After doing work for module 6 I started to do research into American culture and our love for violence. I came upon an interesting article that talks about boys and gun culture. Freson argues that guns are so prevalent within our culture that even if you try to shield your children from them- they will still find themselves drawn to guns. “I had a ‘no toy guns’ rule, fearing it would encourage violence. I was so confident that this was something taught it the home, from watching inappropriate movies and television, playing violent video games, and from watching the adults in the home use guns. So imagine how shocked and alarmed I was when my boys, who had been shielded from all of that, began building guns out of Legos on Tinker Toys, even cardboard boxes” (Freson 1). Boys are taught from a young age that guns are used to “show off” to their friends, they are “fun,” and in American society you should feel like you “need” one. The author goes into great detail about what parents should be doing with their guns, like making sure they teach their children the rules surrounding fire arms and that parents should keep them locked up securely at all times. “Whether they access a gun to show off, to goof around, or to harm someone else or even himself, limiting access is the best way to avoid harm or death, both intentional or unintentional” (1).
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