Empty Casings
Pic by - Adam GonzalesIt was yet another perfect Texas day as I walked through my campus, the crystal clear sky only broken by the interruption of multi-story buildings. It almost disheartens me to think of how I have grown so accustomed to being surrounded by buildings of (in my opinion) near skyscraper proportions. A few years ago I would have marveled at anything bigger then a two story house as there wasn't much else then that in the small Texas cow-town I come from.
This day would not have been eventful at all in my life if it wasn't for one minor detail. As I passed under the shade of a tree, walking along the sidewalk, I noticed a couple discarded bullet casings laying on the sidewalk. The thing of interest that made me remember this day wasn't the fact that I found casings on the ground, but the fact that I continued walking uninterrupted past them without really giving them a care in the world.
In retrospect of this action, I started thinking of how this occurrence isn't something that can occur anywhere in the world. I've grown up with guns as many Americans have. I have friends that go out and hunt regularly and keep full gun closets. Personally I've never owned anything bigger then a BB gun, but I've passed by people in my apartment complex who where out handling rifles on their porch... and it didn't even occur to me at the time that what they were doing could terrorize or been seen negatively by others.
The reason I started pondering the subject of acceptance of firearms worldwide is mostly because I am moving to Japan soon. In Japan, firearms are illegal, even to the point that many of the police don't event carry them. I was reading a national Japanese news source and found it weird that for them, it was worth mentioning when cops had to fire a shot "at" a man wielding a knife. Something of that caliber might make the local news at most for much of America.
I can not help but wonder how someone would respond in Japan if they came across empty casings laying on the street. Would they pick them up as souvenirs? Alert the authorities? Or kick them idly and walk on without a care in the world much like I did?
I'm not even in Japan yet and I think my own mind is driving culture shock onto me with topics like this.
This day would not have been eventful at all in my life if it wasn't for one minor detail. As I passed under the shade of a tree, walking along the sidewalk, I noticed a couple discarded bullet casings laying on the sidewalk. The thing of interest that made me remember this day wasn't the fact that I found casings on the ground, but the fact that I continued walking uninterrupted past them without really giving them a care in the world.
In retrospect of this action, I started thinking of how this occurrence isn't something that can occur anywhere in the world. I've grown up with guns as many Americans have. I have friends that go out and hunt regularly and keep full gun closets. Personally I've never owned anything bigger then a BB gun, but I've passed by people in my apartment complex who where out handling rifles on their porch... and it didn't even occur to me at the time that what they were doing could terrorize or been seen negatively by others.
The reason I started pondering the subject of acceptance of firearms worldwide is mostly because I am moving to Japan soon. In Japan, firearms are illegal, even to the point that many of the police don't event carry them. I was reading a national Japanese news source and found it weird that for them, it was worth mentioning when cops had to fire a shot "at" a man wielding a knife. Something of that caliber might make the local news at most for much of America.
I can not help but wonder how someone would respond in Japan if they came across empty casings laying on the street. Would they pick them up as souvenirs? Alert the authorities? Or kick them idly and walk on without a care in the world much like I did?
I'm not even in Japan yet and I think my own mind is driving culture shock onto me with topics like this.
posted by BrookieDragon at 10:15 AM
1 Comments:
I've read it all and like it all. Your page has "Brookie" all over it. I especially like the observation in the very last paragraph of "gun casings". And your tribute to your friend was moving.
And thanks for your links to the Mainichi articles! It's been a couple of years since I've been to that site, and now I know where to find the best ones-- I think I'll stick to your selections and comments.
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