the same day i decided to make this commentary i've found that the FPSRussia's
manager keith ratliff died of single gunshot wound to the head
homicide is likely the cause
I offer my sincere condolences, and hope for the best for FPSRussia's channel
FPSRussia is the largest gun and weapon demo channel on YouTube
this is going to cause much turmoil in the you tube community regardless of
perspectives on gun rights
Hey, what's going on, welcome to a commentary about the psychology of guns
If you haven't already seen my earlier commentary about video games
and violent behavior
clicking on the picture in picture will open the commentary in a new window.
that topic relates well to today's video this game play is sharpshooter
very relevant because it showcases a lot of guns
A quick note about what this commentary is not about- this is not a political
discussion about the pros and cons of gun ownership and a potential gun ban
but i will be coming back to that topic in a later video
guns are in the news a lot recently
since we have suffered so many mass shootings in 2012.
today's commentary is about the morality of gun violence and the development of
gun culture in the united states
first let's take a look at the psychology of why guns are used so
prominently in violent crime
according to united nations office on drugs and crime
sixty six point nine percent of all homicides in the united states are
caused by a firearm
guns are undoubtedly the weapon of choice for murder
it is both physically and mentally easy to kill using a gun
a five-foot four woman can kill a six foot man easily using a gun in a
head-on confrontation but it is significantly harder for her to do so
using a melee weapon like a knife
I really don't have to explain the physical advantage of having a gun that can kill
at a long distance versus a weapon you have to be within arm's reach to effectively use
effectively use
the psychological advantage to using a gun is seen when we look at moral
dilemmas
I'm going to reference a well used tool in teaching morality: the trolley problem
If there are 5 people working on a train track with a trolley barreling down
toward them, do you push someone who is on an above walkway to stop the trolley
killing the one person but saving five
utilitarian philosophically minded individual will push a person
but the percentage of people who would push a person will go up drastically if
you are not next to the person but are instead in a separate control room it
can push a button the drug person onto the track
see where i'm going there
The same outcome happens
one person dies to save the five but the mechanism is much different
you are far less likely to want to basically kill someone
if you have to physical closeness to them and have contact with them
then if you are far away and are using some other complicated mechanism
the same principle applies the guns it takes a lot of conviction to look at someone
be one foot away from them then physically thrust a knife into them
But with guns, you have a lot more physical and mental distance away from
your victim
you really don't need to physically touch the person in the mechanism for
gun activation is a lot more complicated like you don't really need to physically
encode the firing pin striking the cartridge which ignites the primer
chemical reaction
which uses its energy to propel the bullet.
Just like you wouldn't encode all the mechanisms of the button activating
the trap door to drop the man onto the tracks
It's easier to dehumanize someone if you want to use a gun on them
than if you want to use a melee weapon
Just because you're so morally distant from the victim, killing with a gun has
a lower thought into action threshold
this probably doesn't apply to serial killers or prosppective mass murderers
because research has shown that they don't feel remorse or empty for the
victims
but for every other perspective criminal
having guns around makes it a lot easier to decide to harm another individual
The second topic in my commentary is why guns are so prominent in American culture
an obvious point is that the second amendment guarantees individuals the
right to bear arms
This is an enumeration of an individual right, something that shouldn't
be tampered with
also gun advocates see individual ownership of firearms
are a tool against oppression or tyranny
what's being argued right now and early twenty thirteen is that some see
government intervention in gun ownership
is tyrannical and oppressive
from my own subjecting viewpoint i think this is stupid A few armed civilians can't
stop an oppressive government that really wants to be oppressive
If the government really wanted to intervene and take over
or enact martial law or something
civilian firearm ownership isn't going to do you anything against anorganized
armed military
historically guns are associated with american advancement and independence
Some of the earliest rifled muskets were developed in colonial america
and were used successfully against the british during the american revolution
by rifleman
essentially the world's first snipers
american western advancement was also symbolized by guns
which got stronger and more accurate with the industrial revolution
not to mention that guns are featured as hunting implements and used in sport shooting
but the above segment talks mostly about the social and political aspects of the
gun culture
let's talk more about psychology behind such a development
We all see a lot of guns growing up. Violent media is unavoidable
As kids, especially boys, we've all probably played with toy guns and violent
video games growing up
what makes the gun such a fascination
It's not just the gun or the violence that is so compelling. It's how much AGENCY and
Power over another individual a gun gives you.
yet so much more control over others in your own situation with the weapon
especially when you're young
you are just so much more smaller than everyone else
having a gun just that
gun is the ultimate symbol of power in today's society
real policemen and soldiers carry them
fictional action stars are seldom seen without them
guns make you feel order
When growing up, you also want to test societal norms and where you fit in
You need to determine the bounds of what works and what doesn't
roleplay is important for child development
take again i'm praying for example we take turns alternating as a terrorist and
the good guys
this is nothing but an extension of playing cops and robbers when we were
children
this fascination with guns can extend into adulthood people like the shoots
People like to shoot stuff; it's fun to test your coordination.
and hitting targets at long range
We never do lose our agency drive though. Some people get their agency fix
from things like video games success in their jobs and success with the opposite
gender
gun owners in addition to some combination of the above
like to get some additional agency fix from their guns
So anyways guys, I'll summarize
first all which my sincere condolences again to at FPSRussia
and every youtuber that is associated with them every youtuber that has worked
closely with him i hope this committee recovers from this
tragedy
I hope you've enjoyed my commentary about the psychology of guns.
I'll summarize by saying that there are numerous psychological influences on why guns
are so common
in violent crime in common in our culture
illegality of gone ownership perpetuate sees influences though
if you know someone who is interested in these topics
share this video with them. I worked really hard on this commentary
so be sure to give this video a like rating. Leave a comment if you have any
additional input have a great day guys.