Since 2002, I don't think that our culture and values have changed all that much. And if they were to be any different, I would say that it hasn't changed for the better. Americans are instilled with a certain fear where we expect the worse to happen and that is rarely the case. Yes, there have been numerous tragedies that have occurred, but the likelihood of something happening like that to daily, eventually to everyone, is very slim. Throughout the past decade, crime rates have gone down; yet, the fear of crime has gone up. How does that work? Like Michael Moore said, "people with this much fear should have such easy access to guns and ammo." Why? Because what is truly to fear?
Why are we so fearful of the unknown? Because society has such a strong influence on the people around them. Whether or not you believe that the media affects how you go about your daily life, in the end, it does in fact impact everyone. We are told what is right and what is wrong. We are told who is normal and who is different from the rest of us. We are told what social status is acceptable and what social status is not. Culture and values can change depending on where you are from, but overall how different can they really be when everyone witnesses what is going on in the country they call home.
The documentary showed us that everyone is affected by tragedies in a certain way and everyone has their own way of dealing with them. Nearly everyone interviewed in the documentary believed that gun control doesn't have to be strictly regulated and it is okay, even encouraged, to keep a loaded gun near you at all times. Is that the way to go about your fears though? Who is to say they have the right answer to this question? No one. In the end, people are going to do whatever they need to do in order to feel safe. When it comes down to it, they will protect themselves before anyone else.
