Gun Violence Culture Is Possible Cause of Violence

The week of Dec. 9, 2012, Adam Lanza went on a murderous rampage through the Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 28 people including himself, 20 of whom were children. 

The Sandy Hook killings were an intense national tragedy, the emotional equal of which perhaps hasn't been seen since 9/11. 

Also that week the new James Bond film "Skyfall" reclaimed its No. 1 slot at the U.S. box office in its fifth week of release, adding another $10.7 million to its already impressive profits. However, these seemingly unconnected events share one very important common element: a gun.

In the wake of tragedies such as the Sandy Hook shooting, political citizens are quick to point fingers at each other for not doing enough to stop further massacres from happening. 

The Democrats blame the Republicans for their lack of support for gun control and Republicans blame Democrats for their restriction of a citizen's right to self-defense. Nearly every time a mass shooting occurs, mainstream culture also jumps to attack violent art forms. 

Artistic endeavors such as violent video games and rap are collectively thrown under the bus and decried. But every time, the furor dies down sooner or later. Gun control measures are compromised upon, and we stop paying attention to the societal factors that influence violence. At least until the next mass killing.

Whether or not we are comfortable admitting it to ourselves, violence, particularly gun violence, is a fundamental part of our national imagination. We are raised with cultural heroes such as cowboys and Indians, and of course, James Bond. 

Violence is accepted in our media and in our imaginations as an effective means for positive change. This is not an innovation of our generation either; ever since humanity has been telling tales around a campfire, we have been riveted by testosterone-saturated war stories. These stories are not going to go away simply because we are outraged and saddened by an immense tragedy, and when we decry gun culture and then go see "Skyfall," we are lying to ourselves in denying our own complicities.

I am not implying that it is wrong to enjoy violent media. Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors, and I saw "Skyfall" three times in theaters, including the weekend before the Sandy Hook shooting. But isn't it absurd that even though the culture of violence cuts so deep into our imagination, we only ever talk about it on a surface level? Everyone is willing to point fingers at each other. When will we learn to be comfortable pointing fingers at ourselves? 

If we truly want to change the culture of violence in America, the answer will not be found in assault weapons bans, better security measures or other surface-level prophylactics. It will be found in self-reflection and an honest desire to carefully consider our own hypocritical relationship with violence.