[ad_1]
The image of Kyle Rittenhouse walking the streets of Kenosha, Wis., carrying an AR-15 style rifle has been burned into the American consciousness. After his arrest, Rittenhouse was embraced by the right wing of American gun culture. Upon his acquittal, the National Rifle Association (NRA) tweeted text from the Second Amendment and the Gun Owners of America (GOA) called him a “warrior for gun owners.” These responses animate claims from the American left that Rittenhouse is a “poster child for the NRA and folk hero for the gun culture.”
I have spent the past ten years researching American gun culture. During that time, I have found gun culture and ownership to be more diverse than is often portrayed. Kyle Rittenhouse does not represent American gun owners today, either in his actions or his person.
It is true that the center of gravity of American gun culture has shifted definitively toward self-defense, what I call Gun Culture 2.0, and that AR-15 style rifles are favored among defensive rifle owners. But of the millions of gun owners who own approximately 20 million AR-15 style rifles, very few choose to publicly patrol with them during periods of social unrest. Fewer still end up using them in self-defense incidents as a result.
Such behavior is not encouraged in the mainstream of American gun culture. In my research I have spent hundreds of hours participating in and observing defensive firearms training courses. A consistent theme in these courses is for armed citizens to avoid situations in which they might have to defend themselves with a gun. Variations on legendary gun trainer John Farnam’s “Rules of Stupid” are often repeated: Don’t go stupid places with stupid people at stupid times and do stupid things. We know most gun owners observe these rules because in the rare occasions when they do not, it is national news.
From this perspective, Kyle Rittenhouse is not a folk hero but a cautionary tale.
Furthermore, although Rittenhouse might literally be put on a poster by the NRA someday soon, he does not represent the significant racial, gender, sexual, political, or attitudinal diversity that characterizes Gun Culture 2.0.
The statistically average gun owner in America has long been a conservative white male. The problem with averages is they hide underlying diversity. The average human being has approximately one testicle and one ovary, after all. Although the most typical gun owner may be politically conservative, the majority are not. As Jesse DeDeyne, Alonso Octavio Aravena Méndez, and I show in an article published in 2020, 20 percent of gun owners in America self-identify as politically liberal. Another two in five see themselves as politically moderate. New gun owners are even less conservative.
Although white men are still the modal gun owner overall, new gun owners are more diverse demographically, highlighting the changing face of American gun culture. Data from Northeastern and Harvard Universities on the great gun buying spree of 2020 show that half of new gun buyers were women, 20 percent were Black, and 20 percent Hispanic. News reports also highlight a surge in gun buying among Asian Americans.
Gun trainers I have interviewed report unusually high levels of interest among people of diverse genders and sexualities. According to membership director Eric Meyers, as the Liberal Gun Club swelled last year, the proportion of members who identify as L.G.B.T. also grew.
Although it is easy to do, we should not mistake high profile for representative.
Gun owners are a diverse mosaic and, consequently, more like you than you might think. Your relative, friend, or neighbor who keeps firearms for home defense or legally carries a concealed handgun in public is much more representative of gun culture and gun owners today than Kyle Rittenhouse is. By a long shot.
David Yamane is a professor of sociology at Wake Forest University and author, most recently, of “Who are the Liberal Gun Owners?” He is currently completing a book on American gun culture. Follow him on Twitter @davidyamane
[ad_2]
Source link
50612 548566Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the excellent info youve here on this post. I may well be coming back to your weblog for a lot more soon. 128038
931259 200610This is a fantastic internet page, could you be interested in doing an interview about just how you developed it? If so e-mail me! 274080
615227 160777if this post was likened to a flavor of yogurt, what flavor would it be? Banana, I think. 1799
540933 735865Sweet internet site , super pattern , quite clean and utilize friendly . 995450
721190 187009Enjoyed seeking at this, extremely great stuff, thanks . 52214
663337 288109Deference to op , some superb selective details . 792245
613514 794620Hello! I just wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great information youve gotten right here on this post. I will likely be coming back to your weblog for much more soon. 406506
345127 302644There is noticeably a lot to know about this. I believe you produced some good points in attributes also. 984160
606757 79838Hello. Wonderful job. I did not expect this. This really is a exceptional articles. Thanks! 993218
200040 810911This douche bag loves his illegal bretheren because hes a itiaen with the world and we need to be ashamed of ourselves I got news for you Asswipe get your asswiping ass back towards the craphole where you came from with all of your illegal beaners 433095
36763 901532Wonderful post, I conceive weblog owners ought to acquire a great deal from this web weblog its real user pleasant. 926373
906442 70847I gotta favorite this internet site it seems quite beneficial . 266692
225234 987464Superb read, I recently passed this onto a colleague who has been performing a little research on that. And the man truly bought me lunch because I came across it for him smile So allow me to rephrase that: Appreciate your lunch! 20244
703447 775865I love your writing style truly enjoying this web site . 292061
170346 917870Wow, incredible weblog structure! How lengthy have you ever been blogging for? you created running a blog look straightforward. The full appear of your website is wonderful, well the content! 543765
931187 409603Hey there. I want to to ask slightly somethingis this a wordpress internet log as we are preparing to be transferring over to WP. Moreover did you make this template all by yourself? Many thanks. 889414
113584 923309Oh my goodness! an exceptional write-up dude. Thank you Nevertheless Im experiencing issue with ur rss . Do not know why Cannot register for it. Could there be any person finding identical rss difficulty? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx 959994
514910 523959 You ought to take part in a contest for one of the finest blogs on the internet. I will recommend this website! 213076
327101 87339I enjoy your writing style actually enjoying this internet website . 512829
205292 397430I like your writing style genuinely loving this web internet site . 940335
747468 24167I come across your webpage from cuil and its high quality. Thnkx for giving this sort of an incredible write-up.. 125549