Leading Expert on Fear addresses Gun Control

Feb. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- The firearm debate, specifically the use of the semiautomatic assault rifle, became even more heated after the mass killings in Aurora, Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, portraying fear-inducing images of children and adults being systematically shot by a gunman. While safety measures and future prevention of similar tragedies have become the focus of the debate, both sides are guided by exaggerated fear.

PRO:
1. Defenders of the second amendment right
2. Guns make women safer - semiautomatic weapons are their weapon of choice
3. Deserve the same freedom that government leaders keep for themselves
4. Deserve the same capabilities and same technologies that criminals use to pray upon them and their families

AGAINST:
1. Mandatory, universal background check for all gun purchases
2. Ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
3. Limit on the size ammunition clip
4. Lifting a freeze on gun violence research at the Center for Decease Control and Prevention

The pro-gun owners' reasons for possessing semiautomatic weapons are based on exaggerated fear, which is an assumption driven fear. The belief is that by giving up semiautomatic guns an individual will lose ones identity, power, the right to protect oneself and his family as well as the loss of his or her freedom to choose. They translate giving up one type of a weapon as giving up their second amendment right.

For people against firearms, the belief behind exaggerated fear is that possession of ANY firearm means more homicides, more danger for their family, children, neighborhood and overall unsafe society.  They translate having any type of a weapon as a potential cause for future tragedies, even if it is to be used only for hunting or sports.

Both sides experience the fear of loss. Each group firmly believes in holding tight to their convictions. They hold to all or nothing psychology.

These exaggerated fears are keeping both sides from finding the win-win solution. The conversation regarding WHAT firearms and WHO should be eligible to bear them should be the primary topic in the debate between the both sides. But why they are not taking this course of action?

The problem occurs once the fact-driven fear is replaced and substituted by the assumption-driven or exaggerated fears. The real danger becomes exaggerated once each side sees the other as the sole perpetrator and creator of their unsafe existence.

Pro-firearms owners fear that people against firearms will take their freedom away from using ANY weapon. The National Rifle Association (NRA), with 4.5 million members, benefits the most from these exaggerated fears and will promise its members the protection of their second amendment rights through the use of their influence in the House and Senate. Since the NRA spent 90% of its money to support pro gun Republicans, it is not surprising that 80% of these candidates won the House or Senate seat in 2012. Many other politicians, not endorsed by the NRA, are affected by the exaggerated fears of their constituents, who are either member's of NRA or gun shop owners. The fear of loosing the votes or funding became the primary concern of many good people caught in a bad system. This way they directly, or indirectly, support these exaggerated fears as well.

The anti gun supporters need to realize that their fears become exaggerated once they apply their belief to the society as a whole, since there are many law abiding citizens that are responsible gun owners. Politician's who support this approach, also out of fear not to loose future votes, need to understand their contribution in sustaining these exaggerated fears.

Until we lower the exaggerated fears on both sides, we will continue to focus on avoiding loss rather then focus on gaining mutual agreement.

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About Dr. Ivan Kos
In a world where negative thinking, self-criticism and fear often dominate the day, To Dare: It is Easier to Succeed than To Fail offers an antidote that empowers people with the ability to learn from fear, overcome negativity, and transform lives. To Dare explores the fears that we feel, day in, day out. Some fears are real and should be respected, but fears that are exaggerated and unfounded keep us from truly experiencing our lives and becoming fulfilled individuals. In To Dare, we discover how to use fear's energy to work for us rather than against us, and become the winners - personally and professionally - that we were born to be. Appealing to the same audience drawn to such bestsellers as What's Holding You Back, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and The Power of Positive Thinking, To Dare holds the key to the action solution for transformation. As a psychotherapist, lecturer, consultant and professor, Dr. Kos specializes in workshops on fear, leadership, optimal productivity, personal responsibility, and communication. Dr. Kos is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and a member of the International Association of Applied Psychology, among others, and lives in New York City.
http://www.amazon.com/To-Dare-Easier-Succeed-than/dp/1456...