Individualism and the American gun debate

submitted by the League of Women Voters of Carrollton/Carroll County

At the January 23, 2023 Virtual Speaker Series organized by the League of Women Voters of Carrollton/Carroll County, Drs. Dylan McLean and Anthony Fleming of the Department of Civic Engagement and Public Service at the University of West Georgia advanced a convincing argument that research data has proven largely irrelevant to an understanding of the underlying unresolved issues on this controversial topic. Despite a massive amount of data on gun violence, numbers killed, numbers of incidents, etc., persons on either side of the ongoing gun debate seem to be unmoved to change their positions. On an individual level, a person who believes in the God-given right of Americans to hold guns doesn’t seem to question this view following a mass shooting resulting in multiple deaths. Likewise, a person who believes that gun ownership should be curtailed to protect the public, is equally unlikely to be swayed by evidence that a gun-owning civilian saved the day in a particular situation.

and “my family,” while gun control activists focus on “our community,” the “public,” and “our society.” Gun rights advocates believe in powerful individuals and weak governance; their hero is the “rugged individual.” Gun control advocates see themselves as members of society and of their communities and embrace the idea that individual rights must be balanced with consideration for the public good.

Despite a massive amount of data on gun violence, numbers killed, numbers of incidents, etc., persons on either side of the ongoing gun debate seem to be unmoved to change their positions.

The two groups hold very different world views.

Gun rights activists have consistently and successfully framed their argument through the American individualism lens, merging “object” gun and the “symbolic” gun into one. For them, guns are much more than an object. They are a symbol of personal freedom and for what it means to be an American. When there is a threat to the availability of guns, they consider it a threat to their personal freedom as an American.

fact, rev up the appetite of gun rights advocates for securing even more guns.

While the research conducted by Drs. McLean and Fleming focused on the views of these activists rather than a broad cross-section of citizens whose views on the subject may be more nuanced, it is important to note that the responses of the activists are widely expressed and have a significant impact on legislative policy.

The evening’s presentation also tracked the trajectory of legislative policy with regard to firearms. Dr. Fleming reported on a review of every New York Times article between 1960 and 2016 that dealt with interest groups, or the president or congress addressing the issue of firearms. All official statements about this matter from President Kennedy to President Obama were analyzed. This information included fascinating details from each presidential cycle. In summary, the presidents varied greatly in their public attention to firearms management, as did congressional action. In the 1960s, the mood of the Great Society was influential, with a focus on community issues and gun control. In the highly individualistic 1980s, the Firearm Owner Protection Act was signed into law by Reagan.

Reagan was the first president to speak at an NRA meeting; in 2005 a law was passed that prevents firearms manufacturers from being sued over harm caused by firearms.

Questions from the audience about the gathering of gun violence statistics by the CDC, and the voice of the Supreme Court in the debate, led to additional commentary supporting the presenters’ thesis that, in the gun

Drs. McLean and Fleming have conducted considerable research on this topic, examining the responses of a large cross-section of activists on both sides of the debate who have given very serious thought to questions of gun access and gun control.

In the process, it has become obvious to them that most of the views on both sides are motivated by the issue of “individualism.” Gun rights activists focus on privacy, “my rights,”

Gun Control advocates, on the other hand, have not had the luxury of “one good argument that works.” They continue to believe in the logic of gun bans, as, for example, for assault weapons. For most gun control advocates, a gun is an object - something that is useful in some circumstances, as for hunting - but they see no problem in controlling its access for the protection of the public.

Their strategies have shifted over time, however, from promoting bans to advocating for safe gun storage, education for responsible gun ownership and use, background checks, red flag laws, etc. They have learned that bans of any sort will be highly alienating and will, in