“When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody.” (BrainyQuotes, 2013) This was quoted by Bill Cosby, expressing the dislike of what many on the opposing side of gun culture in the United States. Whether people like it or not, guns are very prevalent in the United States, just about every day a news source reports on a gun related crime, and it seems like every month there is a serious tragedy that is made worse by the use of a gun. Gun culture in the United States is split down the middle with those advocating for more gun control and those that are trying to protect their rights. People fighting for more control feel strongly because of the deadly recent events that have been aided by guns. While those that are gun activist want to protect their amendment right to bear arms. This essay will explain the gun culture in America with the aid of scholarly sources and recent events publicized in the news to support the stance of the paper.
The second amendment gives U.S citizens the right to bear arms, which means they have a right to their guns. It is a strong amendment that is used heavily on the side of gun advocates that perpetuate the gun culture. The Gun Culture exists because of the increase in the presence of guns in the media, in violent acts, and the ongoing debate. The NRA consists of over 4 million users, fight for their rights for the guns besides the rights for ownership. (Bugg, 2011) Gun advocates in defense of the gun culture identify as legitimate gun owners, that do not use guns for crimes but instead for sport, hunting, target shooting, and for self-defense. Gun culture differs from other countries in its meaning as Gun Culture is used positively with gun advocates but in a negative connotation for those that oppose guns in societies. However, the gun culture phenomenon didn’t happen overnight, researchers and critics have always voiced on the prevalence of Americans affection for guns, and celebrating their love and freedom of guns with their American culture. (Hofstadter, 1970) America’s gun culture has evolved from being promoted by three elements of America’s culture, as noted by Robert Spitzer. The gun culture exists because of the proliferation of guns and weapons in the founding of the nation, the relationship formed between owning a gun and America’s history, and the cultural ideology held of guns from the frontier to modern society. (Spitzer, 1994)
The pro-gun culture in the United States is held mostly in the south and western states where it carries the stigma as a “rite of passage” and a way of life. The second amendments protects gun owners and they believe that most gun owners are law abiding citizens that unless threatened will use their guns. The NRA (National Rifle Association) was, “socially constructed over a period of years to become an organization that creates threats to gun rights as “threats to all individual rights and freedoms through a culture war.” (Melzer, 2009, 247) The reason why gun culture exists in American is the fear that if the government were to take away their weapons then there will be chaos in the streets, people breaking into other people’s homes, and the fear of the overreach of the government that could limit and deny the rights and freedoms that are granted in the Constitution.
The gun culture in the United States is of criticism on the other side of the debate on the ownership of guns. The activist that call for more gun control have reason to believe that America’s gun culture is promoting an unsafe society. Recently in the news, there was a shooting in Washington that left 13 people dead including the shooter. Not too long before this tragedy the horrific mass shooting at the Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary school that kill several kids and adults. Soon after this tragedy was a surge of activists calling for more gun control. This surge in violence over the use of guns is not a new things. The New York Times found that before 2000 there were 100 mass shootings.” Since 2000, according to Mother Jones magazine, there have been 33 more, including the recent massacre at the Navy Yard.” (Charen, 2013) After much criticisms the government with the President spearheading the movement vowed to propose changes to call for more gun control. However, the movement proved to do little due to the gun culture that has controlled by much of the biggest political and corporate organizations. But more importantly the grip of America’s gun culture on the rest of society. Mass shootings since the public outcry of the Columbine massacre has left many feeling that the government needs to take a better stance on gun control, and after in Colorado, many pushed for harsher restrictions on obtaining a gun and a gun license. The more that most Americans push for gun control, the more it seems that gun enthusiasts push for their rights as gun owners.
According to Francis Hawely, “the American gun culture is a seemingly unified aggregation of individuals, mainly white, small town males who evidence a longstanding personal attachment to guns, gun ownership, and guns habits” (Hawley, 2012) Studies have shown that white males in the south and western states have a higher rate of gun ownership, and for violence. More and more small militias of “gun nuts” and gun owners are forming out of fear that the government will begin to take away their rights to own certain guns, and out of fear that their will be chaos. Those crying for gun control is fighting a gun culture where, “fears cannot be eliminated as long as the country remains an armed camp in which the most troubled among us can find ways to appropriate one of the easily available weapons in all our communities.” (Dallek, 2013) The pro-gun advocates voice their support of the gun culture because they feel they are generally responsible in handling their firearms, and have awareness of rules for safe handling. The gun is associated with the sports and hunting, and that the gun culture is a positive aspect of America’s heritage.
Outside of the United States the Gun Culture in the United States is heavily criticized. Not only does many see the gun culture in the United States promoting violence, but also aiding in the mass shootings and massacres that have unfortunarly become routine in the media. Opponents such as Australia, Britain, and Japan have voiced their dissatisfaction with America’s loose gun control laws. Their laws differ from the United States with countries having a stricter criteria needed on obtaining guns, and most weapons only be obtained for sports or hunting. The criticism was echoed by Australia’s Prime Minister after the pointless shooting of a student visiting America by a group of kids. “The U.S. has chosen the pathway of illogical policy with regard to guns," Australia’s former deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer said Friday. "They cannot expect not to have any criticism of it worldwide.” (Jones, Austin, Jamieson, 2013) Countries are pointing fingers at America’s gun culture for the surge of illegal guns crossing to their borders.
In conclusion, the gun culture in the United States is split on two sides of the debate. The gun culture is used to describe pro-gun advocates and those that call for more gun control. The gun culture has stemmed from a history of guns being used as a tool for building America, a right instituted by the Constitution, a rite of passage, and piece that coincides with America’s heritage. However, with the increase of mass shootings, and violence that is increasing, many have called for more gun control in the areas of better backgrounds, psych testing, and ban on certain firearms. The gun culture has taking over political and major corporations that control the government in creating better laws, and the criticisms stemmed from US gun culture is being viewed worldwide in disappointment as the debate continues.
Work Cited
Brainy Quotes. “Gun Quotes.” 2013. Web. 21 Sep, 2013. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/gun.html
Bugg, David. “Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War (review).” Social Forces, Vol. 89, No. 3. March 2011. Web. 21 Sep. 2013. http://musejhuedu.hs3esdk.ru/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/social_forces/v089/89.3.bugg.pdf
Carter, Greg Lee, Hawly, Francis. Guns in American Society. ABC-CLIO. 2012. Book.
Charen, Mona. “Mass Shootings: America's Psychosis.” TownHall. 20 Sep. 2013. Web. 21 Sep 2013. http://townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/2013/09/20/mass-shootings-americas-psychosis-n1704625
Dallek, Robert. “America's gun culture needs to change: Column.” USA Today. 5 Mar 2013. Web. 21 Sep 2013. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/03/05/americas-gun-culture-needs-to-change-column/1965495/
Hofstadter, Richard: “America as a Gun Culture.” American Heritage Magazine, October, 1970. Print.
Jones, Sarah, Austin, Henry, Jamieson, Alastair. “US gun culture is 'corrupting the world,' Australia ex-deputy PM says after Okla. Slaying.” U.S. News. 23, Aug 2013. Web. 21 Sep 2013. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/23/20131976-us-gun-culture-is-corrupting-the-world-australia-ex-deputy-pm-says-after-okla-slaying?lite
Melzer, Scott. Gun Crusaders: The NRA’s Culture War. New York University Press, 2009. Book.
Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Chapter 1. Chatham House Publishers, 1995.Book.
