Gun culture in America
The US always had an infatuation with weapons that they’re making a very good business out of it. American gun culture is constitutionally protected by the Second Amendment to the US Constitution that says the right of the citizens to have firearms shall not be denied. Likewise, Mexico and Guatemala are the two other countires where legally keeping guns is protected by constitution.
As per recent data, every 100 Americans on average have 1.2 guns in their possession. 46% of the world’s total civilian gun supply is with Americans (an estimated 393 million of the 857 civilian guns available). No other nation has more civilian guns than the US.
In an article on the Scientific American magazine, author Sara Novak pointed out that from a largely utilitarian farm tool in the 1700s (hunting, pest control), guns had become a symbol of personal identity that “provide both a feeling of physical security and a sense of psychological solace.”
After the American civil war, psychological insecurities and racial fears gave rise to white Southern States former enslavers to amass firearms in their homes. To this day, long story short, it has transformed into a fixation to guns, with the perception of power and control to those who possess them.
Because gun possession and ownership in these Southern States is almost just like buying a bottle of Coke or a pack of smokes, fatal mass shootings mostly happen there, be it in schools, places of worship and malls.
Texas, the state where two fatal mass shootings happened, had their governor Greg Abbott against gun regulations, in a way encouraging its people to buy more guns. Politicians insensitively flaunt their weapons in public, like Tennessee representative Andy Ogles, who sent out Christmas cards with his family pictured in fornt of a Christmas tree brandishing assault rifles. He was heavily criticized last March on the death 3 children and 3 adults when a shooter, armed with a pistol and an assault rifle, entered a Nashville elementary school and began shooting.
This leads us to the NBA’s wannabe bad boy who has a home in Tennessee. For the second time in less than three months, he was seen on an Instagram post holding a gun. Technically, no law was broken but Ja Morant is representing the league and is one of its young, bright stars. As role model to kids who can easily be impressed by the actions of their idols, the need to have responsible judgement is of prime importance.
This incident have graver consequences as aside from being suspended from all Memphis Grizzlies team activities, he will reportedly be suspended from the league for a significant amount of time and a equally significant amount of money will be lost. Nike already pulled out his signature shoe from their app and Powerade likewise did so with their ads.
As per Spotrac, an online team and player contract resource, Morant, for the 2023-2024 season, is projected to recieve $33.5M if the salary cap is $134M. A 20game suspension would cost him $231,034 per game. A suspension of more than 20 games means he will lose a$304,545 a game.*