Race, Fear, and Firearms: The Roles of Demographics and Guilt Assuagement in the Creation of a Political Partition

• Published in: Journal of African American studies (New Brunswick, N.J.) Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 63 - 73
• Main Authors: Primm, Eric, Regoli, Robert M., Hewitt, John D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer 01.03.2009; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: African Americans; Attitudes; Beliefs; Criminal justice; Criminal law; Criminals; Criminology; Culture Conflict; Debates; Demographics; Demography; Ethnicity; Fathers; Fear; Fear of crime; Firearm laws & regulations; Firearms; Guilt; Gun Control; Guns; Ideology; Interpersonal Relationship; Legislation; Legislators; Liberalism; Minority Groups; Political debate; Political Divisions (Geographic); Political Science; Politics; Race; Racism; Regional and Cultural Studies; Rural Areas; Rural Population; Social psychology; Social Sciences; Sociodemographic Factors; Sociology; Violent crimes; Weapons; New York; United States > US; Racism; Gun politics; Gun control
• ISSN: 1559-1646; 1936-4741
• DOI: 10.1007/s12111-008-9066-1

The current political debate over guns and gun control is a relatively recent phenomenon going back only 40 to 50 years. To many observers today, the partisan lines drawn on this issue seem perfectly logical and inevitable: just another front on the ideological battlefield between liberals and conservatives. However, few observers seem to critically examine the origins of this particular battlefront and the way these lines were drawn. How and why did those on the political-left become crusaders for "sensible" gun control laws while those on the political right became defenders of the Second Amendment? Our research suggests a combination of factors, including demographic shifts and the historical linking of racial and ethnic minority groups with violent criminal behavior ultimately led to this political division.