Gun culture? Doesn’t that require having guns?

So, on the cover of the crappy, trashy, gossip-filled The Sun newspaper (I say that as if most media here in the UK doesn’t fit that description) on Friday, 23-Feb, there was this picture of David Cameron and some kid pretending to shoot him from behind with the caption “I suppose a hug is out of the question?” (Back in July, Cameron gave a speech that has been dubbed the “hug a hoodie” speech where he claimed that hoodlums exist because they don’t receive enough love and understanding.) As if we haven’t seen this approach tried and failed in the US plenty of times before.

So, anyway, this happened when David Cameron was viewing a crime ridden neighbourhood, and trying to show how he would address “the gun culture” in the UK. I am sorry to have to say what appears blindingly obvious to me: How can there be a gun culture when guns are not readily available? I suppose it’s a reference to some romanticizing of the gun, or something. I mean, obviously, there are SOME guns, but come on.

A real gun culture is like Texas, where guns are common, everyone knows how to use and care for their weapon, and are less likely to be mishandled. People wear shoulder holsters externally so that you know they are armed. Also concealed carry laws exist throughout the state, which studies have shown that gun crime is significantly lowered where there are concealed carry laws because you are less likely to rob a bank when one of the customers could just shoot you.

Or, maybe the media here is referring to the glamorized, hip hop version of a gun culture… I keep thinking of that movie Galaxy Quest, how the aliens thought it was all a true documentary, not a made up fantasy story. Yeah, there is violence. Yeah, people get shot and beat up and killed. But, do you really think that every bit of it is true? Do you really think 10% of it is actually true?

Two other points:

One: There is the old NRA saying of, “If guns are outlawed then only outlaws have guns.” Well, the cops here don’t carry guns. And the “hoodies”, according to this kid, can get one that fires for as cheap as £50. While guns are not nearly as common or readily available here as in the US, it is still disconcerting to realize cops could get shot at and not be able to return fire.

Two: The 2^nd amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms to overthrow an unlawful government if necessary. (You’ve gotta love the fact that, by and large, who are yelling that Bush is unlawfully in office are the ones who dispute the second amendment!) This is because we, as Americans, are distrustful of an all-powerful government, and its part of the reason why we broke away from the crown in the first place. I know that this strongly colors my opinion and the whole tone of this rant...