My husband and I have had many conversations about gun culture in the United States over the past few years. We’re both from Texas and grew up around a commonality of having guns for sport and protection. For most of my life guns were just a normal part of growing up. No, they were not on display as wall decor. No, we did not pump them out the window of our trucks while shouting ‘yee-haw’ as we passed through town. Gun safety was taught at a young age, and there was no room for error or misunderstanding. I shot my first gun as a teen out on my grandparents’ farm and did so periodically thereafter whenever I came home to visit. My husband and I used to go to the gun range after we got married. Guns were just normal. Naively, I just kind of figured everyone felt this way and had the same understanding about the seriousness of gun safety.
Yup, that’s me.
Then we moved overseas. I’ve said before how much living in Okinawa for four years changed my mindset on so many things, and guns were wrapped right up in that. Hardly any Japanese people own guns, and if they do it takes months to get a license. The idea of owning a gun for anything other than hunting is radical and nonsensical. I felt safer in Japan than I ever felt in the United States…even in a small country town. Yes, I understand that the original reason Japan has such strict gun laws is because it was a kind of social control after WWII, but today I could only wish the US was as safe as they are. Living in such a safe place got my gears turning and frequently brought up the question as to why Americans have so many guns. I honestly had never noticed it before that. We also lived in Germany which has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe. You must have a specific license, get a background check, a psychiatric eval, a test and also prove what you are using the gun for. Then you are limited to what kind and how many you can have. It’s a long, thorough process….as it should be.
The gun culture in America is unique. After being separated from it for nearly 8 years, my perspective has flipped to the outside of the fishbowl. Looking from the outside in, I can totally understand how people from other countries cannot fathom why we love our guns so much. Honestly, I can’t say I blame them.
Countless times I’ve heard the saying “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”, and although I get the point, it’s just not enough anymore. Yes, it begins with the heart. I believe that learning how to be kind, how to love one another and exhibit empathy begin in the womb. Personally, I feel we are born with goodness in us, but our environment, family, upbringing and even our own body chemistry can alter and change that over time. That is years of influence undoubtedly having an effect on how we communicate with and treat others as adults. If we can find a way to to halt the repetitive pattern of all forms of abuse, neglect, selfishness, hate, etc., and to take people’s mental health more seriously, then that is definitely where change needs to happen.
But it’s not the only place.
I cannot justify having an arsenal in your own home just because you like guns. Or hunting. Or self defense. One does not need to hoard guns to achieve any of those. I cannot justify why any regular ‘ol Jo needs an assault weapon or why it is so ridiculously easy to obtain one. Why is it unreasonable to have a much more thorough screening process in order to own a gun? Why do only a dozen states in this country require permits to purchase a gun? I know people hate on California, but at least they require a permit, a written test and require a safety class to own a gun legally. They are in the minority. And I understand that picking and choosing what constitutes as someone being mentally stable to own a gun is a concern, but shouldn’t it be?? It’s not a government conspiracy to take away your guns, it’s making sure the wrong people do not get in possession of them (you did say people kill people, not guns, right??). And I just can’t get behind the idea that more guns equal more peace. After living in two places where guns and gun violence were pretty much non-existent, I cannot stand behind that idea any longer.
We need to take a good hard look at the ridiculous infatuation we have with guns in this country. The solution here is multi-faceted and is not limited to stricter gun laws; it involves teaching our babies how to love, be kind, show respect and have empathy. It involves education. It involves making mental health a priority. The love of guns and the culture surrounding them will not change unless our mentality about them does. And that doesn’t happen overnight; it takes generations. (And I feel the need to put this here….although religion may help you achieve these things, it is not a requirement of being a good person. The majority of Okinawans are not Christian, and yet, they are the kindest people I’ve ever met and do not have the desire to shoot innocent people.)
Sometimes I feel helpless because I’m just one little person. But I can teach my children how to treat others, what love looks like, how to ask for help when they need it. I can teach them about their emotions and their well-being and how to deal with tough things that may come their way. I can show them how important it is to help those in need. I can vote and reach out to my representatives and teach my children why that is so important. I can teach them how to do their research, ask questions and think for themselves. And, when I feel the need to, I can write out how I feel in the hopes that it may resonate with others.
2 Comments
Dear blogger (I am so sorry I can’t call you by name, I couldn’t seem to find your name written anywhere! Bit of an IT idiot, so my apologies 😉
I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful openness and candour on a discussion of gun culture in the US. As an Australian school teacher and mother of four, it absolutely breaks my heart every time I hear of yet another school shooting in the US. Two of my children (teenage boys) and I were moved to tears watching the very heartfelt and empassioned plea from the teenage girl who spoke out against those who fight vigorously for gun rights in America. One of my sons commented “Mum! That’s so stupid! Do people WANT school kids to die or something?” I agree with him and wonder just how many kids in America need to die in this senseless way before enough adults step up and say “Enough! We don’t want our kids to die in this way anymore!”
It absolutely staggers and mind boggles many Australians, not just me, the attachment to weapons many US citizens have, and the power that the NRL wields, to the detriment of even themselves really, in pushing such ready access to guns. As you say, the argument “People kill people, guns don’t kill people” is not enough any more. My brother in law was a student in a large high school 20 years ago and witnessed a tragedy – a 15 year old boy had broken up with his girlfriend one day, then came to school the following day with a knife and in front of the class stabbed her several times before other classmates and the teacher were able to restrain him. The girl later died….but only SHE died. If that boy had had access to a gun, I don’t doubt that he would have been able to inflict mass tragedy on many others that day.
In any science experiment, in order to get certain outcomes, we would work out the controlled and uncontrolled variables and manipulate them as needed. The problem with seeing people as a variable able to be controlled (ie by monitoring their mental health and “fixing” them if they are “flawed”) is that we are all capable, given certain circumstances, of being unpredictable and volatile and inflicting great pain on others when we are in pain or damaged ourselves. My husband works as a Clinical Psychologist, and over many years he has observed that sometimes, very good people do very bad things, and very bad people are capable of doing good things. Unlike complex human beings though, guns are a very easily controlled variable. The equation might look like this: Take guns away = fewer school shootings and teens dying. I’m simplifying I know, but certainly in Australia, since our government put in very tight gun restrictions, we have not had a single mass shooting!! People who require them for genuine reasons (ie farmers, professionals hunters, police force, hobby shooters) must go through strenuous and vigorous checks and the penalties for circumventing these are very severe. The very big pay off, that our culture all agrees is worth it, is that we are highly unlikely to get fatally shot by someone acting out. We may get stabbed, or bashed, or run over, but we all agree that these things can be infinitely more survivable than an unexpected gunshot from a shooter determined to inflict maximum harm.
I am sorry if my rant offends others, but it was just so refreshing to hear your voice of reason and I wanted to let you, and any of your readers who agree with you know that you have the support of many, many Australians in your quest to end the madness of putting personal “rights” to own guns above the rights of young people to grow up to see adulthood.
Keep writing and inspiring others!
Hi Cherith! (I just love your name, btw! Mine is Ariel. 🙂 I truly appreciate your insight. This is such a sore subject in our nation at the moment, so getting an outsider’s perspective is so refreshing. Thank you for your support and for stopping by my blog!