I don't know how other people felt about the school shooting last week, but it was not a total surprise to me anymore. The same thing happened at the Columbine high school, not so long ago. So my thoughts were this: Why doesn't this country ban a gun all together to stop it? If no one has an access to a gun, this would have never happened.
It seemed that the solution is simple: ban a gun, just like Japan. Over there, only a small number of people are allowed to have those (e.g. policemen).
I started reading some stuff online and I realized that it was almost impossible to ban a gun in America. Majority of people in this country believes that they have a right to own a gun and it is protected by the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. It says:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
How this 2nd Amendment is interpreted is one of the issue, I found. Who does the Amendment mean by "the people"?
Gun right proponent claims that each individual has a right to own a gun. Gun right opponent claims that this amendment does not grant each individual to own a gun.
No matter how this amendment is interpreted, this country has a unique gun culture, which I did not realize till recently.
The article describes:
"The American gun culture as it exists today springs from a long and sentimental attachment to two major historical fundamental values, the Hunting/Sporting ethos and the Militia/Frontier ethos"
First, hunting has a long history here. It was a source of food, protection from animal predators, also it was a symbol of “manhood”. So even though the people do not need to hunt for food or need to protect from wild animals anymore, the tradition still remains.
Militia/frontier ethos was derived because they had to fight with the Indians and foreign armies. Long ago, this country did not have a formal army so armed citizens carried the responsibility. Also the firearms were closely associated with the westward expansion.
Because of those ethoses, a gun will likely remain in everyday life in this country...
This finding was really an eye-opening to me. Easy to say "let's ban a gun!" but there is so much history involved...
So how can this country avoid the next shooting??
2 コメント:
What I admire about you is that you look into things you get curious about :)
I agree with you that America has a long history with gun possession and it's engraved in their culture so deeply that it is not so easy (like how we Japanese people think) to ban guns all together. I am really amazed by the severity of American nature from time to time but I imagine it must have been much more severe for the frontiers to first move in to this vast continent ago and establish a safe living...I can see why guns have been a big part of their culture all these years. Understanding and liking are two different things, so I still think we have to find the way to stop this vicious cycle of violence somehow...
I cannot agree with you more. Understanding and liking are different, so are necessity and hobby. I really don't like that people love hunting.. I know it's a part of culture but...
Also some women may feel safe if they carry a gun with them, but I don't believe that is the only choise that we have to protect ourselves. Hope that someday anyone won't be so threatened so we don't have to have a gun.
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