What has the American obsession with firearm ownership and the Irish obsession with alcohol have in common?

I wish to state from the onset that in my opinion both obsessions are dysfunctional and highly damaging to their respective societies. I like the definition of obsession as described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary “a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal”.

We will examine the American obsession firstly. President Obama has tried unsuccessfully since his election in 2008 to reform gun control in the USA with limited success. The power and control of the gun lobby and as some people describe it ‘Americans love affair with guns’ seem to block any attempts at genuine reform.

To many outsiders including Irish people, it is difficult to understand this obsession especially when you examine the deaths and injuries that the use/misuse of firearms has produced. In 2001 the September attacks also known as 09/11 was experienced as a dreadful and very painful event in American history with the loss of 2,996 lives and approximately 6000 people injured. Yet in 2015 over 13,300 people lost their lives and nearly 27,000 suffered injury due to the use of firearms across America. This is four times the total amount of fatalities and injuries suffered in the 09/11 attacks. In the same year the Washington Post reported nearly 1000 civilians across the USA were fatally wounded by police officers.

Some of the main concerns of the anti-gun lobby in the USA are;

• The easy availability of weapons and ammunition
• No restrictions on high-capacity weapons
• Insufficient background checks
• No restrictions on who can purchase guns such as people with mental health issues, criminal records etc.

Now let’s examine the relationship that Irish people have with alcohol. In moderation drink can be a part of an enjoyable and healthy lifestyle. In modern Ireland can you think of any celebrations we might have from birth to death that do not involve drink? When you think of christenings, communions, birthdays, weddings, funerals   etc. they all inevitably have people consuming alcohol. Is there a Christmas party, business function or any family celebration that does not involve alcohol? Even in sport, lots of club occasions and celebrations are fuelled by drink. Is there a GAA/Rugby club house anywhere in the country that has not got a bar?

During 2015 approximately 24 million euro was spent on advertising alcohol despite attempts in recent years to curtail advertising in this sector. In recent times the increased availability of alcohol can be seen for example in the five-fold increase in the number of off-licences in Ireland between 1990-2006. I believe a combination of all these factors normalises drink particularly for younger people and it is widely accepted as part of ‘our culture’. We seem to have a particular obsession in the national media with photographing famous people visiting Ireland enjoying a drink. Photographs of President Obama and before him President Clinton sipping a pint come to mind.

One of the statistics we have in common with the gun problem in America is the figure 1000 (in USA the number of civilians fatally wounded by police officers in 2015) and in Ireland it is the number of people who die yearly as a direct result of alcohol consumption. According to Alcohol Action Ireland, one quarter of all deaths in the 15-39 age group are due to alcohol. In addition to the sad loss of lives, there are huge health implications for a large number of people who abuse alcohol. A number of mental health issues may develop or are worsened by excessive drinking. For some people alcohol is used to self-medicate and for others to relieve the symptoms of anxiety or depression. Alcohol can also be a factor in suicide particularly with young men. The strain that it places on individual relationships and family relationships is almost impossible to quantify. It was estimated in 2013 that the total cost of absenteeism due to alcohol was €195 million and accidents at work accounted for another €185 million. In the same year it was also calculated that alcohol related illnesses cost the over-stretched health service in excess of 800 million euro.

So we might therefore conclude that both relationships cause a huge amount of damage to both societies. I would argue that people who see no difficulties with the gun or drinking culture are emotionally attached to reserving the status quo. Some may argue that both problems have a historical legacy. In both societies there is a denial from powerful interests of the extent of the damage. In Ireland the excessive use of alcohol may be linked to anxiety, a lack of self-esteem and an inability to deal with expressing our feelings and emotions. In the USA gun ownership may be linked to feelings of fear, anger, insecurity and an inability to deal with situations in a non-violent manner. So both obsessions may point to much deeper and underlying issues in both cultures.