"Gunism" is a "cultural disease."

[Legionnaire]

This from today's Chronicle of Higher Education. Did you know that an inanimate object can become a "psychological actor?"

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Opinion: An Ideology of 'Gunism'
By ROBERT JAY LIFTON

The combination of mental disease and access to guns leaps out at almost everyone in connection with the Virginia Tech shootings. But from there, ideas and advocacies tend to become amorphous and tinged with hopelessness.

There is consensus that something should be done to intervene earlier in threatening forms of psychological disturbance, and, as a psychiatrist, I agree and also recognize some of the social obstacles to doing so. But while there will always be mentally ill people, a few of whom are violent, it is our gun-centered cultural disease that converts mental illness into massacre.

Indeed, I would claim that a gun is not just a lethal device but a psychological actor in this terrible drama. Guns and ammunition were at the heart of Seung-Hui Cho's elaborate orchestration of the event and of his Rambo-like self-presentation to the world. When you look at those pictures, you understand how a gun can merge so fully with a person that a man who makes regular use of it could (in the historical West and in Hollywood) become known as a "gun."

Some years ago, the distinguished historian Richard Hofstadter told me that, after a lifetime of studying American culture, what he found most deeply troubling was our country's inability to come to terms with the gun -- which in turn strongly affected our domestic and international attitudes. Emotions of extreme attachment to and even sacralization of the gun pervade American society, and commercial interests shamelessly manipulate those emotions to produce wildly self-destructive policies.

Much has been said, with considerable truth, about the role of the frontier in bringing about this psychological condition. I would go further and suggest that American society, in the absence of an encompassing and stable traditional culture, has embraced the gun as a substitute for that absence, and created a vast cultural ideology we can call "gunism."

Paradoxically, this highly destabilizing object became viewed as a baseline and an icon that could somehow sustain us in a new form of nontraditional society. That new society was to be democratic and egalitarian, so that the gun could be both an "equalizer," as it is sometimes known, and also a solution to various social problems.

That idea of the gun as ultimate solution reached a kind of mad absurdity in Newt Gingrich's recent suggestion that university killings be prevented by having students carrying hidden guns into classrooms. The gun as ultimate solution has also played a significant role in American military misadventures in Vietnam and Iraq, and in our attitudes toward nuclear weapons (as gigantic "guns").

With a problem so deep-seated, it is no wonder that suggestions of changing gun policies have been so readily dismissed as "an old story" (which unfortunately they are), as politically unfeasible, and as generally useless. But even deep-seated cultural patterns can be altered, and there is considerable support for altering this one. Indeed, America is a country in which change itself is a dominant cultural pattern. We need to make quick small changes and slower, more fundamental ones. But to do that, we require a diagnosis of our cultural disease.

Robert Jay Lifton is a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and professor emeritus of psychiatry at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

[Dr. Dickie]

...after a lifetime of studying American culture, what he found most deeply troubling was our country's inability to come to terms with the gun -- which in turn strongly affected our domestic and international attitudes. Emotions of extreme attachment to and even sacralization of the gun pervade American society, and commercial interests shamelessly manipulate those emotions to produce wildly self-destructive policies.

Change the word "gun" to "anti-gun", and I think you sum up the authors own psychological problem.
I think that maybe the author has a unhealthy fixation on an inanimate object. Coupled to his projecting his own "penis envy" complex on to the object, and thereby giving it magical, supernatural powers.

Paradoxically, this highly destabilizing object became viewed as a baseline and an icon that could somehow sustain us in a new form of nontraditional society. That new society was to be democratic and egalitarian, so that the gun could be both an "equalizer," as it is sometimes known, and also a solution to various social problems.

Where the hell did he make this stuff up? I think someone needs to read something other than the Communist Manifesto, a little reality would be nice.
Note that the piece is an opinion piece. Nice that he does not have to produce any of those pesky "facts" to put forth his own delusional opinion.
I would hope that the readers of the periodical would read it in that light.

[DigitalWarrior]

Man it takes a certain amount of college before you can believe that kind of stuff.

[ConfuseUs]

it is our gun-centered cultural disease that converts mental illness into massacre.

That's charming, being labelled mentally ill for belonging to a serious segment of American culture. I bet this supercilious pundit would never indulge in cultural bigotry concerning the widespread practice in the Islamic world of culturing self-destructive mental illness in order to procure guided bombs for attacking innocent men, women, and children.

[El Tejon]

I agree therefore we need strict control over the media. How many times have you been in Blockbuster and noticed all the DVD covers with actors/actresses mugging with guns?

We need reasonable control over the media. Serial numbers on all books and movies, background checks before purchase, police approval of all newscasts, $200 tax on all televisions and radios, inter alia.

Remember, if it save one life, it is worth it. And if does not, so what? The elite of other nations will deem us more civilised.

[Pax Jordana]

Yeah, more than a few of my partners have gotten gunism. We're waiting on the results of a court-ordered blood test.



wait - a CULTURAL disease?


(It's an opinion piece, he has no requirement to produce facts.)

[30 cal slob]

i freely admit to being a gunist, and have lots of mind-blowing gunasms.

[Legionnaire]

30 cal slob, glad I put my coffee down!

[JohnL2]

That is one of the most IDIOTIC things I've read in a very long time. And I read The Onion and The Darwin Awards. With all respect to Mr. Lifton as a scholar, but I pity his students.
Mad absurdity that a CCW holder could've stopped the rampage??? Unbelievable. If not for University rules someone could've put a bullet between that guys eyes. How quickly we forget that not too long ago in Utah a gunman was cut down in a hail of bullets from police and an off-duty officer. The off-duty officer holding the gunman at bay until police arrived.
At least dumb people have an excuse. But this guy is a psychiatrist AND a lecturer.

[Sylvan-Forge]

My spoof:


Opinion: An Ideology of 'Victimism'
By oo7

The combination of mental disease and access to disarmed victims leaps out at many folks in connection with the Virginia Tech shootings. But from there, ideas and advocacies of disarmament tend to become amorphous and tinged with idiocy.

There is growing consensus that something should be done to engender a sense of personal responsibility. I agree and also recognize some of the social obstacles to doing so. But while there will always be mentally ill people, a few of whom are violent, it is the elitists' disdain of the second amendment that allows mental illness to become a massacre.

Indeed, I would claim that an elitist mentality is not just a hypocrisy but an open invitation to this terrible drama. Insanity and vengence were at the heart of the VT shooter's elaborate orchestration of the event and of his demon-like self-presentation to the world. When you look at those pictures, you wonder why he didn't try lashing out at a police station, a military base or a shooting range. Instead he chose a place that the elites in power set up for him. A place where his victims would be disarmed by wishy-washy feel-good policy.

Some years ago, the marxist turned historian, Richard Hofstadter told me that, after a lifetime of studying American culture, what he found most deeply troubling was our country's inability to come to terms with the gun -- which in turn strongly affected our domestic and international attitudes. Emotions of extreme attachment to and even sacralization of the gun pervade American society, and commercial interests shamelessly manipulate those emotions to produce wildly self-destructive policies. I laughed.
I always thought he was a tard.

Much has been said, with considerable ignorance, about the role of the frontier in bringing about this so-called psychological condition. I counter this notion and suggest that American society, in the absence of an encompassing and stable traditional culture, has embraced the government as a substitute for that absence, and created a vast cultural ideology we can call "victimism."

Paradoxically, this highly destabilizing ideal became viewed as a security blanket and a "nanny" that could somehow sustain us in a new form of nontraditional society. That new society was to be socialistic and statist, so that the state could be both a "tyranny" as it is sometimes known, and also a solution to various social engineering troubles.

That idea of the gun as the ultimate equalizer reached a kind of curious epiphany in Newt Gingrich's recent suggestion that university killings be prevented by having students carrying hidden guns into classrooms. On this, I believe Newt to be correct.

With a problem so deep-seated, it is no wonder that suggestions of changing elitist policies have been so readily dismissed as "conspiracy theory" (which unfortunately they are), as politically unfeasible, and as generally useless. But even deep-seated cultural patterns can be altered, and there is growing support for altering this one. Indeed, America is a country in which change itself is a dominant cultural pattern. We need to make quick small changes and slower, more fundamental ones. But to do that, we require understanding of our cultural disease.

oo7 is a regular contributer at The High Road and professor of Rock at the University of Hard Knox.

[BigG]

Sometimes it takes a college eddication to perfect an idiot. Looks like that one's done. Stick a fork in it!

[geekWithA.45]

Some years ago, the distinguished historian Richard Hofstadter told me that, after a lifetime of studying American culture, what he found most deeply troubling was our country's inability to come to terms with the gun --

No, what Hofstadter found troubling was that our society did not come to HIS terms with guns.

250+ million of us have come to perfectly good terms with our guns. We know what they are, how to use them, and when to put them away.

[Avenger29]

So, if I have a psychological disorder because I am a shooter, can I get money from the government for my disability?

More money for ammo?

[romma]

oo7, That is priceless... Forward it to that Blissninny...

[30 cal slob]

Celebrate Hoplophilia.

[ProficientRifleman]

it is our gun-centered cultural disease that converts mental illness into massacre.

He is a Liar.

It is our FEAR-ism, our SUBMISSIVE-ism, and our PACIF-ism which leads to massacres.

Hoplophobes fully subscribe to the notion that fear and ignorance is preferable to knowledge and proficiency.

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

free to use 007's piece on websites?

ST

[2TransAms]

I have gunism? Can I get a few days off work for that?

"Gotta stay home,boss. My gunism's actin' up today."

[nonquixote]

It seems to me that much of what Dr. Lifton says is correct... when seen from his philosophical viewpoint. The Modern Socialist Medical Ethos views life, health, and security as by far the most important values of modern civilization, (Better Red than dead?) and liberty trails distantly behind.

Most of us here however are of the mindset that life loses much of its value when deprived of the liberty to live it as we ourselves choose, and our country was founded with this as the primary value. (Give me Liberty or give me death!) The problem with this freedom though is that the bad people who are willing to harm others for their personal gain are just as free (or more so) than the vast majority of good people. This is what sometimes makes it necessary for the good people to defend themselves with force. This is therefore, a necessary evil in a free society and not something that is "fixable" without sacrificing the freedom that this country was founded upon.

So, because of human beings being the flawed creatures that we are, the "cultural disease of Gunism" is in fact the cultural disease of freedom, the two are inseparable.

Are you willing to surrender some essential liberty to try to buy a little safety? Alot of well intentioned folks are, this is the modern American dichotomy, and why we must always be vigilant to prevent the well intentioned from selling our freedom down the road so they can feel safer.

[Tarwater]

Emotions of extreme attachment to and even sacralization of the gun pervade American society, and commercial interests shamelessly manipulate those emotions to produce wildly self-destructive policies. I laughed.
I always thought he was a tard.

I just woke my roommate up with my laughing.

[ccw9mm]

"Gunism" is a "cultural disease."

So is death by policy.

[Sylvan-Forge]

Sure, go for it SamTuckerMTNMAN.

I don't know copyright law, but I guess as long as it is mentioned that it is a spoof and the full title and name of the original author is given, all should be well.

I just woke my roommate up with my laughing.

Always happy to help

[JWarren]

it is our gun-centered cultural disease that converts mental illness into massacre.

My medical insurance company will be calling soon to figure out why I put in a claim for a 1911 race gun.


--John

[Old Fuff]

Do notice where this "opinion" was first published:

The Chronicle of Higher Education

I suspect that many if not most of that publication’s readers there will agree with what he said, and will consider that it expresses their own feelings about the issue.

This is why, after Virginia passed legislation that would have allowed adult students and staff to CCW on the campus, Virginia Tech's administration and other universities fought tooth & nail to get changes made so that they could prevent this happening, and even today continue to defend that policy.

This is also why a large majority of public school administrations are doing everything they can, through "zero tolerance" policies, to destroy any knowledge of, or participation in the "gun culture" their students might have or be inclined too do as they come of age.

The writer is a left-wing fruitcake, but don't underestimate the damage he and others that agree with him can do, as they work to create their vision of the perfect Socialist society in the United States.

[Justin]

Typical.

Anything outside of his area of interest or expertise must be an indicator of mental disorder.

His fear of what he does not understand, and the resulting phobia is practically palpable.