Cultural Event Analysis

Blaire Beavers
Cultural Event
On Sunday, October 16th, I went to a Special Ops Gun show in Hilliard. I chose this event because I know nothing about guns, and for the most part, I do not like them. So to say I am not part of the gun culture is an understatement; it’s a culture I am completely distanced from due to growing up in Ohio’s most metropolitan city. The people I saw at this event are the same type of people I see at Field and Stream when walking into the mall. Most of them appeared to be over 30, there was hardly any children, and the majority were white -with the occasional racial minority here and there.
The easy answer to what is the purpose of this event would be to buy guns, but I’m not sure that’s the whole truth. While researching

where there was local gun shows, I came across a video by CNN breaking down the “Gun Show Loophole.” Before going to this event, I had heard of this term, but didn’t know exactly what this meant. The video explained the difference between buying guns in a store versus at a gun show. I noticed a few prominent differences such as stores have to be licensed where at gun shows, the sellers are doing “private sales” and don’t require any licensure. The most notable difference is the ability to get guns; stores require an ID from the buyer, then preform a background check on him or her. With this, the store is checking to see if the buyer is: a felon, a fugitive, a minor, addicted to an uncontrolled substance, committed to a mental institution, a serviceman thrown out of the military. If the buyer happens to be any of these, the process is stopped, and he or she cannot buy a gun. On the contrary, to buy at a gun show, no ID or background check is required whatsoever. If the seller simply “thinks” that the buyer would pass a background check, then he can walk out the door with an AK-47 now in his hands (which may or may not have a clean history.) It is obvious to see the type of dilemma this “loophole” creates. So the real purpose of these shows may not just be to buy guns, but it is a place for people who couldn’t normally buy guns to cheat the not-so-secure system.
It’s hard to say who exactly this event was created for, obviously for those who are interested in guns, but also perhaps those who shouldn’t have guns.

While having a gun in America is either portrayed as patriotic or even heroic, guns in the wrong hands in what gets the bad reputation. Within the culture, guns are used for a variety of reasons such as hunting, protection or simply just as collections. This culture likes to very closely relate the creation of this country to the ownership of guns, therefore protecting the 2nd amendment like it’s a patriotic duty. The media often can portray this as “redneck” behavior, which can be used a derogatory term. Others see redneck as a national pride characteristic for being a more authentic

American.
One of the biggest issues surrounding gun ownership is the demographic of who actually wants to own guns. As previously stated, gun ownership can be for a variety of reasons. For those who buy at gun show though, it’s more often than not for those who aren’t supposed to have guns. This can lead to believe that gun show culture is full of criminals or those who are mentally ill, neither of which I’d want to find myself with in a room full of guns. The problem here is there’s no way of knowing who is getting sold these guns. Before going into this, I wish I could’ve known the reason people buy guns at gun shows. Is it because they can’t buy at a regular store for legal reasons? Do they simple like the gun show culture?
At the event, the ownership of guns felt like it signified the same concept: power.

Whether it was power to kill animals, or power to protect one’s household, the message was felt throughout the venue. Along with power, gun ownership felt like the signifying of American pride. It was a simply because Americans can own guns, it means we should own guns type of thinking. This sort of thinking isn’t the type of patriotism I’m very familiar with, so it was interesting witnessing that mindset. Another semiotic I saw the presence of camouflage. This is most commonly associated with the hunting culture, but has more recently been seen as for all members of a community who simply like it as a pattern

design.
As someone who has very little experience with this type of culture, I can say I felt very out of place at this event. It wasn’t a severe as everyone-looked-and-stared type of out of place, but I definitely looked lost. After learning about who exactly can buy guns at a gun show, I couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy about my safety. This is mostly due to my lack of knowledge of guns. I didn’t if the guns were loaded, if all guns had safety mechanisms, how easy it would be to load a gun then and there.
People weren’t mean or unwelcoming, everyone seemed rather happy to be there. Something I did find rather odd was admission into the event, for men it cost $6, for women and children it was free. As a woman, I wasn’t sure exactly how to interrupt this at first. Could it be that it is old-fashioned thinking, and it is out of respect to the women and children? Is this a sexist practice admitting that women are incapable of paying for themselves? Or is it as blunt as not many women and children show up to gun shows, so they’re not really losing money anyway. I’m still not quite sure of the reasoning behind this. It is probably the most interesting food-for-thought I’ve ever had to process firsthand.
Cultural identity has no finite definition of what it is or isn’t. When thinking about it, the first things that come to mind for me are race, geographic location, religion and age. Something I don’t think of so often are hobbies and collections are a part of a cultural idtentity. After seeing how much I felt like an outsider, this is absolutely part of a cultural identity. I believe the reasons we ever feel “in” or “out” of a group is due to the lack of understanding of it. For example, if I knew more about guns, I certainly wouldn’t have felt so lost at this event. Even if I did brush up on my gun history and usage, I still don’t think I would feel 100% “in” with this culture. I’ve lived in Columbus my whole life, and there isn’t that much a gun ownership culture around here. Yes, people own guns. Yes, some people are part of that culture; it’s just not very present. So in the end, it’s extremely hard to feel like part of group or culture that just wasn’t present your whole life.
Growing up in the city, stereotypes are often heard about the culture that’s not yours. In this case, it wasn’t rare to hear that guns were only for hicks and thugs. Or that camouflage was only for “wannabe” rednecks. These types of labels are given because we are not in that culture. Does that make it okay? No. But it happens all the time, for nearly every culture. I hear the same thing about people from the city, that we’re snobs who hate the outdoors. Of course, these are created because different cultures don’t understand each other or are competing with one another. Each person’s own cultural background not only creates a personal identity, but also shapes how the world around him is viewed in his eyes. I think it is often forgotten that identity works both ways, how people see you and how you see people.
I would like to say my entire world view has changed because of this experience and I now love gun culture, but that’s not true. Gun culture still terrifies me. The Gun Show Loophole scares me even more. I will say living in the same city my whole life hasn’t given me a ton of opportunities to feel out of place, but this certainly did, which can be a good thing. The only way to stop stereotypes and mean labels about other cultures is to learn about them. The only way to learn about different culture is to experience them, whether that’s in person or a documentary. Knowledge gives us the power to find new appreciation when we’re not expecting it. Cultural identity makes an individual who they are, but it doesn’t make it the only identity that’s right.
Citations:
Smith, Aaron. "What Really Goes on at a Gun Show." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. Nov. 2016.