Stand Your Ground and George Zimmerman

by mnader123

I just wanted to post this exchange. I think it is very interesting how Ted Cruz makes the (I think valid point) of how stand your ground had nothing to do with the Zimmerman verdict.

Gun Sales on Facebook

by emiliejenks

I came across an interesting video that aims to depict how rapidly and easily firearms are being sold on Facebook.  Personally, I find this very disturbing because it enables individuals to buy, sell and trade guns without regulation.  Although the actual sale or exchange does not take place on Facebook, the website links those wishing to participate in these practices. This allows for individuals of any age or criminal background to gain access to firearms without any questions being asked.  In my mind, this aids in the perpetuation of gun sales to those who shouldn’t have them – which leads to events such as Sandy Hook.  I am interested to see in what others think about this issue.  Is Facebook enabling the sale of guns to its users or are they simply providing a forum for like minded individuals to share their interests? Should these groups be regulated?

http://www.upworthy.com/the-photos-facebook-doesnt-want-you-to-see-are-a-whole-lot-better-than-the-ones-it-does

http://venturebeat.com/2014/02/26/exclusive-buying-a-gun-on-facebook-takes-15-minutes/

Viktor Mitic’s Bullet Hole Paintings

by rsimonse

“More people probably hold a gun in their hand than hold a paint brush” (Viktor Mitic).

Presumably, inspired by the above notion, Canadian painter and sculptor, Viktor Mitic, has created an installation called “Art or War,” in which he uses guns to trace the outline of iconic images, featuring such diverse characters as Osama Bin Laden and Jesus(!). We might here ask how this recent art work compares to the shotgun paintings of Hunter S. Thompson and William Burroughs.

http://www.artorwar.com/Art_or_War.html

Zombies in the News

by emiliejenks

In connection with our class today, I came across this section of The Huffington Post that is entirely dedicated to news associated with the “Zombie Apocalypse”.  I found this really interesting because it shows how prevalent the idea of and fear of a zombie apocalypse is within American culture.  The Huffington Post is a large news outlet that reports all over the world about a variety of issues: news, politics, business, etc. – it is largely considered to be reputable.  So I find it interesting that one of the most prevalent news organizations is dedicating so much time, space and journalistic resources  to an idea that is considered to be a fairy tale by some, but clearly is considered as a serious impending issue by others.

I am interested to see what people think about this.  Do you think zombie news has a place in the mainstream reporting of news?  What effects do you think this could have/already has over society? (i.e. creating fear)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/zombie-apocalypse/

Gender and Gaming

by rsimonse

Following up from last class, gender is arguably an important factor for any discussion about ethics, violence, and gaming. The following article addresses gamer demographics  according to gender:

The gender inequality in core gaming is worse than you think

We might ask a series of related questions in this regard: to what extent do popular video games reproduce structures of gender inequality (think of GTA, for example)? If sexism and racism are both considered forms of “objective” violence, how might we begin to interrogate the relationship between overt acts of aggression in video games and more subtle, ideological forms of violence? What role does “stereotyping” play in this context? Such questions could form the basis for an essay topic.

Gun Control

by rtasson2

I came across this picture the other day on twitter. I believe that this picture holds a lot of controversy and the hypocrisy in American towards gun control. In class, we have discussed whether or not we would feel safe if we saw someone walking around with a gun. We all view guns as a dangerous weapon, however, it is used at the same time to protect people. Cops, most security guards and any type of guard figure has a gun as back up with the intention for criminals to fear them. To ensure society and authoritative figures safety, a gun is used for protection. Whereas, in elementary and high schools they have signs that say gun free zones, yet, shootings still occur. I think this creates a huge inconsistency between viewing a gun as a weapon of protection, and using it only for those means.

Adam Lanza’s Father: Article Profile

by rsimonse

I just came across this piece about Peter Lanza (the father of Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter):

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/03/17/140317fa_fact_solomon

I haven’t absorbed the entire article yet, but it touches on several themes that bear repetition: mourning, trauma, and the aftermath of violence, for example.

Crips and Bloods Documentary

by rsimonse

I watched this documentary some time back, and, while it is somewhat sensationalist at times, it provides a useful context for understanding gang violence in LA, the setting for Boyz n the Hood.

Women and Self-Defense

by rsimonse

Looking forward to our upcoming class on gender, I thought we could start a thread examining recent cases concerning women’s use of guns to defend themselves.

This particular story proved quite controversial in the US: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/28/us-usa-florida-shooting-alexander-idUSBRE9AR0MK20131128

Approaching this incident, it might be helpful to refer to Florida law: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0776/Sections/0776.013.html

And, apparently, Florida is now seeking to expand the so-called “stand your ground” clause of its self-defence statute to include the “threat of force”: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-lawmakers-vote-to-expand–stand-your-ground–law-200940342.html

Myth of the Gun

by stevefromclass

Since it keeps coming up in class, I thought this video on the subject of how guns are viewed in America (in relation to video games) would be helpful.