Nurture or nature? It’s not the usual criteria for analyzing the pro and anti-gun side of the gun control debate. But this video got me thinking: why do some people hate guns so much? I’ve watched enough YouTube “total recoil” videos and read about enough gun crime to know there are plenty of gun control advocates whose anti-gun bias must stem from an extremely unpleasant experience with firearms . . .
Although the young boy above is mugging for the camera and onlookers, his ever-so-helpful father has created a subconscious stimulus – response pattern linking guns with bad things, both physically and psychologically (he looked like a fool and so played one).
But then, the boy probably shares genes with the man holding the gun, which indicates he’ll overcome his pain and shame and go on to inflict the same on his progeny. Go figure.
As a father/step-father to four girls, I can report that one really likes guns, one kinda doesn’t care (but plays a lot of COD), one’s on the fence (too young to tell) and one isn’t interested at all. And yet her father was a crack shot.
As in most things, I reckon it’s a combination. Some people have a natural affinity for shooting, some don’t. But guns impact all of us on an elemental perhaps even instinctive level. The real question becomes: does this natural fascination turn into fear (gun control) or respect (gun enthusiasm)? And how does that happen?
