[The] dominant scholarly approach to studying guns, gun owners, and gun culture – and here I would include both the public health paradigm and the gun studies paradigm – reminds me of the parable of the blind men and the elephant.
In the story, several blind men encounter an elephant and each touches a different part. Because of this, they come away with different understandings of what the animal is like.
Each man is convinced his understanding is correct, and they argue about the true nature of the elephant.
This is akin to how most academics approach gun culture, except that in the case of the gun culture elephant, most agree on its true nature. Unfortunately, they agree because they are all studying the same part: the anus.
Going forward, I would like to see the field retain the benefits of the dominant paradigm but reduce its liabilities.
On the one hand, paradigms are useful because they help organize an extremely complex world. By focusing relentlessly on inequality and social harm, the gun studies paradigm filters out all kinds of noise.
But paradigms also prevent researchers from recognizing assumptions that differ from their own. My work, for example, is based on a different premise: that guns are normal and normal people use guns.
I know this violates people’s assumptions because I’m frequently met with resistance to my use of this language of normality. Consequently, this aspect of the complex world of guns frequently goes unexamined.
From my perspective, a better, more comprehensive understanding of guns requires us to embrace their paradoxical nature. We need to appreciate both the harms that the dominant paradigm focuses on and the normality I center in my work.
— David Yamane What Academia Gets Wrong About Guns (Spicier Take)
:…guns are normal and normal people use guns.”
Clearly, you have not met Grenade, Grumble, or Garish. LOL!!!
Barley is a fairly normal.
I’m schizophrenic…..and so am I.
Savor,
So, will you now post as “LifeSavor1” or “LifeSavor2”, depending on which of you is posting? Just askin’, for a friend.
Lamp,
Loud smirk!
No sayin!
“. . . guns are normal and normal people use guns.”
Well, that statement, alone (albeit true), will ‘disqualify’ your research and conclusions to all “mainstream” researchers and analysts. The Leftist/fascists, and their world view, depend on a shared assumption of “they’re all right-wingnuts, obsessed with guns (and the Bible), and they want to kill us!” Nice try, but arguing rationally with people like that is a fool’s errand.
Besides you cannot argue someone out of a belief or position, using logic and facts, that they did not arrive at using logic and facts. But good luck!!
I don’t own a bible. Claim no religion. But I own guns.
What slot do I fit in?
They still see you as a fascist oppressor bigot.
jwm,
I’m sorry, was there something in my comment that made you think I attributed any ACCURACY to the Leftist/fascist cartoon of who we “gun people” are??? If so, I apologize. But that that is their stereotype is inarguable. We all know different. I happen to be religious, but I haven’t always been. Of the guys I regularly shoot with, probably only one or two are even slightly religious. OTOH, there are churches that have their own gun clubs.
The population of “gun people” is at least as diverse as the population of the country. It used to bother me that I saw few black or hispanic or even Asian faces at my usual ranges, but that hasn’t been true for a good ten years, now. Can’t recall I’ve ever even asked another shooter what church they went to or what religion they practiced. More fun to talk about fun stuff like “.45 v. 9mm?” or “5.56: combat round or poodle shooter?”.
Here Comes Another Terrible P320 Story.
ht* tps *://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmaEN_7C71A
What do anti-gun and trans have in common? A mental illness condition called ‘mythomania’, and this is the same way anti-gun think as they actually believe their own BS: Bro, that ain’t cramps – that’s Taco Bell or a “rodeo” injury.
“In today’s episode of ‘Biology Has Left the Chat,’ we break down the hilarious trend of men [i.e trans] claiming they’re ‘having periods.’
Spoiler alert: they’re not.
They’re having gas, prostate irritation, pelvic floor spasms, or pain from… let’s call it ‘rear-entry recreational activities.’
Men cannot menstruate — period.
…”:
ht* tp* s *://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6tLYjwWNU
“Men cannot…..period?”
I saw what you did there.
Smirk!