ProdigalFrogICE, Minneapolis, and the right to carry | The Gray Area
curbstickleThe problem I have with this is calling it “gun culture”.
Its not an identity to own a gun, and shouldn’t be. I’m perfectly fine with guns and responsible gun ownership, but the idea of “gun culture” definitely gives me the ick. Maybe thats just me, but thats the defining difference for me, it takes things from “a specifically useful and dangerous set of tools” to “this is all there is in my life, its my identity”. Maybe thats just me.
Personally I interpret Gun Culture as the specific type of culture that pervades gun spaces, such as gun shops, ranges, or the culture of online content created around it.
As an example with online content, the norm for decades was that the space was dominated by extremely conservative or right-wing content, which projects “This is what the culture around guns is, end of.” and that’s very offputting to leftists who don’t want to be around that shit.
However, youtube channels like InRangeTV, Tacticool Girlfriend, and Blackflag Civilian, as well as local SRA chapters around the US are helping to change that perceived culture to being more inclusive, explicitly leftist, and more appealing/welcoming to other leftists, minorities, or queer people who thought that leftist spaces or leftist ‘gun culture’ didn’t exist.
But that’s just me, and I do totally get how people who make guns their whole personality is super off-putting (though I have yet to see a leftist that does that, personally).
I do totally get how people who make guns their whole personality is super off-putting (though I have yet to see a leftist that does that, personally).
Same!
Its really about what the words “gun culture” make you think these days, which to me is that person who makes it their personality. And as I don’t see any leftists doing that, it personally makes me think of “MAGA jackass” when I hear “gun culture”.
And maybe thats changing, I don’t know, its just what comes to mind for me.
it personally makes me think of “MAGA jackass” when I hear “gun culture”
Actually that’s a really good point, and now I’m thinking that their blurb on the video’s thumbnail is (probably unintentionally) framing it the wrong way.
The thumbnail says ‘Can the left embrace gun culture’, which does immediately bring up that negative imagery. It probably should instead say ‘Can the left change gun culture for the better?’ or something like that, as that’s what needs to happen since ‘embracing’ makes it seem like we should also become asshole gun-bros, but just with socialism or something 😅