Do Americans love guns that much?? I mean, there are so many other toys to play with.
Does owning a gun cause a nice buzz? Is it a social lubricant that makes everybody at a party happier when you bring it out? Does it have an ancient history that spans across the globe? Does it result in a chemical addiction?
Haven't found a good replacement for alcohol that wasn't more illegal or harmful.
The fact so many people feel they need a gun for safety is the first and biggest issue IMO.
This is fueled by movies and culture - have the gun in your possession and you’ll automatically win the fight - that was easy!
I’ve read countless comments from Americans that they have a gun to shoot intruders. Statistics telling you there’s a bigger chance someone else will get hurt be damned.
These ideas are have to be fueled by big money is my guess.
Also we humans really like our toys, so I can get that aspect of it. Wanna take my toy? Forget about it.
Can someone explain to me why guns are such a big thing in some places of the US? What's the appeal? Is it just "shooting guns is fun"? I don't see much benefit otherwise.
You know what is absolutely undisputed though? America's love for guns. There are 120 guns in the US for every 100 people. American civilians own 393 million guns, both legally and otherwise, out of a worldwide total of 857 million firearms [1]. Good luck occupying that.
Also, FWIW under every circumstance that isn't some kind of military invasion phantasy porn I generally look less positively on our relationship with guns.
Guns can be a fun sportive/recreational tool. They are of course dangerous and deadly when misused, but so can be a lot of other recreational tools.
The main problem is the US’ gun culture and that a lot of people buy them either because of fear-mongering or to make a political statement, with safe use & enjoyment being a secondary concern. Having so many guns out there in the hands of people who are poorly trained at using them safely & harmlessly is the problem.
In a location with a healthy gun culture, or no specific culture associated with them, a gun would be considered as boring as any other dangerous sports equipment, there would be less problems - there would be a lot less guns around but the ones that will remain will be in the hands of passionate users who actually have the skill, training and mental state to enjoy them safely and responsibly.
I’m not a gun owner, and not interested in being a gun owner. I have shot guns, and it was fun, but I already have more hobbies than I have time. I’m a city kid, so I don’t really have a need for guns as tools the way country people do.
Guns as a political issue are great for getting the base riled up. But they really aren’t that important in the big picture, either for the liberals that want to get rid of them or for the conservatives that want to keep them. We all have a lot bigger fish to fry.
It seems so important to Americans to own guns. I don't understand why, but sure, it's your country, live it like you like.
For my side, I'm happy to know that people around me don't have guns. If I beep at a bad driver in front of me, he won't come out with a pistol. I won't be shot at by accident if I'm driving through a bad neighbourhood. If my neighbour gets drink, he might pee in my flowers, but won't come at me with a revolver.
Guns are glorified in TV shows, movies and video games which is what has made them cool. I doubt guns would be viewed as cool if it weren't for those things. Growing up I felt they were cool too, until I had some responsible adults teach me that firearms are not toys, they can be fun to shoot, but they are very lethal and should be treated with the appropriate care and respect to ensure no one is killed or injured while handling. Sadly I think a lot of people haven't had the benefit of responsible adults, but I think a good many of us have.
I used to shoot rifles when I was a kid, I even won prizes. Winning a beer mug as an 11yo kid is the height of country living, and I still use it proudly to this day.
Guns definitely have their uses, for instance hunting. Target shooting is also quite fun, but these guns are rather different from the ones most gun enthusiasts like to own.
I think personal ownership of guns should be restricted, thought I will not make myself an expert as to how much. Certainly I think it's much more important to manage the access to ammunition. After all, a gun is only actually dangerous when it's loaded. Sure, a gun that isn't loaded can still be used to threaten people (because even then it demands attention and the utmost respect) or even pistol-whip them. But it is very unlikely to be used to kill anyone or anything.
Personally, I think guns belong on shooting ranges, and nowhere else, unless used for a practical purpose, such as hunting.
I live in Denmark. Firearm ownership is very restricted, you have to have a very good justification to own anything that isn't a hunting rifle, and there are very strict storage safety and handling laws in place. Maybe a lot of people think we are too restrictive, but as a counterpoint, we do have extremely low levels of gun violence.
Another example could be Switzerland. You can own guns and buy ammo, but there are much tighter background checks in place compared to the US. In addition to this, they have a much more developed culture for gun safety and respect for firearms, so their rates of gun violence are extremely low.
If you're not willing to go all the way restricted, as in most EU countries, I think the Swiss model is the best.
There probably has a huge cultural factor that people think at first of a gun as solution to their problem. Why not a bomb? Or poison? Or car? Burn down target property? So much options, but US culture seems to strongly favor guns. There is more than just availability. Glorification of guns (and solving problems using them) in US media might play a huge influence, and as a leading cultural influence might lead to similar problems else were in the world. But yeah, I'd love to see real studies about that. But those won't be easy, including the funding part...
Thanks for bringing good arguments to the discussion.
> I think the US has an unhealthy obsession with guns that I haven't noticed with other countries
Where do you think this obsession comes from?
> but otherwise are a fairly trivial item with no "culture" nor politics associated with it
Why would that reduce their risk? Flipping the question: why would this gun culture bring to more guns being actually fired? (for recklessness, violence, whatever stupid reason)
Until Americans realize that owning a gun is a dangerous thing, there will be no change.
Guns are a force multiplier, they allow someone that is armed to have much greater lethality than someone that is not.
No, I don't care if you go hunting or target shoot for "sport". Tough. Live with it. The world won't be worse off if you don't shoot deer or rabbits or ducks.
Weapons have specific uses in agriculture (removing pests, humane disposal of injured livestock), they have specific use in law enforcement, and they have obvious use in military activities.
All other uses are nonsense in 2022. There are occasional times where someone armed has been able to use those arms in self-defense, but the use of deadly weapons as opposed to self-defense or incapacitating weapons is not an adequate reason to outweigh the disadvantages of these weapons being generally available.
Now this is actually a cogent and reasonable argument. I do think there is a strong argument for the fact that guns are part of American culture, or at least a large enough proportion of the American population to count in that respect. Hunting, recreation, these are perfectly legitimate and reasonable arguments to allow gun ownership.
The problem is that the 'gun lobby' doesn't stop there. They insist that guns make you safer, when the actual evidence couldn't be clearer that they don't. They perpetuate myths such as that an armed society is a polite society, when in fact access to firearms dramatically increases the risk that a confrontation will escalate to lethal violence.
American society is saturated with guns. Those weapons aren't going to go away any time soon. So the IMHO the rational response is to look at what is achievable. Educating gun owners as to the real risks, promoting gun safety, encouraging and legislating for safe practices around gun ownership, storage and use. These are all achievable goals.
Guns are cool. You should give them a try, I recommend at an outdoor range too. America is one of the last countries with a liberal mindset (in the true definition) that allows private ownership to exist. Like driving fast, flying or diving, there are few pleasures in life that match firing guns outdoors.
Does owning a gun cause a nice buzz? Is it a social lubricant that makes everybody at a party happier when you bring it out? Does it have an ancient history that spans across the globe? Does it result in a chemical addiction?
Haven't found a good replacement for alcohol that wasn't more illegal or harmful.
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