Hypocrisy of Gun Control in a Land Where War and Violence Are Alluring

By Dady Chery and Gilbert Mercier

Solving problems with violence is as American as apple pie





Guns and America: A love affair





A culture of death




Editor’s Note: Photographs one, two, three and seven by United States Marine Corps. Photographs five and six by Joe Loong.





12 Responses to Hypocrisy of Gun Control in a Land Where War and Violence Are Alluring

  1. +5 Vote -1 Vote +1Ken
    December 22, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    It seems to me when we Americans can’t get our own way we resort to violence. We are economically bankrupt and borrow and borrow to keep our war machine going so we can use imperialist methods to force others to give us their resources. So what we have is a huge military machine that is needed to steal resources to keep our military machine and thus the rich folks richer and become richer. On a finite planet this will come crashing down.As the economic inequality increases the US gets more violent both as an imperialist power and as a society. I believe we will see more violence in the US as the gun is not only an equalizer but a resource of choice to get that of yours we see or want as ours. Since WW I imperialists have to steal resources by force to keep growing their economy. For the US there is no peace dividend to build society positively as there can be no peace with imperialism. I may be wrong but I’m just trying to voice my opinion as a way of talking through this mess.

    • -2 Vote -1 Vote +1WulfW
      February 2, 2013 at 11:20 am

      What are possible solutions? One comparison crosses my mind, but it may not be instructive: While Britain is saddled with debt, too, like us, its unemployment rate is lower than the US’s, and while wealth inequality is there–hugely so–it is not a violent society. So, it is “First World” an Western like the US is. However, the UK has transitioned from an imperialist power to a significantly less imperialist power. I note that firearms are extremely strictly regulated there and the UK long ago began to radically decrease military spending (even during Conservative governments). Perhaps we can, as Americans, slowly make progress towards doing similar things, albeit imperfectly, and facing setbacks along the way, to be sure.

  2. +6 Vote -1 Vote +1John Goss
    December 23, 2012 at 12:54 am

    Another ‘spot-on’ article. It makes you wonder why the American people cannot see it. But native Americans have known about this gun culture from the days when they discovered their hunting bows and arrows were no match for guns.

  3. +2 Vote -1 Vote +1Cosmic Surfer
    December 23, 2012 at 9:37 am

    Gilbert – I agree with the salient points made. I don’t believe gun control to be hypocritical…only a start.

    The issue of violence in American culture is born of the exceptionalsm that is inherent. We have been exceptionalists for centuries and “proved” what we believe to be our “exceptional” being by throwing out the East India Company backed by the “strongest” army in the world in the late 18th century.

    We assume everything and admit to no failings. We are perfection personified in a Constitution, imagined to be the 3rd tablet of the commandments, that has had its creation made myth and has been bastardized, homogenized and regurgitated.

    We assume that history stopped and started with the creation of ourselves – we are the pinnacle of creation and bred by a fantasy being to be the rulers of, not just the North American continent, but the universe.

    Silly beings that we are, we refuse to see our hubris and are being destroyed by that very thing.

  4. +1 Vote -1 Vote +1lone lawman
    December 24, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    gun control a start… 4who ???… U spout off trivial history & 4get true most important segment… all mass murdering dictatorships… start w/ gun control… BTW… all the vicious ethnic crime cabals… get their high-tech weapons… smuggled in from overseas… U R LAME

  5. -5 Vote -1 Vote +1Chippo
    December 24, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    I’m 68 year along and I have not seen actual violence in 40 to 50 years except on tv and in movies, where it is the staple. Violence against minion forces that want to suppress rising indignation, is GOOD. Sometimes violence is medicinal. Media make the argument for violence look spot on, but actual violence is quite rare.

  6. +4 Vote -1 Vote +1Second hand smoke
    December 24, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    If you leave a gun on the table, it will rust before it kills or hurts anyone. The problem is the beastie, not its devices.

  7. +4 Vote -1 Vote +1LibertyorDeath
    December 25, 2012 at 8:45 am

    The “RICH” know that there are too many people on the “Planet”. After they disarm U, then the sheeple herd will be thinned out.

  8. +4 Vote -1 Vote +1Bri
    December 25, 2012 at 5:45 pm

    I agree with the posters which state that the problem is not guns. It is too much violence that is shown on tv. That’s why most young people are glued into their computers. Still, even then, there are violent video games. Well, with all this crap spiraling out of control, I’m going to bed. Think about sex.

  9. +3 Vote -1 Vote +1eBrent
    December 25, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    Last night I caught the film Expendables 2. It really fits its title. In the first 10 minutes, you watch about 300 people (sold-diers) get shot up by this sexy, heroic band of murderers trying to escape. My hope, that Sly Stallone could wise up to the program a bit since those very similar Rambo scenes, was again mutilated. I don’t really understand how anyone but a terrorist–or unwitting terrorist in training/programming–is supposed to relate to these guys. It was the first 10 minutes and the DVD was already in the garbage. This was after I tried four other American films that turned out saturated in careless gun violence. The volume goes way up when the guns start up. There is a common theme, Hollywood is apparently limited to, of sanitizing the most ungodly, criminal behavior as stylish and appropriate. Many lovable screen characters turn out to hold some of the most unlovable work positions, usually mass media or government positions. When was the last time you saw a big budget movie about a heroic or lovable farmer? Signs? How about a whistle blower? Seems the best way to prepare for a Hollywood role is to shake my body around as if I am getting shot up, because apparently that is so fucking entertaining for Hollywood. One James Bond movie is quite enough, but this pattern of big-budget films based around the heroic spy, where the “heros” do absolutely nothing heroic except narrowly escape death many times in a short period, because it is so cool to put yourself into those situations, America, that is just something handsome men and gorgeous women do. Americans are being bred out to be little more than the military arm of the central banking empire. It is out of control and they don’t even see it. Next time you’re at a movie store or a movie section of a store, try to get a percentage of how many films have guns on the cover. Seriously, you will see it. These are not real films, it’s called bullshit, and people buy it hoping for some articulate story causing possible last-resort violence, and just get a bullshit orgy of guns popping with little attention to an engaging plot or in building characters that non-violent people can relate to. Earth to Hollywood, stop sending films around the world that only terrorists can relate with, and enough of the sweaty, bloody meathead war and violence flicks. If there is any concern about the violence Americans are being programmed to enjoy, put SOME of that big budget money in real life conflict resolution, unconventional things that actually WORK, have a moral, and perhaps land the bad guys in JAIL, (guns used RESPONSIBLY) rather than creating and satisfying bloodlust. For those who have their shit together. Really interesting if those are the people who don’t matter anymore to Hollywood executive programmers, Tavistock elite social engineers, who all just happen to be genetically linked to the insidious elite banking families.

  10. Vote -1 Vote +1Charles Purdy
    January 22, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    The “collateral damage” of innocent civilians is indeed sad, but we are dealing with an enemy wearing no uniform of identification who attacks then withdraws to hide amongst civilians as cover or holes up in a place of worship as a bunker. What complicates the matter even more is the fact these cowards are allowed to come and go unchecked in the urban areas they infest. It would be most helpful if the moderate Muslims united to oust these cockroaches from their neighborhoods instead of curling up in fear allowing the terrorists to hold their religion hostage and skew the words of a holy book to fit their lunatic agendas.

    In my opinion, it would be much more cost effective and purposeful to call back all the boots on the ground and simply give fair warning to the countries that are funding the terror, warning them we will launch a cruise missile at strategic targets in their nations each time one of our embassies, military bases or public buildings is bombed in the future.

    • Vote -1 Vote +1thomas vesely
      February 8, 2013 at 3:30 pm

      America has created a hatred for itself that did not exist a couple of decades ago.
      May it flourish.