US culture of mass killings

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

... Switzerland has lots of guns, but they're regarded as mundane, kept at home. In the US, it approaches a fetish or even a religion.

Religious dedication seems to creep in everywhere in one form or another. The Pontifical Swiss Guard provides armed bodyguards for the Pope and requires that their members have completed basic Swiss military training in good standing, be Catholic and take an oath of allegiance to the Pope.

... And yes, culture. Think of all the wild west folklore, the western movies, where one or a few "good guys" with guns defy and defeat a bunch of crooked land barons/ rustlers / outlaws / corrupt officials etc. ... There is no single factor that is "the" explanation, and so there is no single action that will fix the problem.

I saw what you did there, implying that Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger, Paladin and not even the Cisco Kid can save us.

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by sexobon

Religious dedication seems to creep in everywhere in one form or another. The Pontifical Swiss Guard provides armed bodyguards for the Pope and requires that their members have completed basic Swiss military training in good standing, be Catholic and take an oath of allegiance to the Pope.

So, that explains it! The reason why about a dozen or so Swiss Guards in a largely ceremonial position don't run amok and kill busloads of children visiting the Vatican is because they're afraid a nun will rap them across the knuckles.

Works for me.

So what's the skinny on all the rest of the non-Catholic Swiss fondling their military issued weapons back home in the Alps?








dropped off since it was along the way, anyhow by a Navajo on the war path