What are Americans so afraid of? [View all]

[Skidmore]

When all the stats for gun ownership are given and all the rationales for ownership are given, I'm still left with that question. Why do some of us feel that we need to be armed to the eyeballs? What do we fear in this culture?

I keep going back to the neocon mantra of "'They' hate our way of life'" as a justification to take up arms against any one perceived as a threat. What is our way of life that is so threatened? On an international level, Islamic nations have been elevated to the role of "the hated Other" after the USSR collapsed. The USSR was a threat to "our way of life." We developed missile programs and all sorts of weaponry to stave off that threat of a godless economic state. Funny how we replaced that enemy with theocratic nations. But this still doesn't nail down this fearful need for security domestically.

If only half of us own guns, it says that lots of us trust our system to be responsive in a time of true need or we just don't perceive everyone out there as a potential threat. Now I realize that we have people who may own hunting rifles, but that doesn't account for those who seem to not be able to even walk the street without a gun on their persons.

Is it tribalism at its worst? The "Other" as neighbor, coworker, or passerby? What do those who are compulsive in their insistence that we arm our citizenry fear will be taken from them?

Would be interested in any thoughts you may have.