Is america a nation of terrified people ????

Now before you all go off and flame me..hear me out first.

I have been thinking a lot after seeing all the news reports and posts on ATS regarding the whole gun debate and global financial crisis. and i have come to a conclusion.....America is a nation of people who are terrified.

And its not your fault. People in their teens and twenties are really the third generation of americans to have fear control their lives. think about it. those above 50 lived through the days of the cold war. fear of a nuclear attack and the whole cuban missile crisis, the korean and the vietnam wars etc. if you search you can find old video of kids (who would now be older than 50) at school being taught to jump under their desks if there was an attack. its really when the first bomb shelters etc became popular.

then you have the next generation between ages of say...30 - 50. now this generation has grown up with the whole fear of the middle east with the first iraq war in the early 90's and then a fear of saddam for a whole decade till the 9-11 attacks and the afghan/iraq war. this generation is also the most effected by the whole global financial crisis. most in this age group were the one that lost their jobs and houses.

then you have the generation of teens to 30's. this generation has grown up with having the terror alert being raised and lowered...airport screening...their parents losing their jobs and the homes they grew up and where they felt comfortable disappearing.

add to that the last 20 years with an explosion of violent video games/movies and news footage becoming much more graphic. also add to that the last 10 years which has seen the growing trend of drinking energy drink which heighten your senses.

when you are frightened you go into a state of whats medically known as fight or flight. chemicals are released into your body which determine if you stay and fight or you run for safety.

so here is my point.....is the whole gun debacle and mass shootings just a reaction from a population who the majority have lived with fear for years and years ???? does your government keep you in this constant state of fear with the whole lowering and raising of terror alerts ???? are the media to blame ????. has all of the above led to a feeling of "every man for himself" thus raising the crime levels ????

for the last few months it has seemed that here on ATS and other places it has been a fight between the US and the rest of the world. i will be honest...we just dont get the whole gun/violence thing. here in australia i can go to the local pub and walk home at 2am laughing and chatting all the way home with friends without the fear of someone shooting me because they think im about to do a home invasion..steal their car...rob their house etc.

We are cautious....you wouldnt walk around on your own in the early hours of the morning on your own without being aware of where you are and who is around you. were not stupid. yes we have security doors on our front doors to stop breakins if your not home or that you can lock and leave the solid door open while letting the breeze come through. but we dont live with that constant fear of getting a home invasion..robbed..raped..assaulted..we dont keep guns so we can rise up against our government.

so in conclusion.....are americans living in a constant state of fear that leads them to keep and carry guns ???

reply to post by bellagirl


Good OP.
What bothers me in the Gun debate threads, is how we readily accept, that a Gun is needed, to feel safe in our own Neighborhoods.
Yet we still define Ourselves as Free?

Free to walk around at Defcon 1, is not what I consider as free. When did we let that happen?

Originally posted by bellagirl

for the last few months it has seemed that here on ATS and other places it has been a fight between the US and the rest of the world. i will be honest...we just dont get the whole gun/violence thing. here in australia i can go to the local pub and walk home at 2am laughing and chatting all the way home with friends without the fear of someone shooting me because they think im about to do a home invasion..steal their car...rob their house etc.

I think that about sums about the ignorant perspective of the entire OP. Im not being insulting at all, either. That sentiment right there though shows profound ignorance of what actually goes on in the US and within the minds of its people, at least from my lifetime of experience.

You are buying into the garbage the media is feeding you about singular incidences being indicative of the whole. Thats called logical induction, and it is extremely weak, producing incorrect conclusions the vast majority of the time it is used. Horrible if used for scientific endeavors that demand accurate results, but fantastic when employed in a propaganda campaign to skew entire countrys opinions about another.

Originally posted by bellagirl

so in conclusion.....are americans living in a constant state of fear that leads them to keep and carry guns ???

If youve been keeping up with the debate on this forum, youve obviously chosen to simply ignore the numerous users and multitudes of explanations of why we desire to remain free enough to bear arms.

ETA: I guess Ill post it again, as I see it personally:

The right to bear arms is to deter/prevent a tyrannical out of control government from completely steam rolling the public with impunity. The founding fathers knew that a disarmed public were basically nothing more than serfs to those who had the guns and ability to use them to control and restrict freedom.

As the country was founded on freedom and liberty for the common man, and that continued freedom and liberty was dependent on the common man being able to resist tyrannies himself, the 2nd amendment was drawn up so that he do just that and be justified in his actions with the blessing of the founders of the nation.

You may call the wishing that the 2nd NOT be destroyed a reaction of fear, paranoia, whatever it is that your hyper limited outside perspective sees it as, but I would much more call it prudence, and the ability to see where other disarmed nations have gone, and the desire to NOT end up like them, because at least to some of us, freedom and liberty still hold great value on both a personal, and national level.

thankyou so much twosides for actually getting what i said. i was worried that the first reply would be an attack.

i really am just trying to understand what is happening. i have had many fights on here over gun debates etc and instead of just attacking...being a smart ass..or ignoring other opinions..i am just trying to really understand.

The only fear I have is of being shot full of holes like a dog without being able to return fire. I just gots to return me some fire.

I was being held up at gun point one night. With a gun in my face and some craked up fool behind it, I said to self "self what you need is a gun". So I took his and cracked him over the head with the dang thing.

reply to post by bellagirl


I'm American. I'm 24. I remember watching 9/11 live on tv in my 8th grade class. And I do NOT live in fear.

I have a very large group/family of friends as well. None of them live in fear either.

With that said, this WORLD as a whole is programed to live in fear. Not necessarily 'fear for life' at all times, but most people have been programmed to live/think in fear. We have to change that to a love based program.

Yes, the Government definitely does try to keep people in fear.
Yes, I'm sure there are American's who do live in fear.

I am also willing to put all of my money on the fact that there are some Australians living in fear. I bet you could find people in every country who lives in fear. It's a human, not American, quality.

The Gun Debate is NOT about daily personal protection from 'bad guys' (although that is a big point, and is definitely a fair point to be made.)

The main reason that we believe in the 2nd amendment is to protect ourselves from our GOVERNMENT.
You are on ATS, therefore I am sure you know just how tyrannical the US Government is.
Why would we willingly hand over our guns to a government that is as monstrous and corrupt as our government is? Why would ANYONE give their guns over to ANY government? Has history not taught us anything? Sure, we may not 'need' them today, tomorrow or anytime this year. But can you give me a 100% guarantee that our Government, at some point in the future, will not come down on We The People, just as Hitler and his people did during the Holocaust? No. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that.

Originally posted by Logarock
The only fear I have is of being shot full of holes like a dog without being able to return fire. I just gots to return me some fire.

I was being held up at gun point one night. With a gun in my face and some craked up fool behind it, I said to self "self what you need is a gun". So I took his and cracked him over the head with the dang thing.

You need to call the cops! Have emergency numbers on dial! Problem solved!

reply to post by bellagirl


Think about everything in the first part of your post OP and ask yourself "WHO" created that fear?

I agree with what you said, but look deeper at the picture for those of us who live here and have watched how our government for the past few decades along with our media have created nothing BUT fear.

I think you bring up some valid points.

Does your government create an environment of fear? I am asking this as a valid and sincere question. Because if your government doesn't create that kind of environment where you are from, imagine living in the US, where every day we are being told to fear something, and usually it is the government and the media doing it......

Those of you who live outside the US might look at us as being free, which to a point compared to some countries we are, but just imagine every day, it is fear something!

Before guns, it was terrorists, before terrorists it was drunk drivers.......not sure what came before drunk drivers, but it has just become non stop with being told we have to fear something......

Maybe that might explain as to why some of us here, are not so willing to allow ourselves to become victims. I cannot speak for everyone, but that is just my observance, which by the way your OP made me think of it.

Originally posted by eleven44
reply to post by bellagirl

 

I'm American. I'm 24. I remember watching 9/11 live on tv in my 8th grade class. And I do NOT live in fear.

I have a very large group/family of friends as well. None of them live in fear either.

With that said, this WORLD as a whole is programed to live in fear. Not necessarily 'fear for life' at all times, but most people have been programmed to live/think in fear. We have to change that to a love based program.

Yes, the Government definitely does try to keep people in fear.
Yes, I'm sure there are American's who do live in fear.

I am also willing to put all of my money on the fact that there are some Australians living in fear. I bet you could find people in every country who lives in fear. It's a human, not American, quality.

The Gun Debate is NOT about daily personal protection from 'bad guys' (although that is a big point, and is definitely a fair point to be made.)

The main reason that we believe in the 2nd amendment is to protect ourselves from our GOVERNMENT.
You are on ATS, therefore I am sure you know just how tyrannical the US Government is.
Why would we willingly hand over our guns to a government that is as monstrous and corrupt as our government is? Why would ANYONE give their guns over to ANY government? Has history not taught us anything? Sure, we may not 'need' them today, tomorrow or anytime this year. But can you give me a 100% guarantee that our Government, at some point in the future, will not come down on We The People, just as Hitler and his people did during the Holocaust? No. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that.

edit on 31-1-2013 by eleven44 because: (no reason given)

now this is the part i dont understand. most quote the 2nd amendment about protection from government yet in the same breath say how tyrannical the government is. and im not being a smart ass...i just dont understand.

Originally posted by Tw0Sides
reply to post by bellagirl

 

Good OP.
What bothers me in the Gun debate threads, is how we readily accept, that a Gun is needed, to feel safe in our own Neighborhoods.
Yet we still define Ourselves as Free?

Free to walk around at Defcon 1, is not what I consider as free. When did we let that happen?

My problem and yours is not how that happened but dealing with it at this point with some courage. You should consider the value of being philosophical and dead or being strong enough to take some personal responsibility for your safety.

Originally posted by Leuan

Originally posted by Logarock
The only fear I have is of being shot full of holes like a dog without being able to return fire. I just gots to return me some fire.

I was being held up at gun point one night. With a gun in my face and some craked up fool behind it, I said to self "self what you need is a gun". So I took his and cracked him over the head with the dang thing.

You need to call the cops! Have emergency numbers on dial! Problem solved!

Do you honestly think you can say, 'Excuse me, Mr. Gun-in-my-face, do you mind if I make a quick emergency call before you rob/kill me?'

And why would you trust a Police Officer (who is just another human being) more with a gun than you would yourself with a gun? So long as a person is properly trained, I guarantee you they would be able to protect themselves just as much, if not more, than an emergency call to the cops would.

Originally posted by bellagirl

now this is the part i dont understand. most quote the 2nd amendment about protection from government yet in the same breath say how tyrannical the government is. and im not being a smart ass...i just dont understand.

Not trying to be a smart ass either, but what part of 'The government is tyrannical and we need to protect ourselves from it' do you not understand? (

reply to post by seeker1963


thanks for your reply. i think you understand what it was i was trying to get at.

Originally posted by Leuan

Originally posted by Logarock
The only fear I have is of being shot full of holes like a dog without being able to return fire. I just gots to return me some fire.

I was being held up at gun point one night. With a gun in my face and some craked up fool behind it, I said to self "self what you need is a gun". So I took his and cracked him over the head with the dang thing.

You need to call the cops! Have emergency numbers on dial! Problem solved!

Yes and most of the crack robbers around here have a 20 second rule where they will allow you one call out. Sadly I didnt have my phone with me.

what is your source ?

internet ? TV ?

Originally posted by eleven44

Originally posted by bellagirl

now this is the part i dont understand. most quote the 2nd amendment about protection from government yet in the same breath say how tyrannical the government is. and im not being a smart ass...i just dont understand.

Not trying to be a smart ass either, but what part of 'The government is tyrannical and we need to protect ourselves from it' do you not understand? (

reply to post by bellagirl

so in conclusion.....are americans living in a constant state of fear that leads them to keep and carry guns ???

You know, it might be all perfect and stuff over there in Australia....as you claim it is. Thing is we don't live in a perfect world, there are people out there that would kill me just to see what I have in my pockets. As soon as I wake up in a reality where there is absolutely no violence, no child molsters, no thieves and no corruption...you will see me without a gun but let's face it...I live in reality and reality is not a nice place to live.

BTW I have never seen a conclusion end with a question....maybe because it's not a conclusion its a theory.

Originally posted by Evanzsayz
reply to post by bellagirl

 

so in conclusion.....are americans living in a constant state of fear that leads them to keep and carry guns ???

You know, it might be all perfect and stuff over there in Australia....as you claim it is. Thing is we don't live in a perfect world, there are people out there that would kill me just to see what I have in my pockets. As soon as I wake up in a reality where there is absolutely no violence, no child molsters, no thieves and no corruption...you will see me without a gun but let's face it...I live in reality and reality is not a nice place to live.

BTW I have never seen a conclusion end with a question....maybe because it's not a conclusion its a theory.

edit on 31-1-2013 by Evanzsayz because: (no reason given)

i never claimed it was all roses and sunshine over here.

and should you not direct your anger to the fact that are people who would kill you too see whats in your pockets...and who is responsible for you feeling like that. thats the question i would be asking.

Originally posted by bellagirl

Originally posted by eleven44

Originally posted by bellagirl

now this is the part i dont understand. most quote the 2nd amendment about protection from government yet in the same breath say how tyrannical the government is. and im not being a smart ass...i just dont understand.

Not trying to be a smart ass either, but what part of 'The government is tyrannical and we need to protect ourselves from it' do you not understand? (

In a word "No". I dont drive around wondering all the time who's gonna shoot at me. I don't lay in bed wondering if I will be killed in the middle of the night. I walk freely around downtown from bar to bar without fear as well, but, I do have guns. I dont think about them much at all unless im shooting for fun or hunting. I dont carry all the time, but if im going to a high crime slum area, then I will. Its also why i sleep well at night not worried about a group of thugs with baseball bats invading my home. Its also comforting to know a tyrannical government is concerned about them, hence trying to take them away. They WILL NOT get them, and if you live somewhere that took away your right to own a gun and your happy there, then stay there. I'll stay here and keep my mouth shut about a country that has no spine and gave their right to bear arms away. (starting now)...