Why are americans obsessed with weapons?

Question

US military expenditure is 439 BILLION http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States.

you could build whole new africa with that.

Why most hollywood films portray gun heroes or gun baddies.

How can it be that you can buy guns in a shop.

Why doesnt USA stop producing weapons. Where does this obsession with weapons come from.

Answer 1

Hollywood talks out of both sides of their mouths.  Many are against weapons but make their livings using them in  movies and TV.  They'll argue it's make believe but enough studies have found that impressionable people often imitate what they see on the screens.  Also, if we stop making weapons, the sad reality is that those who don't share the altruistic values written here will make us at their mercy, both foreign and domestic enemies.   Finally, I don't see Americans as obsessed with guns so much as concerned about safety.  Americans often perceive the judicial system as broken and favoring the victimizers and not the victims.  So, why be a victim if you can prevent it by legally (that's the key word-legally) arming oneself for self-defense.  Unfortunately, the press doesn't print the many cases where a legally armed citizen either defended themselves or someone else in harms way.  It's more popular to paint the gun as bad and not the person using it for the wrong reasons.  Like I read once, if guns kill people then pencils misspell words.

Answer 2

They don't seem to realize that having the right to own a gun doesn't make owning one the right thing to do. They are holding back the USA from becoming a civilized country like those that make up central Europe.

Answer 3

In countries that have lost their right to bare arms,crime has actually gone up.  Since when did it becaome Americas responsibility to save Africa?The problem with Africa is tribe mentality. Most of the problems are self-inflicted, the people band together in ethnic or religious tribes, murdering each other in the endless battle for dominance.

The world has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Africa and what has changed? Nothing.  

Im curiouse where you are from,you sound like a whinning liberal .With all the people dying of Aids don't we need tighter laws on these high risk practices?

Answer 4

first of all make sure you get all your facts straight before you come here and talk about what you like,don't like, or disaprove or approve about America and Americans.

Answer 5

It comes from the constitutional right to have one... to defend oneself against enemies and if need be, their own government should it become tyrannical.

Unfortunately, if the government ever did such a thing, the gap in technology will still subdue us.  Our piddly guns have nothing on gassing and biological warfare.

So what is left is to own a gun to protect property.  I've never heard about anyone actually ever using a gun.  Though I do know a guy that is in a wheelchair due to a gun in the house.

Answer 6

only homosexuals don't like guns

Answer 7

from not wanting the USSR, NAZ Germany, Al Q, from taking our country.

Answer 8

I think obsessed is the wrong word. Folks who are willing to protect all they have earned and have worked for, know that a policeman is only available after a crime has been committed. Being able to protect yourself against an intruder at the moment is up to the home owner.

Answer 9

Cold War Ideology. Another suggestion Community Currency reduces robbery and such portrayals. Also Americans enjoy someone who upsets the system and so make them a hero. After all is it really robbery to take what is yours by right from a bank. What if you could just have it all. Then there is another set of people who could appeal who could change this Anarchists. They propose an opposition to all authority and this idea has appeal to Americans the idea of using weapons and ideas of cooperation and ideas of the value of the individual  and to oppose attacks by a Tyrannical Gov or Authority with guns. Now a days gun sellers capitalize on this interest. Perhaps if that opposition were to result in a cooperative rather than Gov such obessions might be gone.

Answer 10

We have a drug problem - make drugs illegal - problem solved -NOT

Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens will not change anything.

Billions are made in the drug industry each year - Getting a gun even if they are made illegal will not be a problem for these guys when they can make this much money - nothing will stop them.

Answer 11

In 1776, Patriots died for the right to own guns. We own them because we can. They serve to protect our families and gather food.