Gun Culture4

Guncultureisaculturesharedbypeopleinthegunpoliticsdebate,generallythosewhoadvocatepreservinggunrightsandwhoaregenerallyagainstmoreguncontrol.IntheUnitedStates,thetermisusedsolelytoidentifygunadvocateswhoarelegitimateandlegalownersandusersofguns,usinggunsforselfdefense,sportinguses(hunting),andrecreationaluses(targetshooting).InplaceswherethoserightshavebeenlostsuchastheUKandAustralia,gunculturereferstotheuseofgunsbycriminals(astheyaretheoneswhoremainarmed).AccordingtopoliticalscientistRobertSpitzer,theAmericanguncultureasitexiststodayisfoundedonthreefactors;theproliferationoffirearmssincetheearliestdaysofthenation,theconnectionbetweenpersonalownershipofweaponsandthecountry'srevolutionaryandfrontierhistory,andtheculturalmythologyregardingtheguninthefrontierandinmodernlife.Spitzerwritesthat:TwoelementsofthemodernAmericangunculturehavesurvivedsincetheearliestdaysofthecountry:thehunting/sportingethosthemilitia/frontierethosTheHunting/SportingethosemergedwhenAmericawasanagrariannationinwhichhuntingwasavaluablesourceofsupplyingfoodforsettlers,gunswereameansofprotectionfromanimalpredators,andthemarketforfurscouldprovideasourceofincome.Acquiringshootingskillswasconnectedwithsurvival,andacquiringtheseskillswasariteofpassageforboysenteringmanhood.Theroleofgunsasmarksofmaturitypersiststothisday.Today,huntingsurvivesasacentralcomponentofthegunculture,althoughsomepredictthathuntingheritagemaydisappearinthetwenty-firstcentury.TheMilitia/FrontierethosemergedfromearlyAmericans'dependenceontheirwitsandskilltoprotectthemselvesfromhostileNativeAmericansandforeignarmies.Survivaldependeduponeveryonecarryingaweapon(excludingblacks,andinalargepart,women).InthelateEighteenthCentury,therewasneitherthemoneynormanpowertomaintainafull-timearmy;thereforethearmedcitizensoldiercarriedtheresponsibilityofprotectinghiscountry.Serviceinmilitia,includingprovidingyourownammunitionandweapons,wasmandatoryforalladultmales.Yet,asearlyasthe1790s,themandatoryuniversalmilitiadutygavewaytovoluntarymilitiaunitsandarelianceonaregulararmy,withadeclineoftheimportanceofmilitiatrendcontinuingthroughouttheNineteenthCentury.Closelyrelatedtothemilitiatraditionwasthefrontiertradition,withthewestwardmovementcloselyassociatedwithweaponry.IntheNineteenthCentury,firearmswerecloselyassociatedwiththewestwardexpansion.OutlawsandIndiansnecessitatedanarmedcitizenryreadytodefendthemselves.ExpressionssuchasthegunsthatwontheWest,however,typifyanexaggerationoftheimpactofthegun,astheyignorethatthetamingofthewestwasprimarilyanagriculturalandcommercialmovement.Westernstyleshoot-outswereliterallyunheardof.Today,thisvenerationoffirearmshasleftadeeplyfeltbeliefthatgunsarebothanintegralpartof,andaforceresponsiblefor,Americaasitexists.Sometraitsofthepro-guncultureareasfollows:TheyshareabeliefthattheSecondAmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitutionenumeratesanindividualright.Generallytheyseepeopleastrustworthyandbelievethatcitizensshouldnotbepreventedfromhavinggunsunlesstheyhaveprovenotherwise.TheSecondAmendmentprotectsanindividualrighttopossessafirearmunconnectedwithserviceinamilitia,andtousethatarmfortraditionallylawfulpurposes,suchasself-defensewithinthehome.Theyshareabeliefthatgunsprovidesomelevelofprotectionagainstcriminalityandtyranny.Thisrangesfromafeelingthatitisgoodtohaveagunaroundthehouseforself-protection,toanactivedistrustofgovernmentandabeliefthatwidespreadgunownershipisprotectionagainsttyranny.Theyaregenerallyresponsiblewithrespecttofirearmshandling.Theyhaveanawareness(orinternalization)ofeitherJeffCooper'sFourRulesortheNRA'sThreeRules,providingforsomelevelofsafehandlingofgunsandtrytoabidebythemwhenhandlingfirearms.Theysupport,widelyandinprinciple,thegunrightsassociatedwithhuntingandotheroutdoorsportsactivities,althoughtheseactivitiesarenotalwayspracticedbyallwithinthegunculture.Somemembersoftheguncultureremainavidcollectorsandshootersbutthisisnotuniversal.November7,1991,Press-Telegram(LongBeach,CA)MASSACRESFAILTOSWAYGUNNUTSANDTHEIRLOBBYISTSMoremasskillings-acollegecampusmassacreinIowacomingwithindaysofarampagethatkilled23peopleinaKilleen,Texas,cafeteria-producefreshcrazinessfromorganizedgunnutsandlobbyistsintheirhire.Insteadofamovetosaveliveswithashutdownoftheguntraffic,gun-nutspokesmenhavewrittenandpreachedthatthenationwon'tbesafeuntilthepopulationisarmedandreadyforinstantgunplay.Inasickfantasyoutofcorpse-strewnmovies……SHOOT-OUTCONFIRMSFOREIGNVIEWOFAMERICAAS'GUNNUT’COUNTRYJuly26,1998Thefatalshoot-outattheseatofAmericangovernmentdrewbannercoverageinmuchoftheworld'smedia,withmanyreportsconcludingthatthetragedyconfirmsthestereotypeoftheUnitedStatesasaviolent,gun-crazedsociety.TerrorinU.S.CapitolasGunNutKillsTwo,readaheadlineintheSun,Britain'sbest-readnewspaper.…..TheColumbineHighSchoolmassacreoccurredonTuesday,April20,1999,atColumbineHighSchoolinColumbine,Colorado.Twostudents,EricHarrisandDylanKlebold,embarkedonamassacre,killing12studentsandateacher,injured21others,while3wereinjuredwhileattemptingtoescape,beforecommittingsuicide.Itisthefourth-deadliestschoolmassacreinUnitedS