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I see your point, but I don't know another way to put it. It's like "why do men have swords on their wall more often than women"? Neither men nor women use sw

I see your point, but I don't know another way to put it. It's like "why do men have swords on their wall more often than women"? Neither men nor women use swords in self-defense much anymore (at least not in the First World). But I would venture to say that there is at least a 10x factor of men vs. women having swords on their walls. By the way, I'm not politically left-wing, and I do have a few swords on my wall (although no firearms). I could see why you thought it was being said in this way, though. No offense intended; obviously there are many different reasons why a person might own a firearm.

padastra 5y ago
There’s a difference between “appeals to their masculine tendencies”, which suggests they’re baseline masculine and owning a gun matches it; versus “makes them feel masculine”, which suggests they are baseline not masculine and are buying it to compensate.
- kelnos 5y ago
  I may deserve downvotes for this, but: I find it ironic that so many on the right like to criticize the left for being "oversensitive snowflakes", and yet here we have you, presumably right-leaning (apologies if I've mischaracterized you), being upset about the difference between "appealing to masculinity" and "compensating for a lack of masculinity". I feel like if the tables were turned, someone on the right would accuse someone on the left of being oversensitive. I say this not to insult or demean, but in a way that actually makes me happy, because it's another point in support of people on the left and right not being from different planets. Because I totally agree with the point you are making here. There is a difference between saying someone does something because it appeals to their masculinity, vs. saying someone does it because they feel unmasculine and need a boost. And I think you're right to be sensitive about it, and the parent should have worded it differently (or thought about it differently).

padastra 5y ago

There’s a difference between “appeals to their masculine tendencies”, which suggests they’re baseline masculine and owning a gun matches it; versus “makes them feel masculine”, which suggests they are baseline not masculine and are buying it to compensate.

kelnos 5y ago
I may deserve downvotes for this, but: I find it ironic that so many on the right like to criticize the left for being "oversensitive snowflakes", and yet here we have you, presumably right-leaning (apologies if I've mischaracterized you), being upset about the difference between "appealing to masculinity" and "compensating for a lack of masculinity". I feel like if the tables were turned, someone on the right would accuse someone on the left of being oversensitive. I say this not to insult or demean, but in a way that actually makes me happy, because it's another point in support of people on the left and right not being from different planets. Because I totally agree with the point you are making here. There is a difference between saying someone does something because it appeals to their masculinity, vs. saying someone does it because they feel unmasculine and need a boost. And I think you're right to be sensitive about it, and the parent should have worded it differently (or thought about it differently).