4 ms·

Thanks! Even if gun obsession is a cultural thing, how that translates to gun violence? And to gun recklessness?

caconym_ 5y ago
> gun violence In some cases (e.g. the recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery), I think it comes directly from attitudes ingrained in right-wing gun culture and associated spheres. The murderers had been socialized to believe they were completely in the right to pursue, detain, and ultimately murder a man on no basis beyond their own (frankly) unhinged, malignant racism. In other cases, I think it is less directly political and more a result of certain socioeconomic issues, organized crime paradigms, and the general availability of guns. > gun recklessness This is speculation, but I think subcultures that glorify guns and (sometimes hypothetical) gun violence are less likely to treat guns with the appropriate care and respect. It's not a sober mindset, and often these people seem to have a very clear idea of who they imagine they might shoot with their guns (yes, people, not animals) and very little empathy for them. Even putting aside how toxic that mindset is by itself, the fact that your gun may just as easily kill you, a loved one, or an innocent bystander is a very sober fact, and not very compatible with said mindset. For instance, I don't think the kind of person who e.g. has the words "You're Fucked" milled on the inside of his AR-15's ejection cover^[1] is particularly concerned with minimizing violent outcomes. Please note that I'm not saying all right-wing gun owners are like this. There are many, even those whose politics I may vehemently disagree with, who are perfectly responsible and sober gun owners. ^[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver
- 01acheru 5y ago
  Thanks a lot again for taking the time to fuel this discussion! After reading and rereading all comments here I'll try to generalize those findings. Once the number of weapons starts growing without proper control you hit a first threshold that ticks weapon deaths: two groups begin being significant, those that are armed and stupid and those that are armed and violent. If the number of weapons keeps growing you reach a second threshold, that boosts weapon related deaths by a lot: the group of people that are armed and violent and stupid starts being significant, a really dangerous subgroup. You can keep boosting this argument adding other kinds of people: desperate, psychos, stressed. Probably arming too much people that are stupid, desperate, violent and stressed... you end up with a big mess, like in some hotspots around some US cities.

> gun violence In some cases (e.g. the recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery), I think it comes directly from attitudes ingrained in right-wing gun culture and associated spheres. The murderers had been socialized to believe they were completely in the right to pursue, detain, and ultimately murder a man on no basis beyond their own (frankly) unhinged, malignant racism. In other cases, I think it is less directly political and more a result of certain socioeconomic issues, organized crime paradigms, and the general availability of guns. > gun recklessness This is speculation, but I think subcultures that glorify guns and (sometimes hypothetical) gun violence are less likely to treat guns with the appropriate care and respect. It's not a sober mindset, and often these people seem to have a very clear idea of who they imagine they might shoot with their guns (yes, people, not animals) and very little empathy for them. Even putting aside how toxic that mindset is by itself, the fact that your gun may just as easily kill you, a loved one, or an innocent bystander is a very sober fact, and not very compatible with said mindset. For instance, I don't think the kind of person who e.g. has the words "You're Fucked" milled on the inside of his AR-15's ejection cover^[1] is particularly concerned with minimizing violent outcomes. Please note that I'm not saying all right-wing gun owners are like this. There are many, even those whose politics I may vehemently disagree with, who are perfectly responsible and sober gun owners. ^[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Daniel_Shaver

01acheru 5y ago
Thanks a lot again for taking the time to fuel this discussion! After reading and rereading all comments here I'll try to generalize those findings. Once the number of weapons starts growing without proper control you hit a first threshold that ticks weapon deaths: two groups begin being significant, those that are armed and stupid and those that are armed and violent. If the number of weapons keeps growing you reach a second threshold, that boosts weapon related deaths by a lot: the group of people that are armed and violent and stupid starts being significant, a really dangerous subgroup. You can keep boosting this argument adding other kinds of people: desperate, psychos, stressed. Probably arming too much people that are stupid, desperate, violent and stressed... you end up with a big mess, like in some hotspots around some US cities.