The attitude of the majority of U.S. citizens towards firearm possession is one of the reasons why legislation related to gun control is usually highly contested. The rifle culture is deep-rooted in the history of the United States (Alvarez & Bachman, 2019). The American Revolution and the American civil war were won by guns; therefore, it is not surprising that U.S. citizens perceive being secure as a synonym for firearm possession (Ray, 2018). The relatively high figure of gun owners increases the number of gun-related crimes. Trying to mitigate this type of crime involves undermining the supply of guns to civilians, which would be met with fierce opposition as it goes against the provisions of the Second Amendment.
The United States’ history regarding gun culture makes it different from its industrialized counterparts. Even though other countries such as England provide similar privileges to those offered by the Second Amendment, the U.S. records the highest number of civilian-owned guns (Alvarez & Bachman, 2019). This shows that there are more factors other than legal liberty that influences the high demand for firearms in the United States. The culture of conflict resolution by violence is a common theme in the history of the U.S. This culture could be one of the reasons why the U.S. records one of the highest numbers of private gun owners and consequently a high number of gun-related crimes and violence. Culture plays a huge role in the propagation or curtailing of violent tendencies.
The subculture of violence offers insight and influences one’s view on U.S. gun topics. According to the subculture of violence, individuals assume that the other person will become violent in the event of any strife (Alvarez & Bachman, 2019). This mentality leads to increased tension and almost always aggravates the situation to violence. This provides a reason why Americans have such a strong desire for guns.
References
Alvarez, A., & Bachman, R. D. (2019). Violence: The enduring problem. Sage Publications.
Ray, L. (2018). Violence and society. Sage Publications.