Hello
Yes, Canada and the USA are very different cultures...as Michael Moore
spoofed in his Canadian Bacon film...as it has been said " The Canadians are
the nicer Americans ". I live in a southwestern border state and the" fear
of the other " here is rampant and continually stoked by the press and the
politicians...with fear mongering rumors that the Mexicans are coming to
take over our country and that many of these illegal immigrants are dealing
drugs to young people, bringing diseases and many are actually Muslim
terrorists in disguise and so on... and while there is considerable violence
along our southwest borders much of it is fear generated...and born out of
desperation... .Also, our situation in the southwest is complicated by the
fact that these territories used to be Mexico...and one of the fears is that
the Mexicans are coming to take them back... on and on...many layers in
operation....and the common thread is "fear of the others "....which lingers
here in what has historically been the legendary lawless "Old West
"...where the "gunslingers " were idolized as protectors of the people...this
meme
lingers until today in story and in films...
Warm regards
Anngwyn
In a message dated 1/5/2016 7:33:07 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Speaking as someone who lives in Canada where no one is allowed to carry a
gun and gun registration is legally required, I find that the law, in this
case, let’s me feel safe walking in public, knowing that it is not a
public norm to carry guns. As soon as I cross the border into the States, I
feel
tense, even just seeing the signs of gun sales and racks of guns in
Wal-mart. It creates an atmosphere of violence just seeing that it is
possible.
Then being in Texas, where people drive around with guns in their trucks
with pride and joy (not sure if that’s legal or not), I felt terrified….
Here in Canada, I can talk to my neighbor openly, even have a dispute or
disagreement, and not be afraid that their psychosis will immediately lead
to being shot.
There’s no guarantee, of course, as people carry guns illegally, but the
cultural atmosphere is way different.
Yes, law enforcement of guns does make a huge difference…..
From: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] ;
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2016 9:23 PM
To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ConstellationTalk] Peace ?
Hello to All,
Maybe in some vicious cycles causes and symptoms are not separated by
absolute boundaries. For better or worse, laws do educate populations, and
obviously it will take more than passing laws to shift deep seated cultural
attitudes. Unlike the US in Switzerland existing laws better regulate the
sale, ownership and licensing of private guns, which includes a ban on
carrying
concealed weapons. The law allows citizens who have no criminal record or
history of mental illness, to buy up to three weapons from an authorised
dealer, with the exception of automatic firearms, which are banned, and
military ammunition must be stored in central arsenals rather than in
soldiers’
homes. Guns are responsible for between 200 and 300 suicides each year in
Switzerland. One of the reasons the crime rate in Switzerland is low despite
the prevalence of weapons — and also why the Swiss mentality can’t be
transposed on the current individualistic (lack of universal health insurance)
American reality — is the culture of responsibility, support and safety
that is anchored in Swiss society and passed from generation to generation.
Best wishes to all,
Robert
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 12:12 PM, _anngwyn@aol.com_ (mailto:anngwyn@xxxxxxx)
[ConstellationTalk] <_ConstellationTalk@yahoogroups.com_
(mailto:ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) > wrote:
Yes, confusing symptoms and the underlying causes is not likely to lead
to resolution...nor will the imposition of "laws"...we have an interesting
and complex dynamic unfolding now...but not only here in the USA...In
Switzerland, where I have happily lived and worked for many years, citizens
are individually and as a culture very heavily armed...and yet , this is not
a social problem..more evidence that guns are not the problem...only the
symptom of a pervasive underlying miasm here in USA... Students of history
know that outlawing alcohol during the prohibition era led to more violence
because a significant percentage of the populace did not agree and a black
market economy arose...same with the spurious, deeply corrupt "war on
drugs"... outlawing is not the solution, for alcohol, drugs or firearms...best
to think systemically and think more deeply into this massive social
trauma...involving what is also our military/industrial/ state sponsored ,
media
complicit, national and international violence....and who benefits ?
All for now...
Anngwyn
In a message dated 1/4/2016 5:40:41 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
_ConstellationTalk@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
writes:
Hello All,
Gun laws in the US appear to reinforce the violent psyche of fear that
drives it. In the large scheme of things changing the laws may be more than
just treating the symptoms.
Best wishes,
Robert
On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 2:49 AM, _anngwyn@aol.com_ (mailto:anngwyn@xxxxxxx)
[ConstellationTalk] <_ConstellationTalk@yahoogroups.com_
(mailto:ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) > wrote:
Hello Everyone,
While I am all for peace and not so fond of guns, from a systemic
perspective, guns are not the problem...only the symptom of the problem...We
have
always had guns in this country....and as a social traumatologist, more
problematic is the trans-national epidemic of state-sponsored, media
generated "fear porn " designed to promote and accelerate " fear of the other
"....and this inevitably leads to all manner of violence as history as proven
over and again. Confusing the symptom with the problem is likely to lead
only to more confusion. We might ask: Who or what benefits from this current
fear mongering epidemic that seeks to exploit the darker aspects of tribal
consciousness ?
I addressed this "fear porn " in my blog " Trauma and the Human Condition
" _http://anngwyn.wisrville.org_ ;(http://anngwyn.wisrville.org/) as "Our
Year of Fear ". which may be of interest....
Warm regards
Anngwyn St. Just Ph.D.
_http://anngwyn.wisrville.org_ ;(http://anngwyn.wisrville.org/)
_www.acst-international.com_ (http://www.acst-international.com/)
