Disclosure: I am a gun owner, and have been around guns
since I was a child. I have had a concealed carry permit, and thus have taken
the classes multiple times. I have also reloaded ammunition since I was a kid,
and am thus pretty familiar with both guns and ammo.
***
One of the common arguments made by gun advocates -
particularly those opposed to any sort of regulation - is that America’s
problem with gun violence isn’t about the guns, but about
culture.
While this is overly simplistic and ignores the role that
the easy availability of guns plays in violence, it isn’t exactly untrue.
Culture does indeed play a role.
After all, the “mass shooting” phenomenon is a modern one.
For purposes of this post, I will define a “mass shooting” as follows: A
shooting aimed at killing strangers, not victims known to the shooter. This
means that the number of victims isn’t the defining factor, like it is in many
statistical analyses. Gang shootings don’t qualify. Domestic violence murders
don’t qualify, even if there are multiple victims. These other examples of
violence are concerning too, of course, but they are beyond the scope of this
post.
Mass shootings ARE a modern phenomenon, having become
popular (if that is the right word) during my own lifetime. Thus, it is fair to
say that they are the result (in part) of cultural factors.
But the problem is, it isn’t enough to say “culture.” The
question is, exactly which culture, and what elements of that culture
contribute to violence. This is the question that the anti-gun-control sorts
either ignore outright, or answer using convenient scapegoats that have nothing
whatsoever to do with gun violence.
Let’s unpack this one a bit.
***
Cultural Scapegoats
The arguments about guns have become so very predictable (on
both sides, but particularly on the Right) that you can use autotext after each
shooting. The arguments get trotted out faithfully every time, regardless of
whether they have any basis in fact. They are intended to be and are
emotionally satisfying to those who have no wish to look in the mirror or take
responsibility for their own contributions to a violent culture.
Here are the most common:
“It’s the video games.”
Likewise, even though Japan has the highest video game use
rate, it doesn’t have the problem with gun violence that the United States does
- and actually have a far lower overall homicide rate, which would seem to be
an indication that video games aren’t the cause.
I think there are a number of reasons why games get blamed.
One is that they are convenient. The gaming industry doesn’t have a huge
lobbying machine like the NRA. Games are an “outside” influence to blame that
deflects attention from, say, parenting. And, I must say, there is an element
of a generation gap at work here. Whatever the young people do (cell phones,
video games, music, etc.) is automatically suspicious.
Bottom line, though, video games aren’t the problem.
“Violent movies”
Again, this isn’t supported by evidence. Research does not
show a meaningful link. At all. As Scalia pointed out in the opinion mentioned
above, violent fantasies are hardly a new thing. Fairytales (before being
Disneyized) are horrifically violent. As is much of classical literature. (Have
you read Homer? Or the Bible?) There is an interesting discussion to be
had about the human propensity for violence, and for glorifying violence. But
the consumption of violent media doesn’t seem to be linked to actual
violence.
These two scapegoats are the most common - and they at least
make some sort of logical nexus. That nexus turns out to not exist, but it
feels like it could, so they aren’t crazy.
The next category of scapegoats, though, is totally crazy -
and dishonest. I want to look at these as a group, because they are similar.
“What do you expect when you take prayer out of school?”
I heard this way too much growing up. Let’s address this.
First, by “prayer in school,” we mean government sponsored prayer to a Christian
god.
“It’s the fault of atheism”
Another common one.
“It’s the fault of gay marriage”
Yes, this has actually been said.
And she also blamed Obama, pot, Colin Kaepernick, and non-white immigrants.
Because of course it’s always the fault of minorities.
“It’s the fault of Feminism”
I put this one in intentionally, because it represents the
exact opposite of the actual cultural problem.
So, let’s look at what these have in common.
These scapegoats blame gun violence on people who are not
committing the violent acts.
Guess what? There is no epidemic of atheists shooting up
churches. (The shootings at places of worship have overwhelmingly been
committed by white supremacists for racist reasons. Although there was
the one in Texas
which started as domestic violence.)
There is no epidemic of Feminist women shooting up places
where men hang out. In fact, female shooters are extremely rare. (More about
this later.) For that matter, we feminist men don’t seem particularly prone to
go on shooting sprees either.
There is no epidemic of minorities shooting up white people.
(Gun violence of other sorts exists across the color line, but mass shooters
are overwhelmingly white.) This despite centuries of abuse, enslavement,
segregation, and oppression.
Nope, you can actually predict pretty well who shooters are
going to be:
Male
White
Middle class or higher
Grew up with guns (most school shooters get the guns from a
parent)
Hmm. This suggests where the REAL cultural problem lies,
doesn’t it?
***
The cultural problem is with white, conservative gun culture.
These shooters aren’t coming from everywhere, they are
coming from a specific sub-culture. A white subculture. A middle class
subculture. And a subculture where guns are in the home. This doesn’t sound
much like those scapegoats above, does it? It sounds like the gun owner subculture
is giving rise to mass shooters.
So what IS wrong with the culture?
I mentioned above that the shooters are nearly exclusively
male. (In fact, I can’t think of one incident with a solo female shooter,
unless you want to count that one workplace shooter in the Bay Area, and the
case was so shocking because it was so exceptional.) So the first thing to
examine about the culture is what it says to and about males. The problem
apparently doesn’t lead females to take violent and deadly action with
guns.
I believe Toxic Masculinity is the central problem
There are several facets to this, and I will deal with them
in turn. The central factor, though, is in a warped view of manhood and
masculinity which directs emotions into violence rather than more productive
channels. From my own experiences growing up in an ultra-conservative
subculture, I think I can see where the problems lie. Let’s look at some of
them.
Factor #1: Misogyny
Where does misogyny come from? From specific beliefs.
Namely, that women are congenitally inferior to men...and thus should be
ruled/owned by men. And the first flows from the second. In order to maintain a
gender hierarchy, one has to believe in inferiority. To ease the conscience.
This is why Frederick Douglass noted that slavery led to racism, not the other
way around. To justify slavery, slave owners and society had to believe that it
was due to the natural superiority of whites to blacks. Ditto for female
subordination. To justify a system where men rule over women, you have to
believe at some level that women are inferior, and thus in need of male
“leadership.”
From there, it flows naturally to go one of two directions.
(Or maybe both.) The first is to put women on a pedestal, Victorian style,
where they are the “good” gender (unless they are bad girls), and should be
protected from contact with the messy world out there - which they clearly
can’t handle. Or, to despise women as inferior creatures and feel
contempt.
From there, it isn’t a far gap to justifying violence
against women who fail to be submissive or cooperative enough. In the case of
many shooters, the fact that beautiful women aren’t throwing themselves at the
shooter makes them furious. (See
Elliot Rodger.)
This is why there is such a strong correlation between domestic violence (and
other threats and violence against women) and mass shootings.
So what is it about conservative gun culture that breeds
misogyny?
Well, as someone who grew up in an ultra-conservative
subculture, I would say it stems from the reactionary response to Feminism. In
previous eras, the gender hierarchy wasn’t really challenged. Women had limited
job opportunities outside the home, they couldn’t get loans or credit cards by
themselves, they were widely considered inferior. It was just how things were,
so to speak, and so being “benignly” misogynist was easy. Once Feminism started
making real gains, though, this was threatened. A woman with her own job,
money, and home didn’t have to take shit from dickhead men. A married woman who
earned a similar amount to her husband could insist on equal power in the
relationship. Women who felt they had better options didn’t have to marry
Earl anymore, and the Earls of the
world weren’t thrilled with this development.
With the “traditional” hierarchy challenged, conservative
subcultures reacted in a, well, reactionary manner, and started doubling down
on gender hierarchy, gender roles, and gender stereotypes.
Factor #2: Exaggerated “masculinity”
Within conservative subcultures, there has long been panic
about the “feminization” of society in general, and men in particular. This has
been going on at least since the start of first wave Feminism 250 years ago,
but it has gone through periods of revival ever since. One of those periods was
(and is) the ongoing Culture Wars™ pushed by the Religious Right. The rise of
that subculture is, in my opinion, a significant factor in our current problem
with mass shootings.
The problems in the subculture stem from this fear of
“feminization.” To be a “real” man, therefore, one must be defined primarily in
terms of being “not a woman.” (Yes, this is related to the misogyny
above.)
Thus, boys are taught to avoid traits viewed as “female” and
cultivate traits viewed as “male.” Needless to say, this causes harm to both
boys and girls. For example, certain emotions are viewed as “female,” and thus
not acceptable to be expressed by boys. Sadness, fear, tenderness, grief.
Instead, boys are limited to “masculine” emotions: anger, aggression,
competitiveness, stoicism. Having been an emotional little boy myself, and
having children of both sexes, I can attest that males feel the “female”
emotions too - but it isn’t socially acceptable to express them.
While this is a problem widespread throughout our culture,
it is much more of a problem in conservative circles. It isn’t universal (there
are some movements within Evangelicalism, for example, aiming to encourage men
to acknowledge and express emotions), but there is also a LOT of pressure in
the subculture itself to be “manly” and never “effeminate.”
The problem in the gun violence context, though, is that
males continue to experience “feminine” emotions - and emotions need to be
expressed - that’s being human. So, these emotions - sadness, fear, worry - are
redirected into more “acceptable” male expressions. Namely, anger. And
eventually violence.
I admire the honesty: the military-style weapon as penis extender.
And yes, this is an actual ad by Bushmaster.
Factor #3: Violence as an acceptable masculine way of
solving problems
Conservatives practically worship male violence. I know that
is a strong statement, but I believe it is true. Here are some examples. In
conservative circles, there are no greater heroes than soldiers and cops. Go to
a conservative church around Veterans Day, and you will see the pastor invite
former and current military to stand for recognition. A church here in
Bakersfield literally flies the “blue lives matter” flag. (That’s a whole other
post…) But you see it everywhere.
Think about it, though. Both of these professions are
inherently violent. Soldiers, no matter how you sugarcoat it, kill for a
living. That in a fallen world, soldiers are perhaps necessary, doesn’t change
that fact. Likewise, law enforcement uses force (aka violence) to remove
dangerous people from society. And that is the idealized view. The less
idealized view recognizes that the United States doesn’t have the world’s
highest incarceration rate by accident: our laws and enforcement are an
instrument of social control, particularly against the poor and minorities.
Now sure, one factor in this is that both soldiers and cops
risk their lives. Which is why firefighters are respected (on both the right
and left, though.) But there is also a glorification of the violence itself,
I’m afraid. In the conservative subculture, the respect for soldiers and cops
often veers into idolatry, where criticism is off limits, and any criticism is
viewed as “hating cops” or “hating our troops.”
And note that both of these are stereotypically male
occupations. Sure, there are female soldiers and female police (I’m related to
some.) But many conservatives are deeply uncomfortable with women in these
professions.
While I have no problem with recognizing the contributions
of cops and soldiers to our society, it is badly unbalanced to honor them more
than we do, to use a few examples, those who educate our children, who grow
cook and sell our food, or who heal our wounds and diseases. But these are more
“female” occupations, and thus are taken for granted.
This in turn leads to some troubling results. The most
respected members of society are those who use violence. And violence is seen
as the solution to problems. Unrest overseas? Don’t examine the role of our
foreign policy in causing that unrest. Send some guys with guns! Protests here
at home? Send some guys with guns!
This then bleeds over into other problems and perceived
problems. Think someone might steal your stuff? Get a gun. And be prepared to
light that MFer up! Worried about a man being violent to your daughter? (see
above for how men get that way…) Or have sex with her? Clean your gun when he
comes over. Let that boy know you will be violent if he doesn’t behave. Anxious
about immigrants after watching Tucker Carlson? Better have an arsenal to
defend yourself against those “rapists and drug dealers.”
Or how about: not getting your way? Assert yourself and make
that wife of yours submit. Kids aren’t behaving? Beat them a bit. Hey, that’s how
men solve problems, right?
That some troubled and angry men in this subculture see
violence as a way to solve their problems shouldn’t be a surprise. Most will go
for suicide, but some will want to go out with a bang. Anger and rage feel more
masculine than despair…
Factor #4: Embrace of military-style weapons
Gun sales records are notoriously difficult to obtain.
Manufacturers carefully guard their numbers, and the ban on federal research
into gun violence has made it more difficult to study.
However, I can kind of use a bit of anecdotal evidence from
my own experience to at least show a shift that has occurred in my
lifetime.
When I was a kid, we used to go out and shoot at a public
range in the Angeles National Forest. You would see other people out there
shooting, and occasionally talk to them and ask what they had. Later, in my
20s, I did some legal work for a local private range, earning a lifetime
membership. Although life has been too busy to get out and shoot much these
days, I have seen some shifts in gun times over the years.
As a kid, I remember wood stocks dominating. You would also
see laminate stocks on hunting rifles. But overall, there were a lot of bolt
action hunting rifles out at the range. And oh so many Ruger 10-22s. (For those
who aren’t gun people, this is the popular .22 caliber rifle you get either for
your kids to learn on, or to practice cheaply.)
I’m not sure what the most popular non-22 rifle was, but I
would guess that it was the Savage bolt action - not as expensive as the
prettier Remingtons, but a serviceable rifle.
There is no doubt now about what the most popular rifle is.
It is the AR-15-style gun. (Technically, the AR-15 is made by Armalite, but the
style - essentially a semi-automatic version of the M-16 - is made by a number
of companies.) And it isn’t close.
So, what drove the change? That’s an interesting question.
Hunting is on the decline, so that is probably a factor. But I think there is
another one at work. As gun-rights advocates love to remind us, guns are tools.
But tools for what? What is that particular tool for?
Let’s see. If you want to hunt, you need a gun in a caliber
that fits your game. Bigger for elk, smaller for deer.
If you want to kill varmints on your farm, you need
something with a small, fast bullet. Can’t have that ground squirrel
duck.
For home defense, your best bet is a short barrel shotgun.
(Think granny from The Beverly Hillbillies…) Although a revolver isn’t a
bad choice for a smaller space.
What is the use of a tool like an AR-15? The bullet is too
light for anything except for varmints. But it does unload a lot of bullets
quickly, and it is super easy to use. (That was the point: even a young, green
soldier can figure it out.) And it is cheap and modular. (Another military
consideration.) In any event, even though it isn’t particularly beloved in its
M-16 form by the military, it was designed for one purpose: killing other
humans quickly and efficiently.
As my dad says, “If you have a hammer, everything looks like
a nail.” And if you have a weapon designed to kill humans, well…
That, ultimately, is why I think the AR-15-style rifle has
exploded in popularity. It feeds a particular fantasy in conservative gun
culture. I may expand on it in a future post, but here is the gist. Since
conservatives with guns generally are pro-military and pro-law enforcement -
and don’t truly expect to have to fight off cops and soldiers sent by the US
government.
But at least some really expect a war of a different kind.
One with definite racial overtones. (I talked about this a bit in my review of
Educated.)
Again, this isn’t everyone, but it is in conservative gun
culture. And with the popularity of military-style weapons and the imagined
threats and conspiracy theories, it isn’t hard to see a belief that the
AR-15-style weapons will be used for their intended purpose someday.
I think this does contribute to the development of mass
shooters.
Factor #5: Conspiracy theory thinking
This is fomented by the NRA. “The liberals are out to get
your guns.” And also by the Evangelical Culture War Industrial Complex.
“Christians are under attack. Better have your guns!” And by the rising white
supremacist wing of the GOP. “We are being invaded by immigrants.” And the
gender panic above. “Manhood is under attack!” “The gays are taking over!”
“Feminists!”
This embrace of fear and conspiratorial thinking is not
healthy in any culture, but it is particularly a bad combination with embrace
of violence and access to weapons. All too soon, you start thinking that
someday (maybe soon), you are going to have to murder other human beings to survive.
This combines with the idea that the “real Americans” will
have to defend themselves against the “others,” and that leads to…
Factor #6: Increasing racism
While our history with guns has always had racial overtones
(the NRA supported gun control preventing minorities from having guns in the
past), I think this has accelerated within gun culture during my lifetime. This
shift can be seen in a few incidents lately.
First, the Trayvon Martin murder. Zimmerman was a textbook
case of irresponsible gun usage. He initiated contact with a person who was not
bothering him. He escalated at every opportunity. And eventually, he murdered
Martin. We learned about this stuff in our CCW class - don’t escalate. Seek to
escape a situation rather than confront. Don’t start fights. And yet, silence
from the NRA. Actually, worse than silence. They started a “stand and fight”
campaign. Seriously? That’s basically “this sidewalk isn’t big enough for the
two of us. (That’s why I left.)
Second, the Philando Castille murder. (And yes, I call it
murder.) An African American man with a valid carry permit, who does everything
we are taught to do in an encounter with law enforcement, yet is shot dead. And
silence from the NRA. I cannot imagine that had a white CCW holder been killed
in similar circumstances, the NRA would have been silent.
Third, the
god-awful NRA ad
in which African American protesters are called the enemy - and it is strongly
implied that they will need to be murdered. Of course, “liberals” like me
(“liberal” now apparently means anyone who isn’t on the white supremacist Trump
Train) are also in the crosshairs. Any of us who call out racism are the enemy
now. The NRA is sounding uncomfortably similar to neo-Nazi groups like the
Proud Boys.
So yes, this is an issue in gun culture. It was no surprise
to see a white guy go murder Hispanics in El Paso. Because this is IN THE
CULTURE now.
***
Bottom line here: Yes, there is a culture problem that has
lead to the rise of the mass shooting. However, it isn’t a culture problem on
the left, it is not an atheist culture problem, it is not a feminism culture
problem, it isn’t a minority culture problem.
It is a culture problem within white, male, conservative,
gun culture itself.
And, as a gun owner myself, I give this warning: guys (and
it is mostly guys), you need to fix this problem. Or it will eventually be
fixed for you, and you won’t like the result. Gun ownership is on the decline,
even as the number of guns increases. The NRA has lost a large number of
members, and revenue is down more than 20% since the election of Trump. Younger
people are less likely to support the NRA, and even younger NRA members are
unhappy with the NRA’s political positions. Revenue for the NRA increasingly
depends on a few big donors - and perhaps not coincidentally, it has spent big
money supporting Trump. My kids’ generation is tired of being murdered by
shooters, and would like to feel safe at school again. And they are less likely
to vote Republican - and many loathe Trump. There is a demographic shift
coming, and if white, conservative, male, gun culture doesn’t clean up its act,
change is coming for it, whether they like it or not.
***
Just a note on other gun violence:
Sixty percent of gun deaths are suicides. Suicides are,
sadly, on the rise. But they are increasing most dramatically in
rural (and white) communities.
In other words, in Donald Trump country - and gun culture country. It isn’t a
stretch to say the the cultural rot I discuss above is a significant factor in
suicides as well. Males who define their masculinity in terms of wealth and
violence...well, that doesn’t end well under times of financial stress.
While I didn’t include them in my discussion, the other
category of killings which are often included in “mass shootings” are domestic
violence murders. When you discuss mass shootings with right wingers, you often
get pushback against the “it’s a white male problem” with some statistics about
race in mass shootings which shows more diversity. This is a bit of a dodge,
but it also contains some truth. For domestic violence killings, race isn’t a
determinant. There are men (it’s almost always men) who murder their families
and often themselves afterward, and they cross racial lines. Fair enough. Ditto
for workplace shooters – another mostly male phenomenon. But the mass murder of
random strangers is overwhelmingly a white male thing.
But let’s talk about the domestic violence problem too.
Because it shares a lot of the same factors. Toxic masculinity, where
masculinity is defined in terms of violence, power, and control of women. It is
the same cultural problems (minus the racism and conspiracy theories, perhaps.)
And also the same truth applies: it is gun culture that is the issue. These are
gun owners too.
And one more: a third category that gets lumped with “mass
shootings” is gang-related violence. I need not say more than to note that
right wingers LOVE to blame the culture for gang-related violence. Which, sure.
And let’s note the prevalence of toxic masculinity in that culture as well. But
what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If culture is the problem
causing gang violence, it surely is a factor for white male domestic terrorists
too, right? Look in the mirror.
