Originally Posted by
Dicknose
Yes it is a male problem, but other country have males facing very similar issues.
I think it’s a culture problem - and it’s a gun culture. Not just the desire to own guns, but that guns = power and control.
This culture is ingrained and goes very deep.
It was mentioned in the politics thread that teaches are the unsung heroes.
Teachers might be the unsung heroes, but do you know who is held up as the heroes in the USA?
Military personnel.
Go to a ball game, they ask past and present military to stand and everyone applauds. They are offered preferential treatment at many places.
Yes it is a tough job and they run a risk of death or injury. But it is amazing just how much they are applauded in the US vs most other western nations.
I think much of this is to keep a good flow of people coming into a very large military. But it also helps reinforce the “Wild West” notion that guns = power. The USA is powerful because it has the best military. You will be powerful to defend yourself if you have a gun. You will be powerful to make a statement if you have a gun.
There is a huge culture of worship of guns that is pretty much exclusive to USA. Much of it is subtle to those brought up with it, but much more shocking to those from outside.
Is it any wonder when the country as a whole prides itself in “force is power” that individuals respond the same way?
Laws might help. Restrict guns, better checks etc. They can help.
But unless as a country you start a culture change away from worshipping the power of the gun, the problem will remain.
Because it’s an illusion, all these guns are not making the average person more powerful, it’s making them powerless when their friends and family are killed, injured or even just threatened.