Violence in American Culture

To say that America is a violent culture might sound a little extreme, but we are definitely a culture that is enticed by violence. Our nation was forged in violence, even if the cause was just. The American Dream tells us that we have the right to get what we want when we want it. That is a belief that can act as a catalyst for violent actions when someone gets in the way of what we want. The infamous tales of rough cowboys living in the lawless lands of the west have only encouraged America's love for violence.

Professor Robert R. Dykstra claims that the wild west was no more violent than any other place in the country. "Dodge city had a low crime rate in the decade of 1876-1885." This may be true, but a low crime rate does not guarantee that there was no crime, just that it was not reported. A good modern day example of this is that the Antelope Valley has considered the methamphetamine capitol of the nation, but in reality there is more methamphetamine production and distribution in Los Angeles, there is just less of it being reported. The Antelope Valley has a higher rate of reported child abuse than Los Angeles, but not because there is more child abuse, but because there are more reported.

Three men killed during the O.K. Corral showdown.

History is full of events, such as the O.K. Corral shootout and the Blackwell gunfight, that show the violent customs of the west. David T. Courtright explains that the west was populated by cattle, mining, and lumbering frontiers. The western frontier's population was mostly single, young men surrounded by saloons and prostitutes, which would often stir up conflict that lead to gunfights.

There is one, of many, reports of a stabbing in the mining town of Atlanta, Idaho, where the suspect was drunk when he stabbed the victim and yet there was no arrest. Wild Bill Hickok was a famous gunfighter during his time, but he was shot and killed while playing poker. His killer, Jack Mcall, was tried but was later freed on account that his actions were for the sake of revenge. History is full of records of lawless towns infested with violent people.

Symbol of the Zodiac Killer.

In the 1960's the Zodiac Killer emerged. He killed several people, taunted the police, threatened school children, and inspired dozens of copycats. He has never been caught and his violence has practically idolized him to many people. Today he is not necessarily seen as a monstrous serial killer, but villain, much like those seen in movies whose actions can mesmerize an audience.

Though today we have more rules to keep us from being a violent country, we have those rules because we are constantly surrounded with violence in the media and news, and because at heart we are all still violent. Incidents like the Columbine Shooting or the Virginia Tech Massacre show that the violence in the media can have an influence on people and compel them to do horrific things.

James Holmes.

One of the most recent accounts of our violent culture was the theater shooting at Aurora, Colorado. James Holmes murdered many people during a showing of the Dark Knight Rises. People could not get enough of the story; they were so enticed by the incident they called horrific and the man they called a monster. He definitely is not idolized like many have idolized the Zodiac Killer was, but people he has a whole nation focused, though horrified, on his deeds.

America is very violent. Though we do not always show it, we think it. It was violence that created this nation and it is violence that will destroy it.