Panelists say guns are ingrained in U.S. culture
Panelists addressed the need for gun education and restrictions during a discussion for the Conference on World Affairs on April 11.
Panelist Mike Franc started off with a hopeful look at gun violence in the U.S. by looking at the murder rates in New York City, saying that in 2007, there were only 496 murders, which is “a historically unprecedented shift.”
However, the tide quickly turned as the other panelists responded with less positive outlooks on guns in the U.S.
Panelist Mary Hughes discussed how the culture of guns in America is reflected in films, saying that most popular films have to do with guns and gun violence.
Rachel Maddow, another panelist, agreed with Hughes about the American culture of violence.
“We have a lust of guns,” Maddow said. “Guns are the stars of our movies, and we have an American lust for guns, just as we have for cars.”
They both agreed that there is a romance attached to the freedom of unloading a gun because movies and arcade games make it desirable.
Kira Krupp, a sophomore history major, said she thought differently about the media’s role.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with the media,” Krupp said. “I always played “James Bond” – it doesn’t make me think I need to go shoot everyone that bothers me. I think it’s an excuse for people to say ‘I learned it from a movie,’ I’ve watched many horror movies and it doesn’t make me a violent person.”
Hughes directed the debate over to children in the U.S. who are getting killed by guns each year and are most at risk for getting shot than children in any other industrial country.
She went on to say that in one year, 19 children were killed in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 163 in Canada and 1,285 in the United States.
Brittney Bowman, a sophomore business major, said she thinks this is a scary statistic and that guns are being used for the wrong reasons.
“I think it’s really sad that kids die from guns,” Bowman said. “I think it’s fine to own a gun, but I think it’s wrong how certain people can get guns and kill children and use them in the wrong ways.
“I think guns should be used for protection and not for violence,” Bowman said.
Hughes went on to say that we as a society think of schools, courts or city council meetings as safe places, but there have been many incidences, such as Columbine High School or Virginia Tech, in which our “safe havens” have been violated.
Panelist John Zwerling went in the opposite direction, saying that in the District of Columbia he is not aloud to have a handgun, shotgun or rifle in his house unless it is devoid of ammunition and unable to be used at a moment’s notice.
Zwerling said he resents that limitation and believes the Second Amendment should protect him.
He also said that a total ban on firearms in the U.S. would not be effective because it would be “intolerable” to U.S. citizens.
The two topics that everyone seemed to agree on were having gun education and that gun violence is more prevalent in low income, poor neighborhoods.
Andrew Muller, a freshman open-option major, said he thinks gun control is necessary.
“Banning guns would be hard to do, but there should definitely be more restrictions on gun sales and usage,” he said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Melanie Cohn at Melanie.Cohn@colorado.edu.
