While I generally agree that there are huge gains to be made in adjusting the ideas of masculinity that prevail in the USA (and to a lesser extent up here in Canada), I'd suggest that the general winner-takes-all mentality that is so pervasive down there (and less so up here) probably has more to do with the prevalence of mass shootings than the availability of guns does.
That all said, I do find American gun laws to be pretty batshit crazy. Canadian laws are a little too restrictive and punitive, but not as far off the mark as the American laws are. But mass shootings actually are a poor time to discuss gun policy, because as sensational as they are, their aggregate body count is basically statistical noise when compared to suicide, gang violence, and domestic violence.
Of course, I'd be inclined to connect these smaller scale shootings to the pervasive winner-take-all mentality too. I know I'm not alone in identifying this particular social malaise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwAxmrE194).
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2016-06-13 08:44 pm (UTC)That all said, I do find American gun laws to be pretty batshit crazy. Canadian laws are a little too restrictive and punitive, but not as far off the mark as the American laws are. But mass shootings actually are a poor time to discuss gun policy, because as sensational as they are, their aggregate body count is basically statistical noise when compared to suicide, gang violence, and domestic violence.
Of course, I'd be inclined to connect these smaller scale shootings to the pervasive winner-take-all mentality too. I know I'm not alone in identifying this particular social malaise (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBwAxmrE194).