Violence in United States of America
Dmitri October 4th, 2007
If someone made a suggestion that Americans are violent by nature, they would of course be met with strong moral outrage, mostly from Americans. It might not considered politically correct in the Anglo-Saxon world to suggest that Americans are violent, yet political correctness can hardly cover the fact that the United States is one of the most violent nations on earth, both by crime rates and by ideological glorification of violent pursuits. In this short piece, we will discuss in brief, the various social and political factors that are characteristic of violence in the United States, along with a brief overview of the facts and figures of violent crimes in United States. If you have any objection, agreement or argument against this article, feel free to use the comment form below.
A sarcastic cartoon by joyoftech.com on how Americans are more comfortable with violence than sexuality.
The United States has by far the largest number of people behind bars for violent crimes and one of the highest homicide rates in the world. According to the America’s FBI Crime in the United States 2005 data, violent crime rate in US was 469.2 per 100000 population as of the year 2005, the highest among industrialised countries. It must be noted that the American definition of violent crimes consitutes a smaller spectrum of crimes than European and Asian countries. The overall homicide and violent crime of US is comparable to that of disturbed East European and South-East Asian regions. Contrary to popular American arguments, 45.9% of the crimes between 1974 and 2004 are committed by whites, blacks make up a 52.1% and other races about 2%. The extent of crime in US can be best understood when it stands in a comparison with the rest of the world. The United States has less than 5% of world’s population and over 25% of the world’s population with criminal records.
There are several social and political factors which cause this crimes. One of them as explained above, is the inherent inclination of Americans towards violence. As is shown the the sarcastic cartoon above, most Americans would rather have their children watch a scene containing blood-lust and gore rather than a scene of intimacy or nudity. A human being with a slit throat or blood pouring out of its body is more acceptable than a human, hale and hearty but naked. Glorification of violence and war, are all covered by religious fundamentalist goups and very popular in the media. It is then no surprise that violence finds more social acceptability than love in United States. A point of note is that most American swearwords have a sexual theme, while a word ‘fucker’ is an insult, if one calls someone a ‘killer’ in America, it is a matter of pride.
Another cause of violence in America could be the large ownership of guns in America. Coupled with impusive behaviour and social acceptability of walking around with firearms, it is not surprise the a large proportion of violent crimes in America is because of guns. Guns in America is more acceptable and normal on kids than cellphones, many US states have laws that allow school kids to carry concealed handguns. There is also in incident where US authorities issued a gun on a 10 month old infant in Illonis state, admittedly the state with the strictest gun controls. If it were the 1700s and early 1800s, it would have been acceptable for an American to carry a gun to protect himself/herself from wild animals and predators, in today’s America it hardly makes sense. Issuing guns on 10-month old infants and untrained schoolkids is insanity, it is no surprise then that incidents in the likes of Columbine High School massacre and Virginia Tech massacre are exclusive to United States. The issue of gun control and gun related violence is so wide that it deserves an entire post on it for adequate justice.
The love of guns, social acceptability of violence and degradation of compassionate emotions, all point to the trait of Americans - they are inherently attracted to violence. Although there are people among Americans who are compassionate and kind-hearted, yet they have little voice in politics and society - one of the primary reasons for endless wars, genocides and mass violence in the annals of American history. One might ask - what has the issue of violent nature of Americans got to do with international politics? Well, one has to look at the way Americans attempt to push their way of life down the throat of third world denizens, with violent force and by portraying it as the only way of life worth living.
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This post is interesting, and I only really have one comment. While I’m not disputing that Ludwig incident actually happened, I will say that cases like that are rare. In most states, you have to be 21 to acquire handguns, 18 if you want rifles or shotguns; in practice, 16 year olds have been granted a license to carry an unconcealed firearm, typically in the form of a rifle. Nevertheless, just because the Second Amendment exists does not automatically suggest that every raving lunatic has access to a firearm legally. Part of the problem is that too many firearms are available on the market — black and white — and it is still relatively easy to acquire one, if you want. And truth to be told, anyone determined enough to get a gun will get a gun, whether or not it is easy.
One of the major issues is that the media tends to glorify violence. The Columbine Massacre is one such example, and the glory and such that led to many copycat shootings, in what the Post called “beat the number of dead.” I do not have the article, unfortunately, as this happened 8+ years ago.
But yes, while you have listed many good points, the point that anyone can legally acquire a firearm easily is misguided. This is not true. Like everything else, some people fall through the cracks — no system created by the human mind is perfect — it works in the cases that are not exceptional.
Hope all is well!
Hear hear! Finally someone brave enough to come out with this, I hope Americans don’t send some mortar bombs on Dmitri’s house next. The world needs to protect itself from the self obsessed lunatics that are called Americans.
Americans themselves aren’t lunatics — well, most of them, anyway. But the term “lunatics” does indeed apply to the U.S. government in more ways than one. On that, we agree.
>>>Americans are by nature, attracted to violence
Genetically? For all your plodding long-windedness in trying to make a point you never, ever back or qualify that initial statement. Your logic is the same that propels racial superiority arguments and besides, there’s a lot of Brit in the American gene pool.
>>>A point of note is that most American swearwords have a sexual theme, while a word ‘fucker’ is an insult, if one calls someone a ‘killer’ in America, it is a matter of pride.
“A point of note” indeed but do you have any linguistic or cross-cultural data to back it up? You know, linguistics, anthropology and sociology are real disciplines. You could have called upon them. Your argument is weak.
>>>it is no surprise then that incidents in the likes of Columbine High School massacre and Virginia Tech massacre are exclusive to United States
Um, heard of Finland?
The author makes a good point. We must lose all these political correctness and get face to face with the reality with Americans. They are sex and violence crazed maniacs, most of them are.
Chileno the high rate of all this violence and crimes in America is a proof that Americans are violence. Which peace loving country makes such a mess at home and abroad? Shedding politically correct statements is not racial superiority it is facing reality. Anthropology or linguistic data can’t explain the excessive amount of swearwords Americans make at every conversation. How would you do that anyway? Find some ‘f***’ genes in American DNA or understand the correct usage of ‘f***’ words in situations. Americans must have inherited a language of curse and swearwords from South Americans who find it odd to say ‘please’. The Finland massacre happened today November 08th, how can the author forsee this on October 4th? And this happened because of US influence in Finnish schoolkids, read the newslink you posted here.
Americans have become a disease who are trying to infect the world with their culture of violence, gluttony and sex obession.
I presume Mr./Ms. Chileno expected Mr. Dmitri to have the foresight to predict the Finland incident when he wrote this article. In that case my sincere apologies that as an international political site, we are unable to provide you with astrological services. If Mr. Dmitri were to start predicting the future, we’d have had to remove the article as we deal with factual data and reasoned analysis - not with supersitions.
*chuckle* Well put, Aby.
The 1996 shooting spree in Scotland is factual. And it happened long before Dmitri’s post. Why did you block my comment? Truth hurts I guess.
Well, congrats you guys for doing your small part to make the word “liberal” synonymous with “stupid”. If this were part of the vast right wing conspiracy I’d have to hand it to you. Sadly, you guys do seem to be very sincere in your motives, yet of such limited mental capacity as to do your cause more harm than good.
Americans are violent by nature, their actions over the years being evident of this fact. Look at the situation in Iraq today, if Americans could have ensured zero casualty to their own soldiers, there would have been almost nil opposition to the war in Iraq.
The latest bombings in Baghdad that killed 200 Iraqi civilians. The tactic of shelling populated urban areas in Iraq is to indiscriminately murder as many people as possible, mostly non combatants. It’s to punish and terrorise the combatant community in to submission. Just another way of terrorism against people who want freedom from foreign invasion.
It would never have been acceptable to shell a Catholic area in Northern Ireland to get at the IR.A., or to punish their community. It was never necessary, and would have only been counterproductive. The Northern Irish Catholics just about qualify as human beings while it’s glaringly apparent that Iraqis do not. Americans don’t go to wars or counter-terrorism. All these terms are a justification to satisfy their lust for human blood - through killing sprees. War can happen only between equals, against Russians or Chinese for example.
I am glad that you have taken the effort to respond Ms. Chileno. Rest assured, we do not engage in unnecessary censorship which is why your comment is here. All new user comments are automatically placed in moderation till a site editor approves them. This is to prevent all those “I like your site but please visit my Ice Cream blog…” spam. If that really annoyed you, my regrets for putting you through that inconvenience.
As for the rest of your comment, I agree with you we are extremely stupid people who need brains like yours to string a few words together. Spell check and a speech synthesiser does all the articles for now. The site is sponsored and funded by the mental asylum that we are inmates of and that we are trying to get out of. If you ever feel like giving back something to the world, pledge your brains to us after you die, so that we can benefit from all that brimming intelligence.
*amused* Yes, and if that were true, I’d be the Chief Psychopath—and be extremely proud of it, too. Good answer, Aby.
Now, what about the update?
The origins of school violence and gangster violence is repressed sexuality of males. The male hormone testosterone expresses in two ways, sex and violence. If you block one option there is only another left. We get men all excited with so much sexuality in ads, movies and TV. Tease and titillation is all over making many men overflowing with desire and yet sex is scarce. People who are sexually frustrated are angry, and angry people tend to be violent. People who are not touched, loved, made love to, feel outside of the human race and have an easier time hurting other humans. It works the same way in any human society, not only America.
This is what comes when we have movies and games where violent rapes, bloodshed and gore is shown in glory while expression of love and sensuality is relegated to censorship and adult ratings. The effect of this on young minds become obvious when we witness incidents like teenage rapes and school shootings. Increased police vigilance will bring about little change as in most cases the perpratators don’t care about the implications.
I enjoyed that you looked into the situation in the united states. I do have to say, however, that some of the hinting in the article and later comments that Americans are inherently violent is quite absurd. To say that in a nation of 300 million people, 2/3 of the European population, is by nature super violent is quite ridiculous. To even suggest such is crazy. I would point to the lax gun control, homicides by firearms constitute 40% of American homicides, and to the fact that the poor of America are much worse off than the poor of Europe.
To the people that pointed out America’s involvement in Iraq and how innocent civilians were killed purposefully, what! To suggest that Americans love war more than Europeans are loving of the slaughter of innocent civilians I say look back at the 20th century and say that with confidence. It is America’s government that lied to its people and invaded, just as Germany’s government lied to its people and destroyed Europe. No to say that a nation, made up a European immigrants, fellow humans, is somehow inferior in many ways is a dangerous path to walk down. Before you know know it you may have the blood of millions of “inferior” souls upon your hands. BE SERIOUS.
So much information about the United States, and yet so much garbage based on second hand knowledge and news sources that feed your fire.
Please don’t tell me that I’m not guilty of pointing out a prejudiced mind. Anyone with a brain and a thought who’s plowed through your inner thoughts and blogs can make you out as the cultural, intellectual and historical snob that you are. Your blogs, and your words speak volumes to whomever has lived and experienced both the U.S. and the European Continent. You are as ignorant as you are bold.
It doesn’t matter how many Americans you’ve encountered overseas, as you’ve encountered on their home turf. You’re a snob and and intellectual elitist in opposition to what you perceive as the inferior American mind, as guilty as the next.
No worries though. I’ve traveled through Europe as the knuckle dragging, Neanderthal minded American that you’ve so painfully pointed out in your blog. Yet still careful to be appreciative of their cultures, speak their languages, and live the life that they live. From the three trips overseas to the European continent I’ve encountered no such hostility, or smugness, that you would no doubt greet me with.
There are Americans like me who wish to see the world. It is your kind that give us the belief that perhaps we should stay home. We are of a different country, and amazingly, perhaps of different beliefs and tastes. Much better to meet a European who is actually curious of Americans, and of no pre conceived notion that we are all evil and fat. I want to travel the world in order to see how cool other countries are, not to be told how awful my country is. Perhaps you believe you’re doing us a favor by educating us on how awful we really are, when all we really want to do, is learn to say in your language “thank you.”
“I like you and your country” How do you translate that in your own tongue. And please. Tell me how awful I am because I’m American. And give examples of stuff that happened before I was born, as though I don’t know about them, but you do.
God bless you.
Being a high-school student in the American South West, I find it very amusing when someone says that Americans would rather their children watch someone’s throat get slit then scenes of intimate sexuality.
I know people who fall into that category who also fall roughly into the category of child, seeing as I attend a high school, and the majority of those people come from impoverished families. However, very few of the kids who are of more well-off origins exhibit similar behavior and/or interests; while I admit that American culture is quite influential, the people it primarily influences are of a select segment of the population. One, I might add, which is larger and more virulent than those of similar nations due our system of extreme capitalism.
To suggest that it’s due to some inherent quality in all (or most) Americans forgets the larger picture, and suggests an author who is very bitter, highly prideful, and extremely snotty. Need I remind you that “American” is not an ethnicity; only by some voodoo magic could all Americans be afflicted with a perverted love of violence. Need I also remind you (as others have done) that Americans come from all genetic backgrounds; at my school alone there are:
-Vietnamese
-Mexicans
-Scotts
-Irish
-Germans
-Brits
-French
-Italians
-Russians
-Chinese
-Spanish
-Croats
-Hungarians
-Kenyans
-Ethiopians
-and more
Of course, as per your haggard English (no offense intended but I have to point it out), it is entirely difficult to determine if you mean by “inherent” some sort of permeating inferiority in Americans or something wholly different. I think you are near the mark when you say that American culture promotes “violence,” but I say near the mark because such a statement suffers from flaws.
I think in a lot of cases it’s simply pig-headed arrogance (concerning foreign policy), as well as a complex array of social problems (concerning domestic violence). Did it not occur to you that large numbers of inmates could just as easily be a product of the justice system as it is of “violent people”?
It is important that the American people be not confused with America’s foreign policy; a different entity entirely. Our foreign policy is driven by obscene corporate interests, which in turn is prettied up for mass consumption by the media. Ultimately, many Americans are short-sighted and overly patriotic, making them susceptible to having the wool pulled over their eyes, although that’s definitely understating it considering the intelligence of most right-wingers.
Finally, to say that the Virginia tech massacre is a symptom of American violent culture, or to say the same of Columbine, is once again failing to see the big picture. The Korean immigrant, immigrant being the operative word, was psychotic; a symptom which exists in Europe too, I imagine.
very well said Mr. Clinton (LOL).
“Another cause of violence in America could be the large ownership of guns in America. Coupled with impusive behaviour and social acceptability of walking around with firearms, it is not surprise the a large proportion of violent crimes in America is because of guns. Guns in America is more acceptable and normal on kids than cellphones, many US states have laws that allow school kids to carry concealed handguns. There is also in incident where US authorities issued a gun on a 10 month old infant in Illonis state, admittedly the state with the strictest gun controls.”
As a student in college who has lived in many states within America (27 to be exact) At NO high school, middle school, or college campus have I seen ANY student carrying any type of gun. Please provide quantitative and qualitative evidence to support your ludicrous claims.
Also, there is no state of Illonis. (there is Illinois though)