence have been documented. One of the common tropes present in American pop culture is to justify violence, wherein the protagonist has to hurt and shoot the antagonist (Pevere, 2012). Another instance where pop culture fuels gun violence is that the depiction of gun ownership having a positive effect on the social status of a person (Bethell-Bennett, 2013). Pop culture usually depicts influential people, and most people from other demographics look up to these people. If they see an influential person holding a gun, then people may consider owning a gun, emulating that influential person in the process.
Like the men in the West, their guns in their holsters were not just carried as accessories but rather a tool to preserve their lives. In the event of a wild animal attack or bandits who are after their money and properties, the gun that they carry provide them was a means to protect themselves. LaPierre of the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the biggest supporter of the Second Ammendment, states that “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” (qtd. in Winkler, 2011). Guns may be meant to hurt or coerce someone to submit, but it is quite simply a weapon to protect one’s self. Young people these days get into fights and misunderstandings that when one of them possesses a gun, the fight would eventually lead to a bloody end. The same way that it offers protection, it also gives someone a temporary strength that propels one to move or act rashly, a behavior mostly associate with the young. This is one of the reasons why guns should not reach the hands of the youth, for they are not mature enough to understand and carry the responsibilities of owning a gun. Guns in the hands of a young person would only result to a disaster.
With the connotation that media continuously attaches with guns, more young people will likely want to get access to guns. In a society where competition is tight and getting recognized requires a great deal of hardwork and talent, young people would want to resort to the easiest way that would get them the attention that they are seeking. The hate and anger also cultivated within the hearts and minds of younger people by media, which were oftentimes just the result of confusion that is commonly experienced by people their age as they pass through the transitional period from teenagers to young adults, also cause the vulnerable young people to resort to violence in order to let go of their frustrations, or anger, or shame. These are shown by the video messages posted by some of the young people involved in gun massacres and suicides. Guns should not be placed in the hands of people who are volatile, but this is not how it is in the society today.
Solutions
In an attempt to curb instances of gun violation, advocates, researchers, and policymakers
should continue their efforts in spreading awareness regarding the negative consequences correlated to gun ownership. Thus, a public health approach is needed to define the problem, identify factors, and develop prevention strategies in ensuring prevention of gun violence (Hemenway and Miller, 2013). The government and other stakeholders should engage in organizing activities that would bring awareness about the dangers brought about by gun ownership and use. Awareness campaigns must be far-reaching and those that would require participation from the youth to further get them away from the negative feelings or thoughts that they may have developed and attached to guns.
Hemenway and Miller (2013) further suggested that creating good data systems through collection of significant information could highlight the problems. A similar approach by Mozzafarian, Hemenway, and Ludwig (2013) discusses the public approaches on solving tobacco-induced problems, but would be related and directed instead to the implementation of strategies on gun ownership. They further suggest that such distinction between ownership and violence is important in designing and implementing a coordinated public health strategy to reduce risks of gun-related tragedies (Mozzafarian, Hemenway, and Ludwig, 2013). Making the public aware about the horrors of using guns may have personal and psychological implications, which is why careful consideration about how the campaign will be implemented should be taken. The youth must be made to understood that guns are not the solution to their problems and internal struggles. Rather, they should look more into other positive things that would bring them the clarity and wisdom they need.
REFLECTIONS ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS AND OUTCOMES
The issue with gun is pressing and requires immediate attention. Although the government is hard at work in finding means that would help curb the violence perpetuated by guns, other stakeholders and members of the community can also take part in educating the youth about the dangers of gun. Implementing youth-related activities will also help in bolstering friendship and camaraderie within members of the society. Approaches should all be positive and powerful in order to sway them away from the negative and misleading influences of the mass media. People can be swayed by pop culture easily, and influential figures could be the sole reason why most people consider owning personal guns. Being influenced by pop culture is evident, but people are advised to exercise self-control when it comes to handling things correlated to violence.
Annotated Bibliography
- Bethell-Bennett, Ian. "Is Popular Culture Fueling Gun Violence?" The Tribune. 12 Feb.
2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://www.tribune242.com/news/2013/feb/12/is-popular-culture-fueling-gun-violence/>.
Bethell-Bennett discusses the relationship of pop culture between gun culture, and how could it trigger gun violence. The author connects different links that are evident, and found out that popular culture influenced more violent behavior in teens because some see it as a normal and cool thing. The author points out the masculinity factor, which emphasizes that a man should have a strong posture when facing problems. People who are more exposed to popular culture are likely to act out what they have observed, but some are quick to point out some elements of violence. However, this lies on how adults care towards disciplining their children. While it is a useful source for finding opinions on pop culture’s impact to cognitive abilities, there is a clear objective presented on the opinion. There is a call-to-action, wherein the author emphasizes that parents must have a sense of responsibility and urgency in disciplining their child.
- Hemenway, D., & Miller, M. (2013). Public health approach to the prevention of gun
violence. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(21), 2033-2035.
involve population bases, upstream prevention, systems-approach engineering, examination of changing norms and laws, and shared responsibility. The key components focus on a collective effort in preventing gun violence more than individual effort. Campaigns and efforts usually focus on an only entity/organization that discourages the use of guns through law enforcement. From a societal approach, public involvement and self-responsibility would play a critical role in reducing the instances of gun violence.
- Mozaffarian, D., Hemenway, D., & Ludwig, D. S. (2013).Curbing gun violence: lessons
- Pevere, Geoff. "Pop Culture Isn't the Root of American Gun Culture – Its Own Myths
Are." The Globe and Mail. 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/pop-culture-isnt-the-root-of-american-gun- culture-its-own-myths-are/article6752528/>.
Pevere discusses why pop culture is not the sole reason that gun culture and gun violence are prevalent within the cultural norms of American society. He takes the case of watching action movies as an example, where people are expecting tropes inducing violence. The author quoted an excerpt from Richard Slotkin’s book Gunfighter Nation, wherein America has been peculiarly a violent nation. He further quotes Slotkin, that when history turns into myth, then individuals and heroes could recreate social and historical complexities in action. The brand of violence has become one of America’s linchpins in the trend of globalization, and the world has patronized such kind of pop culture. The author could have made a stronger point if he simply implied the value of self-control in controlling the use of guns. After all, some might even have the notion that it is right to point a gun towards other people.
- Winkler, Adam. (2011, September 9). Did the Wild West Have More Gun Control Than
We do Today?.” Huffington Post. (< http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-
winkler/did-the-wild-west-have-mo_b_956035.html>)
- Potter (2004, December 27). Reality and media messages. Knowledge Structures of
Media Content (pp. 60-72). Sage Publishing. (<http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4890_Potter_Chapter_5_Reality_and_Media_Messages.pdf>)
This chapter discusses how media messages create a world of make-believe that people are being lured to enter in order to either escape the reality that they are facing or to get a deeper understanding of what they are going through in their reality. The author illustrates that the make-believe world of media can pose a lot of dangers to individuals who don’t have a clear grasp of their reality as believing in the fantasy that is created by media are perfect and ideal, which are therefore easier to deal with than the reality.
References
Bethell-Bennett, Ian. "Is Popular Culture Fueling Gun Violence?" The Tribune. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Hemenway, D., & Miller, M. (2013). Public health approach to the
prevention of gun violence. New England Journal of Medicine, 368 (21), 2033-2035.
Mozaffarian, D., Hemenway, D., & Ludwig, D. S. (2013). Curbing gun violence: lessons from public health successes. JAMA, 309 (6), 551-552.
Pevere, Geoff. "Pop Culture Isn't the Root of American Gun Culture – Its Own Myths Are." The Globe and Mail. 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/pop-culture-isnt-the-root-of-american-gun- culture-its-own-myths-are/article6752528/>.
Potter (2004, December 27). Reality and media messages. Knowledge Structures of Media
- Popular culture and mass media in general should be more responsible in the messages thatthey are trying to communicate.
- Body of the essay
- People are constantly exposed and influenced by mass media.
- Media presented guns as cool and masculine.
- The idea of men carrying guns in the West became the new definition of masculinity.
- The youth, easily swayed, follow the bandwagon and think of guns as the new definition of masculinity.
- Guns in the West are a necessity in life and not just accessories to make the men appear more manly.
- Pop culture, with its depiction of crime, hate, and gore exposes children to negative emotions.
- Power is displayed as pop culture shows how a protagonist murders the villain with a gun.
- Gun ownership defines a person’s status as pop culture shows that influential and rich people are those that own guns.
- Owning a gun makes a person influential in the society as shown on pop culture.
- Guns are for one’s protection.
- The men of the West carry guns to protect themselves from the danger in the wilderness.
- Guns lend temporary strength.
- Owning a gun makes someone feel safer.
- Guns are used to attract attention that the youth crave.
- Young people resort to anger cultivated by media to express themselves.
- As a result, they hurt people and eventually kill themselves as an ultimate act of expression.
- Public health approach should be taken in order to know the problem, identify the factors, and develop strategies to fight the problem.
- Stakeholders, especially policymakers, should spread awareness about the dangers of guns.
- Awareness campaigns which are far-reaching should be organized.
- Participation of the youth should be enecouraged by the said campaigns.
- Create effective data systems in order to highlight the problems.
- Implementation of strategies regarding gun ownership should be put into place.
- Teaching the public the horrors caused by gun ownership and misuse.
- Conclusion
Mass media is very influential and far-reaching which is why positive and collective efforts must be implemented from all stakeholders in order to battle the pressing and worsening problem with gun violence.
