American culture and our relationship with violence.

American culture is more violent than most western cultures. The recent shooting in Connecticut really has exposed this.

I hear different lobbies blaming different things, mostly its two lobbies that I think are both off.

First it has been brought up that violent videogames, movies, and other entertainment is to blame. On the surface this may seem reasonable, but if you digg a little deeper it seems our entertainment is a reflection of our desire. Why portray violence in entertainment media if we didn't feel entertained by it. This doesn't mean that violent media is good for the people but restricting it could potentially cause more harm than good. I think the best idea is to understand why the people want violent media, after all media just responds to demand. What makes us so violent?

The other side of this debate is our easy access to weapons. In our main there is an estimated 297 million firearms in possession, yet a statistical non existent number of them would be used in crime. So I don't think it is possible to moniter the commerce. Besides that weapons are just objects, that can be used to kill people, many objects share this common trait. again the use of weapons in violent crime is a reflection of or violent culture, it is not the product of it, so I don't think eliminating the right to own them will change our culture.

The problem I see with these two debate points is that they only focus on the effect and not the cause. There is something in us that makes us desire violence. I have many theories but I am interested in what others think.

tecoyah said:

Personally, I see this issue as far too complex for talking points or lobbies. Likely there are a great many contributing factors in our cultural violence. Everything from a bad childhood to mental frustration, drug abuse to finances...the individual seems the primary issue here.

Two people under the same circumstance will react entirely different, one pulling a gun and the other locking the door to drink a fifth of Jack Daniels.

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I really think there are things that we as a nation need to realize are problems, that we may not be the best at everything.

One issue I think we need to understand is mental health. Many times I say that and people jump to the idea of therapy, but mental health isn't about treatment , but practice. But there are many other issues I believe contribute to this

Among the reasons that we have a propensity toward violence I think a major one is the nowin situations imposed on us by regulations, the effect if the punitive consequences, and the stigma placed on them.

If you get charged with felony possession of marijuana you get locked up with rapists, murderers and all sorts of violent people. This tells you that you are no better then these people, for having a thing, not for gutting a man or raping children. This is an issue, share a room with a man that killed his mother, see how you feel about it.

When you get out it's even worse it's difficult to find a home, a job, anything. You are damned for having a thing, not a dangerous thing, but grass, there is a flaw here.

This isn't the only reason, I don't even think it's the biggest reason, but it seems to contribute tho the violence