Men, Masculinity, and the Gun Debate in America

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In the wake of the latest school shooting—according to a story published by CNN, there have been 14 school shootings in the U.S. so far in 2018—I wanted to dispel some of the myths being perpetuated. Whenever there is a tragic incident like this, it seems the last thing people (read: politicians) want to talk about is GUNS.

All too often, the issue of mental illness is brought to the fore. I am not saying that some of the individuals perpetrating mass shootings aren’t mentally ill, however, that is not the defining characteristic of a mass shooter. Here are some of the traits of mass shooters in the US identified so far:

1. They are almost universally (white) men;
2. a culture of toxic masculinity that makes men believe they should get a gun and shoot people with it;
3. social isolation or outright ostracizing;
4. a catastrophic sense of male entitlement, a history of domestic (or animal) abuse;
5. a connection to or affinity for the views espoused by the “alt-right” movement;
6. and finally a lack of coping skills to deal with the fact that everyone does not think that they are special.

We live in a culture that worships men with guns. A quick glance at our entertainment in terms of movies, literature, and even children’s programs shows the underlying message is violence is the way to solve problems (think of Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Charles Bronson or pop culture action heroes like Iron Man). In these narratives, the subscript is “might is right”. The good guy wins by overpowering the bad guy with weapons—often guns, super powers, or other similar means. So, if you’re a young man absorbing these cultural messages, it’s no wonder you want to solve problems with violence. Isn’t that what my role models from Hollywood would do?

So what can we do, collectively and individually, to address this problem? The first thing we can do is the lift the “cone of silence” that says we can’t or shouldn’t talk about guns and their role in the immediate aftermath of these incidents. Second, we do need to expand mental health resources available to young people in schools and the community — so we can catch warning signs and intervene early to get these individuals the help they need before they get to the point where violence appears to be the answer to their grievances (perceived and real).

The National Academy of Pediatricians recently issued a call for annual mental health screenings for all teens—not a bad idea. We need to have a dialogue about the availability of guns, especially the high capacity/military-style ones often used in mass shootings. That dialogue needs to balance the concerns of law-abiding gun owners with the need for protecting our children and ourselves from those bent on doing harm to others using a gun. Loopholes in the current system of background checks need to be closed and complied with to keep guns out of the hands of persons deemed not fit to buy or possess a firearm. Lastly, we ought to allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study gun violence as a public health issue (something the gun lobby, read: NRA), and their proxy—Congress—have stood against.

A more long-term solution lies in a number of groups promoting dialogue between groups with differing political views. For some examples, check out the website deliberative-democracy.net. The groups listed are reaching across the polarized divide in an effort to get past the current dysfunctional finger-pointing to identify areas of agreement from which concrete policies or actions can manifest.

In the case of men and their views of masculinity, in recent years researchers like Dr. Michael Kimmel of Stony Brook University are turning their attention to studying what it means to be a man. In other words, working on reshaping the prevailing paradigm of manhood/masculinity in our culture. Other groups, formed in the past few decades, for example the Rhode Island Men’s Gathering (RIMG) which I attend annually, convene meetings of men of all ages and backgrounds to talk about positive ways of relating to one another as men and dealing with the demands placed upon us as husbands, fathers, sons, friends, etc. These two emergent strategies are not quick fixes, but they represent a good start to helping men in America formulate a healthier sense of themselves and how to address conflict or obstacles they face in their daily lives.

We can’t just stand by and let the students from Parkland, FL shoulder this burden alone. Since the majority of mass shootings are perpetrated by males, it seems only fitting that men need to step up, speak out, lend support and help do something to stem this tide of uniquely American senseless violence.

The steps outlined above are no guarantee there won’t be future mass shootings in our country, but they represent a good set of first steps. Too many lives have been lost already. Let’s finally take some action.

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The original version was published by the author as an Article on his LinkedIn page; revised April 2018 for submission to goodmenproject.com
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