News:

Departing the Vacuousness

Main Menu

America is a gun

Started by Tank, October 04, 2017, 10:54:26 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Ecurb Noselrub

Well, everyone has different impressions.  I could say that the USA is a Road Trip and the UK is a Royalty Cult.  Just depends on what aspect of a culture you want to focus on. I agree that Las Vegas is not high on my list of places to visit, but I'm not a gambler or a big party guy.

Sandra Craft

#16
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 04, 2017, 09:42:22 PM
From inside America, it does not seem like a gun to me. Las Vegas type events do happen, but that is not the predominant feature of the culture.  We've also had three major hurricanes here recently - doesn't mean that "America is a hurricane".  But maybe that's what it seems like from the outside to some, given the level of media attention that is given to these events.  If you are predisposed to criticizing the country I suppose this provides an opportunity.  But to say that "England is a cup of tea" and "America is a gun" seems a little overdone.  Just my opinion.

I read that as not so much a reflection of mass shootings, but our attitude and fetish about guns in general.  Taken that way, I would say America is very much a gun.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Dave

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 05, 2017, 09:06:18 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 04, 2017, 09:42:22 PM
From inside America, it does not seem like a gun to me. Las Vegas type events do happen, but that is not the predominant feature of the culture.  We've also had three major hurricanes here recently - doesn't mean that "America is a hurricane".  But maybe that's what it seems like from the outside to some, given the level of media attention that is given to these events.  If you are predisposed to criticizing the country I suppose this provides an opportunity.  But to say that "England is a cup of tea" and "America is a gun" seems a little overdone.  Just my opinion.

I read that as not so much a reflection of mass shootings, but our our attitude and fetish about guns in general.  Taken that way, I would say America is very much a gun.

And the media, including the film industry, historically, do not help. There are a lot of American films thst do not include gun violence and death - dome very good ones - but it is the fights against the natives,westerns, civil war and gangster type movies that tend to stick in the mind. This "inflates" the violent image, especially in the minds of the young, at home and in other countries. I would guess, they are often seen as expressions of The Great American Fantasy Dream.

Then the news media propagate all the worst aspects, since they want to attract an audience amongst those already "semi-addicted" to similar news. This must have effects on certain tyoes of person, those with some kind of mental condition, whether inherent or due to adverse life experiences. From whst fikters into thus side of the Pond America seems to have more than its share of dis-advantaged people, addicts, mental illness etc. All in a country where guns sre compararively easy to come by, legally or illegally.

In the UK gun crime is slowly rising, mainly inter-gang, but gun availability is low. "Armourers" hire out illegal guns by the hour, I read somewhere a couple of yesrs ago, and sell the ammunition, it is a minor industry.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Recusant on October 05, 2017, 04:56:39 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2017, 02:23:57 AM
Quote from: Recusant on October 05, 2017, 01:56:18 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2017, 01:13:37 AMI was surprised how it seems the whole country has something like PTSD when I visited the States back in 2014. Hypervigilant and on edge.

I'm going to guess that you visited the east coast.

Yes, Manhattan. But I also spent some time in Las Vegas (midwest?) and felt that perhaps the people there had also been under 'red alert' a little too long. 

We landed in Las Vegas first and saw there were military personnel patrolling the airport. When we were waiting for our flight back to Brazil in the JFK airport there was what seemed to be an abandoned bag on the floor and two soldiers were quite frightened around it. People rushed past and we didn't stick around. The whole Boston marathon episode came to mind.

There were posters with "If you see something, say something" in a variety of public spaces, the underground metro, and buses.

Airports in the US have been turned into centers of paranoia and suspicion in the US ever since 2001 (though to a large extent the same holds true for Europe--armed soldiers are a common sight in the big airports like Charles de Gaulle). The same for public transportation.

I'd imagine so. 

QuoteAs for Las Vegas, it's a steaming pile of madness in the middle of the desert. It's very common on television in the UK for contestants of quiz shows, when asked what they would do with their winnings, to say, "take a trip to Las Vegas." I just shake my head in amazement.

I quite enjoyed my stay there, even though we only went there to visit the Grand Canyon, not far from the city. I think I must have visited every hotel/casino on the Strip. :shifty: I didn't gamble a penny though, I never gamble when the odds are so stacked against me, it seems stupid to do so. There were plenty of people, especially senior citizens, staring vacantly at their slot machines putting in token after token . It was such a sad sight.

Manhattan was better though. I loved it!
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey