(no subject)
I keep thinking about the whole gun control debate.
I see memes on Facebook where people talk about how we've always had guns in this country, how people in the south grew up with guns, and we didn't have mass shootings "back in the day", etc. The meme ends by saying that society has changed... the people sharing this meme would have you believe that the problem is caused by the lack of organized prayer in oublic schools, people not saying 'Merry Christmas', and gay folks wanting the same rights to marry as everyone else.
I have to agree with the first part of that sentiment. I grew up in the south, I grew up around guns, guns were everywhere (you could see shotguns and rifles hanging on gun racks in the rear windows of pickup trucks all over town, including the parking lot of my high school) and we didn't have mass shootings. That's true. And something has changed in our society; what's changed in our society is gun culture. Allow me to explain.
When I was younger, guns were tools. We had lots of guns in my house, just like we had lots of differnet saws and hammers. Guns were tools and you need the right tool for the job. Going duck hunting? That's a job for the 12 guage. Going squirrel or rabit hunting? That's a job for the .410. Quail or dove? 20 guage. Deer? .30-.30 or .30-06 rifle. Going 'coon hunting? The .22 rifle or pistol is ideal. Going fishing? A revolver with shake shot is right beside the tacklebox. Home defense? Whatever you lay your hand on... :)
Guns were nothing more than tools, they were used for hunting. We went target shooting but it was to practice for hunting... guns were everywhere in the south. We all hunted.
Nowdays?
I don't see many "gun" people talking about guns as tools, rather they're talking about guns as toys. They're not comparing a goose gun to varmit gun .... they're all talking about some type of semi-automatic rifle or pistol which only has one purpose - to shoot people. That's the big change I see in society... it's the change in gun culture. Guns aren't tools any more, they're toys. Expensive toys that people take to a gun range, and blast lots of rounds into targets while fantasizing that they're shooting other Americans. I've seen the targets... thugs, criminals, kids holding skittles, the POTUS, maybe zombies... but that's what guns are used for now, fantisizing that you're shooting people. Gun culture is now about gun manufactures selling people toys that they don't really need. It's simply another material toy that American consumers want to own.
Society has changed. And I think gun culture has changed as much, if not more than the rest of society, and not for the better.