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Revision as of 05:07, 31 July 2014 editArtifexMayhem (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users3,625 edits →United States: replace text cited to a photo gallery with prior text that is cited to an actual WP:RS← Previous edit Revision as of 21:37, 31 July 2014 edit undoSue Rangell (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers9,776 edits It's better to remove the section completely, as a single person's opinion (especially a person who has a clear bias) is arguably a worse source than a photo gallery.Next edit →
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'''Gun cultures''' are found around the world, and evidence various attitudes towards guns in such places as the ], ], ], and Pakistan. Among the most studied and discussed global gun cultures is that of the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Max |date=December 15, 2012 |title=What makes America's gun culture totally unique in the world, in four charts |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/15/what-makes-americas-gun-culture-totally-unique-in-the-world-as-demonstrated-in-four-charts/ |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington D.C. |publisher= |accessdate=January 25, 2014 }}</ref> '''Gun cultures''' are found around the world, and evidence various attitudes towards guns in such places as the ], ], ], and Pakistan. Among the most studied and discussed global gun cultures is that of the ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Max |date=December 15, 2012 |title=What makes America's gun culture totally unique in the world, in four charts |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/15/what-makes-americas-gun-culture-totally-unique-in-the-world-as-demonstrated-in-four-charts/ |newspaper=Washington Post |location=Washington D.C. |publisher= |accessdate=January 25, 2014 }}</ref>



===United States===
{{See also|Gun culture in the United States}}
According to political scientist Robert Spitzer, the American gun culture as it exists today is founded on three factors: the proliferation of firearms since the earliest days of the nation, the connection between personal ownership of weapons and the country's revolutionary and frontier history, and the cultural mythology regarding the gun in the frontier and in modern life.<ref name = "SpitzerCh1"/> Spitzer writes that:

*Two elements of the modern American gun culture have survived since the earliest days of the country; the hunting/sporting ethos and the militia/frontier ethos.<ref name = "SpitzerCh1"/>

*The Hunting/Sporting ethos emerged when America was an ] nation in which hunting was a valuable source of supplying food for settlers, guns were a means of protection from animal predators, and the market for furs could provide a source of income. Acquiring shooting skills was connected with survival, and acquiring these skills was a "]" for boys entering manhood. The role of guns as marks of maturity persists to this day. Today, hunting survives as a central component of the gun culture.

*The Militia/Frontier ethos emerged from early Americans' dependence on their wits and skill to protect themselves from hostile Native Americans and foreign armies. Survival depended upon everyone carrying a weapon (excluding blacks, and in a large part, women). In the late Eighteenth Century, there was neither the money nor manpower to maintain a full-time army; therefore the armed citizen soldier carried the responsibility of protecting his country. Service in militia, including providing your own ammunition and weapons, was mandatory for all adult males.

*Closely related to the militia tradition was the frontier tradition, with the westward movement closely associated with weaponry. In the Nineteenth Century, firearms were closely associated with the westward expansion. Outlaws and Indians necessitated an armed citizenry ready to defend themselves.

*Today, this veneration of firearms has left a deeply felt belief that guns are both an integral part of, and a force responsible for, America as it exists.<ref name = "SpitzerCh1">{{cite book | last = Spitzer | first = Robert J. | title = The Politics of Gun Control | publisher = Paradigm Publishers | edition = 5 | year = 2012 | page = 8 | isbn = 9781594519871 }}</ref>


===United Kingdom=== ===United Kingdom===

Revision as of 21:37, 31 July 2014

Gun cultures are found around the world, and evidence various attitudes towards guns in such places as the United States, UK, Japan, and Pakistan. Among the most studied and discussed global gun cultures is that of the gun culture in the United States.


United Kingdom

See also: Gun politics in the United Kingdom and Culture of the United Kingdom

The U.K. gun culture is represented by shooting sports.


Japan

See also: Culture of Japan

At one time Japan had a thriving gun culture, but in modern times guns in Japan are for all practical purposes eliminated completely from society.

Pakistan

See also: Gun politics in Pakistan and Culture of Pakistan

Gun ownership, especially in the mountainous northwest, is part of traditional Pakistani culture. Rifles are handed down from generation to generation for hunting and for celebratory fire. In the 21st century, increases in terrorist threats, and particularly in urban kidnappings, extortions, and robberies, has led to an increase in civilian demand for guns for self-protection.

In no particular order, Pakistanis view the right to arms and/or the right to bear arms and/or state militias as important for one or more of these purposes:

  • Repelling an invasion;
  • suppressing insurrection;
  • Facilitating a natural right of self-defence;
  • Participating in law enforcement;
  • Enabling the people to organise a militia system.

See also

References

  1. Fisher, Max (December 15, 2012). "What makes America's gun culture totally unique in the world, in four charts". Washington Post. Washington D.C. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  2. "The British Association for Shooting & Conservation". BASC. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  3. Wonacott, Peter (January 6, 2009). "For Middle-Class Pakistanis, a Gun Is a Must-Have Accessory: With Kidnappings and Violence on the Rise, Demand for Weapons Permits Grows". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  4. http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/chronology.asp?groupId=77103
  5. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123120431026355961.html
  6. http://dawn.com/2012/04/30/trading-bullets-in-a-gun-friendly-nation/
  7. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/120303/pakistan-volunteer-militias-taliban-afghanistan

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