GUNS MAKE THE MAN???
There are many aspects to the gun psychology that are rarely touched upon in this gun-nuts country.
Perhaps the most strange is that we rarely talk about the fact that for many "men" a gun is a penis extension This manifests itself in many ways. But the entire irrational need to have a gun in the U.S. is, in large part, tied to the insecurity and uneasiness that many men have with their own masculinity. And so they need images and materials that help to bring masculinity to them. And guns are one major way they think to do this. With this illogical thinking, a gun is, in their mind, a sure prescription to virility. They show some distinct psychological irrationality in equating guns to the physical, the sexual, and to virility.
When we deal with gun-hungry America, we are forced to take part in this irrational thinking. And we are hesitant to point out the sexual inadequacies and mistaken masculine prowess that guns try to soothe. We are forced, by the very nature of the intimate ramifications of this gun mentality, to be civilized and not bring it up. Therefore we surrender some of the best points of argument to the people who give mistaken identity to what guns are, what they are not, and what they represent.
Of course there are other dramas and actors roles that play out. Each seems to be tied to the movie Western where "real men" lived. The badge, the hat, the boots, etc. all seem to enhance what is perceived as a substitute for real virility. In fact, the very transportation of the Western hero is the horse, a symbol of sexual abundance. And in these movies subserviant women stand aside and comply with this idolized worship.
The very mixing of story and real life comes full circle in tying American culture to the gun and manhood. We have become a militaristic nation. We exhibit our nation's virility by invading little Greneda, or little Panama, or weak Afghanistan, or the timid Philippines, or backward Mexico, or the dying empire of Spain to carry out our showy and strident masculinity and virility. Of course we build our own storyline to make it more acceptable and contrive to have it seem as though we are protecting our nation and ourselves. This makes international relations seem like a good Western movie. And in the process of our meddling into the affairs of others we produce great wealth for our greedy war corporations and their suppliers. And this is how we attempt to define our own capitalism. A nice storyline, but psychologically tied to our insecurities.
Hunting? A nice cover also. What about all the women who hunt? Well, what about all the women who play baseball? What about women in the military? What about women going hunting? Yes, it may seem strange to you that a woman could look down the scope of a highly mechanized rifle, into the eyes of a timid and shy deer, and shoot it from many yards away. This has brought Rosie the Riveter full tilt. But it does not untie the connection to male insecurity about his virility. A gun-toting man might wear a nicely scented cologne but that doesn't make him any more or less secure about his masculinity.
The next time you are placed in a discussion concerning guns, do not shy away from inserting the subject of guns and the penis extension observation. See what happens ...instantly!
