For The Love Of... Guns? Why are they so loved?

[Parasondox]

A lot of people tend to overlook the technical and mechanical aspects that can be kind of appealing.

Firearms are machines, much like cars and computer hardware, and machines often have a lot of creative design that goes into them. And those different creative designs, in turn, lead to a fairly wide range of performance dynamics that add a kind of flavor and uniqueness, from one model to another.

I don't think this is an especially uncommon reason for an interest in firearms either, and can likely extend to how people might enjoy the different experiences they have (much like one might have with different kinds of cars and how differently they handle).

Not everything's about power and politics. Sometimes people just enjoy a hobby.

Kinda like with me and cars, Motorsport mostly. Like F1, it's not just about the driving and entertainment, it's about the science behind it all. The power units, the suspension, the g forces, getting so much power from a 1.6ltr V6 engine. I am also thinking LMP1 cars too with Porsche having a V4 engine powering the back and Kers working the front for enduran... Yeah I am boring you but all of that fascinates me.

 

[MrFalconfly]

A lot of people tend to overlook the technical and mechanical aspects that can be kind of appealing.

Firearms are machines, much like cars and computer hardware, and machines often have a lot of creative design that goes into them. And those different creative designs, in turn, lead to a fairly wide range of performance dynamics that add a kind of flavor and uniqueness, from one model to another.

I don't think this is an especially uncommon reason for an interest in firearms either, and can likely extend to how people might enjoy the different experiences they have (much like one might have with different kinds of cars and how differently they handle).

Not everything's about power and politics. Sometimes people just enjoy a hobby.

Kinda like with me and cars, Motorsport mostly. Like F1, it's not just about the driving and entertainment, it's about the science behind it all. The power units, the suspension, the g forces, getting so much power from a 1.6ltr V6 engine. I am also thinking LMP1 cars too with Porsche having a V4 engine powering the back and Kers working the front for enduran... Yeah I am boring you but all of that fascinates me.

I'd say it's exactly like that.

Personally, that's the exact reason for why I find motorsports (and it is also the reason why I think NASCAR is boring. NASCAR essentially took the competition between the engineers and designers out of the equation), and firearms interesting.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

Guns have definitely been sexed up by several nations & cultures over the years.

I personally don't like them. What they do to te person/animal they are used on is devestating, and I wish they didn't exist.

 

[Silvanus]

The greatest crisis in the country's history? Armed conflict between brothers and sisters over, more or less, the country's soul.

While true, the same could be said of the majority of countries, for some of which the event is even in much more recent memory. I don't think that accounts very much for the peculiarities of the American attitude towards guns.

Now, the formation of the country is a different matter, because it's so much more recent than most, and so much more relatable.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Why don't you go shoot a gun and find out?

There's an awful lot of people who "don't get it" or "don't understand what the big deal is".

Go see for yourself then instead of yelling into the echo chamber that is the internet.

Gun owners aren't particularly defensive. Condemn and entire group of people for a hobby they enjoy and see how they react. Am I a terrible person for liking cars and modifying them because some idiot was street racing and killed someone? Am I in the wrong because I like to lift weights and some guy on enough steroid to get a gorilla hopped up acted aggressively? Imply that I am and I'll get upset.

 

[Gorrath]

It may sound a bit strange but I both like guns and don't really care much for having them around me. I've used pistols, assault rifles, grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and machine guns during war. So while I find the idea of having a gun very acceptable, I don't crave being around them since I used them extensively in less than amusing circumstances. I understand the appeal perfectly though, especially for those who have not used them much and like to go out to the range or hunt for their own food.

My great love is ancient weapons. I have swords, knives, maces, hammers, axes and armor of various types. I have over 70 weapons in my house all told and not one of them fires a bullet of any kind. My love of these weapons makes me able to understand why someone would collect guns, even if I've no use for them in my life currently.

As for the whole gun debate, I find it akin to so many others like it when it comes to national policy; lots of assertions about how we simply must do what works in another country and expect the same results here. I am with those that would rather see peace through prosperity and change of culture than the banning of things. Guns, like my beloved swords, are merely tools. I am far more worried about being killed in a car accident than by a bullet.

 

[Erttheking]

There's certainly an under layer of people who think guns are manly, and some companies are playing this up. I mean look at this horseshit.

Spoiler

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--tPSfAiXY--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/188nlw8plo7xdjpg.jpg

 

[Yuuki]

Gun collecting'/shooting is literally just like any other hobby.

That's like saying collecting nuclear warheads is literally just like any other hobby (if we wanted to exaggerate).

I wish that was the case.

 

[Yuuki]

Or should we stop consciously and subconsciously associating maleness with aggression or combat?

Wait, isn't that a fact? Or are we just going to dismiss the last 10,000 years of evolution? Literally everywhere you look (across every time period), regardless of the particular civilization/culture/society, there has always been direct evidence of males being far more aggressive than females. Look at prison populations for a start.

 

[Yuuki]

If violence is a male trait then professional violence (e.g. the military) should be the sole pursuit of men, right? Since the main role of law enforcement is to commit state sanctioned violence (incarceration is a form of violence) then shouldn't men be the only ones allowed to be police?

Correct, if you assumed violence was the only trait of males. Which nobody ever said. Males are human beings and human beings have many traits.

Or do both genders have the inclination and aptitude for violence?If both genders display and purport violence in their own manner and the situation is too complex to boil down to "men are violent and women aren't," then why disproportionately blame men for violence? Both genders can be violent.

Correct, if you assumed that women were incapable of violence. Which, again, nobody ever said.

I honestly have no idea where you read those things, or why you formed arguments against stuff nobody even said. *shrug*

Or you could argue the disparate proportion of men in prison populations is due to inherent oppression of men by the system. This seems to be the acceptable perception since saying that members of minority groups with disproportionate incarceration rates are due to inherent oppression and not due to their own actions is considered to be socially acceptable.

The biggest reason males end up in prison vastly more than women is simply because they commit far more serious forms of crime on a far more frequent scale. That has always been the case and always will be.

Are oppression and discrimination factors? Yes, they are. But they are tiny factors at best, and far from the main reason behind gender disparity seen in violent crime and prison populations.

Spoiler: Surprise surprise

 

[Leg End]

There's certainly an under layer of people who think guns are manly, and some companies are playing this up. I mean look at this horseshit.

Spoiler

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--tPSfAiXY--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/188nlw8plo7xdjpg.jpg

I'm going to note on this, that even the vast, vast majority of gun owners thought that ad was utterly retarded, as it was a bit obvious on who it was aiming for. Pun not intended.

Also, insert snarky comment related to buying Bushmaster here.
Doublealso, ert, I didn't even realize this was you for a moment.

 

[Leg End]

A ton of meatheads love that kind of thing, it's why politicians fry bacon on their Armalites.

I've honestly never seen that, figuratively or literally. From politicians at least. Also not an Armalite anything but still.

The fuckwits who roal coal and eat a diet of pepperami and beer love it too. In fact, a ton of people find the entire idea of mindless hyper-masculinity incredibly appealing, hence the success of the Marlboro Man.

All people that ruin things for the rest of us.

 

[Phasmal]

I don't know. I wonder this myself sometimes, especially when another tragedy happens in America and we all wonder about gun control and then America goes NAH and just continues on.

I'll admit I'm kinda anti-gun, just because they personally freak me out. I don't 'get' America's thing with guns, and I wouldn't want to own one or live in a house with someone who did. I'm happy to live in a country with gun control.
So yeah. That's how I personally feel about guns.

 

[Leg End]

I don't know. I wonder this myself sometimes, especially when another tragedy happens in America and we all wonder about gun control and then America goes NAH and just continues on.

It gets to a point where you think about what actually happens and wonder what actually led to it and what you can do to prevent it. In basically every one of these cases, you can't stop someone from wanting to murder people because they decide they are an asshole and want other people to know it.
If anyone actually cared about tragedy, we'd 'control' quite a few things but we don't, because either it's impractical or it's stupid to limit freedom because of a handful of people. We don't let people ruin it for others on other things, why this?

I'll admit I'm kinda anti-gun, just because they personally freak me out. I don't 'get' America's thing with guns, and I wouldn't want to own one or live in a house with someone who did. I'm happy to live in a country with gun control.
So yeah. That's how I personally feel about guns.

And there is zero problem with this. Just as long as Murica does its thing and everyone else does their thing, it's cool beans.
Allow me to steal your gif as my own reaction.