Blackneto's Journal: wrote this yesterday...

the question was:"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than hands?" - Ernest Gaines

My answer was:

I hold hand's with my son.
I've held the hand of a man wounded and dying.
I've locked elbows with an elderly and blind men, helping them across the room/road/porch.

But I'm not sure that even men that are closer than brothers are inclined to hold hands if it's not to aid the other or to greet them.

even without a 'gay' connotation I don't think it's in the biological makeup of human males to have intimate personal contact without reason. This includes contact with women.

I remember as a boy the first time I didn't want to hold hands with my father as I crossed the street. I wanted to be a big boy. I could do it without his help, even though I would have freaked out if he wasn't there.

I still hug my father when I see him even though we don't get along. but when we part, we shake hands. The same 'rule' applies with my little brother.

I look forward with trepidation the day my son says 'dad I don't need your help' when walking across the parking lot or across the street. But I'll look down with pride that he's taking a bigger step towards the independence he needs to get on in the world.

I believe seeing 2 healthy men hold hands makes other males uncomfortable because they instinctively think that somethings wrong. 'is one of them hurt, blind, crippled?' 'They are just gay' probably isn't the first thought of a healthy man. Then again with society today who knows.

When I see two men holding guns, rifles, compound bows, whatever, If they are at the range or out on the farm I don't worry. Because they are taking part in an activity that they enjoy.
But if i were to see those same two men, law enforcement, military or otherwise in a school, bank, or even on the street in an offensive posture I would be worried. Because these men intend to do harm.

In China...

[eglamkowski]

it is quite acceptable for members of the same sex to hold hands, even men, and nobody will think of them as being homosexual.

The practice is vastly more widespread amongst women in China, but you do see it sometimes amongst the men.

Iranians

[Philip K Dickhead]

Do too. No sex thing at all. They tend not to be homophobic in the western sense of producing anger and disgust - thinking instead that male homosexuallity is absurd and humorous. Female homosexuality is not believed to really exist.

Re:Iranians

[nizo]

If I recall correctly this is a muslim thing; two male friends walking along will typically hold hands. Though that makes me wonder, since they have a distast for the left hand, how the hell they hold hands without using their left hand. More investigation is needed.

Re:Iranians

[Philip K Dickhead]

Persians, who have been sanitary for millenia, have no awkward feeling about left hands.

Arab culture views the right for eating and left for wiping. Another reason that Persians are chauvinistic towards the Arabs.

you really should post more.

[Em Emalb]

You have a lot of earned wisdom some folks on here could use.

Share it more.