You Are Here: Gun Culture 

It's common to be exposed to gun violence in cartoons and movies at a young age. Guns are, and seem to always have been an American cultural icon. We have those who are for and against, but what is the right way to approach this cultural conflict? 

"America was formed litterally with a gun in her hand, it was the Patriots, not far from here [Boston], from Lexington and Concord, they didn't protest the British, they shot them - Richard Feldman, President of the Independent Firearm Association" 

Feldman says guns are essential to our culture and they are an important part of our past. He says guns are a necessity to some Americans who still reply on them. Regionally, states like Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, still have many hunters. 

"Being invited into their homes and having them show you their guns and have thimble you why they're so special to them, they were throwing out these disclaimers, these neutralizing things upfront - Jimmy d. Taylor, assistant professor of sociology, criminology, and criminal justice at Ohio State" 

Taylor studies the cultural impact of guns, including what guns meant o people who use them everyday. Taylor's book, American Gun Culture, explores the symbolic value of guns. It profiles different gun owners, telling us who they are and what purpose guns serve inter lives. He conducts hundreds of interviews trying to find out why guns mean so much to so many people. 

"In most societies, the identity is imposed on the person by his or her social position. But given that we in America, free to choose our own social position, the burden of forming the identity falls upon us. However when the identity is not formed or malformed, it affects the normal functions of our mind, our personality - Liah Greenfeld, professor of sociology, political science and anthropology at Boston University”

In Greenfeld's book, Mind, Modernity, Madness, she analyzes the relations of modern violence and mental disease. She says the culture of the American dream can be a societal problem. We're taught to reach for the stars, but not everyone can be an astronaut. Children are expected to control their own lives, which is exactly what makes them lose control. 

Listen to GUN CULTURE!