Boomers and the Gun Culture Climate Today

[mark056]

The print media has given some notice to the fact that the first Baby Boomers will achieve the milestone of age Sixty in January. There has, arguably, been no other generation in American History which has been studied as much, or pandered to, than the Boomers. We re-wrote the book on American culture, rightly or wrongly...I am not going to debate that or even make the case that the "Greatest Generation" saved the world, but maybe collectively weren't so great in the parenting department.

The endless debate over nature vs nuture continues. When I look at the climate of attitudes towards guns in America today, I must confess that I am a bit perplexed. All of us boomers grew up in an enviornment that was definitely pro-gun. We were the first television generation and all of the great westerns of the 50's and even into the 60's were 30 minute or 60 minute morality plays in which the gun, in the hands of the righteous, overcame evil (yeah, I know that there were a few shows where the hero didn't carry a gun, but most of 'em did).

Our fathers (and a few of our mothers) returned from the greatest event in the history of civilization: WWII. Many brought back guns as souvineers from the war, and millions of men who were not shooters per se learned to handle firearms.

All of this should have laid the foundation for a very pro-firearms society, and yet today this nation is increasingly anti-gun. Now before the reader uses the very persuasive counter-argument that the number of shall-issue states is increasing and that more Americans are developing an interest in firearms, it seems almost paradoxical but the worldview of so many of us is decidedly anti-gun. What's more gun rights are now associated with the right and conservatives and a whole bunch of other things that aren't so good (I am not suggesting in any way that being a conservative is bad thing BTW). I was watching "Law & Order: SVU" last night on cable and who was the leader of a neo-Nazi group ? Wny it was a gun shop owner, naturally.

So what changed things ? The assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK or the war in Viet Nam, a change in educational philosophy that stressed self actualization over knowledge, or the alignment of the planets ?

If the nurture faction is correct, our earliest enviornment was very pro-gun which should have sustained us collectively to regard firearms positively.

I must admit to being perplexed by this and I would be interested in knowing what you think, boomer or not.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Lynne]

My own personal opinion is that the boomers started the era of "going against mom and dad". They were too strict, etc. Because they felt a bit stiffled, they eased up on raising their young, etc. etc. It's kind of snow balled. Then you add in to the mix the media going ballistic with their liberal agenda, and being anti-2A, and there ya go. Plus, the younger generations from the Greatest now want to be more "European". [roll] Personally, I think lack of history teaching adds to it as well.

Right after 9/11 people were scared and hubby and I were teaching non stop for a few months (and I mean non stop). The further we get from that, the more complacent people become and there's no fear anymore, or the realization that being able to defend one's self and loved ones is a good idea.

I don't know Mark. All I do know is that this country has been slipping into something that's already making our Founding Father's barf in their boxes.

 

[Pilgrim]

I think it's several things starting with education.

We (the boomers as a whole - not necessarily US in particular) are the most highly educated group ever. With this education comes two things, inflated egos, ie a sense that we'know better than the less educated, and money.

With the education comes money and a more 'citified' life style where everything you need is just a phone call, or short trip away. The educated say 'why do I need a gun, I'm smarter than that'. I'm in a safe place becasue there are so many cops around to protect me. They live in a small make believe world and can't see the reality of life.

Since they know what's best, because their ego tells them that, they're educated, they consider us, as free thinkers, to be inferior, since we don't follow text book and philisophical life styles.

Look at the attitudes of city people towards the'country bumpkin rednecks'. The country, less educated, and in my opinion SMARTER people are looked down on with scorn and are not considered 'main stream' by the educated liberal set. Yet these same Rednecks are the ones that will be responsible for pulling the libs out of any mess they make for the country.

It's really a shame that so many people fall into the group think way of life instead of being able to think for themselves and provide solutions that are out of the box defined by their education and life styles.

I have to agree that the greatest generation somehow failed to instill much common sense in our generation.

 

[KMaurer]

You also need to remember that the "baby boom generation" is generally defined as covering about a 15 year period. Those of us at the front end were old enough to see the morality aspect of all those westerns, while our younger siblings were still in diapers when they started dropping of the networks in place of more counter culture shows (e.g., hey, hey we're the monkees ...) Part of the problem with the way that some parents raised boomers was the fact that, having gone through the depression and WWII, they made the mistake of trying to insulate their kids from that part of reality, giving them everything they wanted and downplaying the military. There was also the delusion that war was really obsolete, since any war would end up destroying the entire world within an hour or two. Whatever the reason, I've always found myself distancing myself from "boomers" as a group.

Ken

 

[hminsky]

My father was in the Navy in WWII, and when we were kids he was very neutral about firearms. We didn't own any guns, and he never expressed any interest in owning one, but if we were travelling someplace where friends had a rifle, he would enjoy doing some target shooting. To him, they were just another machine (he is an engineer), but he thought that a hobby like target shooting was preferable to organized sports, which he disliked.

I think if we had lived out in the country someplace, and I had asked for a rifle when I was a kid, he would have gotten one for me, (so he could play with it himself!). But living near the city, there was not any place to do that. We had a rifle class in our day camp one year, and that was about it.

I never thought about the gun laws at all until I decided recently I'd like to own some, and then discovered how restrictive things are in MA. I do remember reading about "large capacity assault rifles", and wondering why anyone would need one. But now that I am looking at rifles, I look at that completely differently, and am disappointed that people have such a mystique around an arbitrary magazine capacity.

Looking back, I was ready to accept pretty much any of the anti-gun propaganda, because it sounded like the people were honestly the only ones concerned about violent crime. Of course,the minute I decided I wanted to own a gun, all of the anti-gun arguments were suddenly labeling me as a danger to society, and then I got pretty incensed. I now intend to try to get my kids and friends more interested in target shooting, as a way to change the perceptions and hopefully swing things more into balance with 2nd ammendment rights etc.

 

[Skald]

Pilgrim hit it right on the head.

It comes down to ego and what I experienced first hand a lot in college.

"I have a degree and you don't. Since you don't you can not think for yourself and form your own informed opinions."

Lets say, nothing deflates an overflated ego based on intelligence than doing an essay test that she boasted not 90 mins before as 'Its so hard that none of you will finish early. You can stay here up to four hours if you don't have a final after this one." Then busting ass, finishing the entire final save 1 question on purpose, knowing that the teacher will in fact try to save face and point out that her tests are 'that tough' and then say out loud to the class, as she pointed out to the class in a loud voice 'Its 930 in the morning. Its to damn early to answer a question THAT F*****G DUMB." And then walk out.

On the other hand I have met the 'educated' who looked at you as an equal in the smarts department unless you really prove yourself dumb. Though these are becoming rarer and rarer, they still are there. The key is to find them and help and them.

The only way to change society is through our own actions. If you have kids, instill a sense of 'sport' with the firearms. Never treat it as a taboo subject. Always offer to bring people shooting. I mean, if your talking with a good friend, and the subject comes up 'Hey, what big plans do you have this weekend, going to watch the game?" You say 'Yah, but I have a rifle match before hand. Hey, its very informal and fun, why don't you come with me. I have a spare rifle that and muffs for you to wear. Its fun and its very casual.' Most of the time I hear people who shoot, when asked 'what are you doing this weekend, watching the game? 'Yah, gotta do some errands first then the game.'

If you don't beleive me that being open and free with something can turn it from taboo to acceptable social norms, look at pornography.

This is an EXCELLENT example. For the longest time, it was viewed as bad, taboo, evil etc. That you are a bad bad man if you even look at the room. Today there are porn parties thrown by kids and both males and females go and watch it. I know some females who have better colelctions than some guys I know. It is slow going, but people have to start somewhere and sometime.

-Brian

 

[KMaurer]

I think that a big chunk of that common boomer attitude towards college also goes back to some of our parents. A lot of my parents' generation would have liked to go to college but simply couldn't because of the depression and WWII. Once again, since they saw themselves as capable of providing what they missed for their children. As a result, a lot of kids who would have really been a lot happier (and probably more successful financially) as plumbers, carpenters, electricians or mechanics found themselves pushed into college, while their parents subtly disparaged skilled trades. They in turn tended to internalize their parents' attitudes, only exagerated: because I've got a degree, I'm smart; if you don't, then you're dumb. Unfortunately, some of the dumbest people I've met over the years all have advanced degrees. Dumb people without an education tend to keep it to themselves, while those with a lot of degrees trumpet their stupidity from the rooftops.

Ken

 

[mark056]

Ken,

+1

Mark

 

[Scrivener]

"Dumb people without an education tend to keep it to themselves, while those with a lot of degrees trumpet their stupidity from the rooftops."

Well, they learned all those advanced communication skills! [lol]