General Discussion

Hydra

(14,459 posts)

22. A lot of good replies in this thread

Sat Jul 25, 2015, 01:01 AM

Jul 2015

And it's a wide ranging problem. As usual, I would like to attack what I can see of the root, if I may.

I believe it's cultural: We encourage bullying and violence, establishing a pecking order. We encourage it as a way of socially controlling others, up to a very specific point. You're not supposed to murder someone...or, at least, it's not supposed to LOOK like you did.

That kind of thinking keeps out society always at the boiling point, someone always close to crossing the line on either side of the "arrangement." The Nerd who brings a gun to school to kill the jocks that have been beating him up, or the Jocks who killed Matthew Shepard, thinking they wouldn't be punished for it because he was gay.

In shorter form, we freak out about naked people, but don't bat an eye at some of the worst forms of violence done to people. It's a really weird cultural value that has no place in a truly civilized nation(which we aren't).

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H2O Man Survey #39 [View all] H2O Man Jul 2015 OP

I feel strongly that acknowledging and changing the way this country feels about race, its culture Brickbat Jul 2015 #1

Great answer -- thanks! H2O Man Jul 2015 #3

Definitely lots of overlap -- which makes it hard, because so many people just want to focus on one Brickbat Jul 2015 #8

Very important points. H2O Man Jul 2015 #36

Cultural and very little Motown_Johnny Jul 2015 #2

Interesting and well-said. H2O Man Jul 2015 #7

Too many people NV Whino Jul 2015 #10

there are far more densely populated places than here Motown_Johnny Jul 2015 #37

I have been to countries far more dense and a lot less violent.in fact USA is wide open spaces Person 2713 Jul 2015 #53

I think it is lack of economic opportunity notadmblnd Jul 2015 #4

Huge. H2O Man Jul 2015 #9

Part of it is always demographics, part of it is likely environmental lead Warpy Jul 2015 #5

Interesting. H2O Man Jul 2015 #38

Yeah, imagine being a cop, belt loaded with gear to abuse your fellow citizens, Warpy Jul 2015 #41

Right. H2O Man Jul 2015 #45

I'll give it a go. There is a high level of stress in this country right from shraby Jul 2015 #6

Good answer! H2O Man Jul 2015 #39

Great questions! Its economics, with unregulated capitolism, IMHO. kydo Jul 2015 #11

Gun ownership is just too fucking simple in too many places... catnhatnh Jul 2015 #12

heck, the planet's actual murder capital feels sorry for us at this point MisterP Jul 2015 #13

I think there's quite a few reasons. F4lconF16 Jul 2015 #14

Funny and true routine, thanks! Warpy Jul 2015 #28

I have to fall back on Justice Louis Brandeis. Downwinder Jul 2015 #15

I found some interested statistics.... CajunBlazer Jul 2015 #16

Purest speculation, but I believe it is worth considering... Zorra Jul 2015 #17

Man is an adaptable creature... kentuck Jul 2015 #18

IMO part of it is the way we educate our young in today's United States. Tommymac Jul 2015 #19

Every man a king in his own right... ellisonz Jul 2015 #20

IMO, it's a genetic issue. We have a too varied genetic pool and our melting CK_John Jul 2015 #21

A lot of good replies in this thread Hydra Jul 2015 #22

Sometimes I hate you as much as I love you for what you make me address. herding cats Jul 2015 #23

Gun violence sets us apart from our cultural peers. hay rick Jul 2015 #24

Depends on who you consider our "cultural peers" Recursion Jul 2015 #31

I suggest we look first to Lord of the Flies... Thespian2 Jul 2015 #25

And A Brave New World awoke_in_2003 Jul 2015 #50

Good point Thespian2 Jul 2015 #51

We also have to look into police violence. Unknown Beatle Jul 2015 #26

Many other countries also have better health care outcomes (and for far less money). merrily Jul 2015 #27

Culturally, we're a nation of toddlers. blogslut Jul 2015 #29

We aren't particularly world standouts for violence rates Recursion Jul 2015 #30

What Brickbat said plus malaise Jul 2015 #32

We have a cottage industry of hate in this country. Vinca Jul 2015 #33

Many poignant and profound contributions PuraVidaDreamin Jul 2015 #34

A major problem: the existence of the Second Amendment. Nay Jul 2015 #35

I'm not sure about that CajunBlazer Jul 2015 #44

Lead JonLP24 Jul 2015 #40

don't know the primary causes G_j Jul 2015 #42

Inequality of Income and Depression of Citizen's Rights. KoKo Jul 2015 #43

Testosterone n/t Holly_Hobby Jul 2015 #46

Clever apes in complex systems Fairgo Jul 2015 #47

We have looked at the issue carefully nadinbrzezinski Jul 2015 #48

If a politician is receiving funds fadedrose Jul 2015 #49

The US has literally always been at war. guillaumeb Jul 2015 #52

America has been an aggressively violent country since day one MrScorpio Jul 2015 #54

I may be ridiculed for my comment but at least am honest! akbacchus_BC Jul 2015 #55

I think it is, for the most part, a cultural problem. LWolf Jul 2015 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author Alkene Jul 2015 #57