RACE, RIGHTS, AND RIFLES

An exploration of the foundations of America’s commitment to guns.

Filindra, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois, Chicago, argues that contemporary gun-rights advocacy, as expressed by the National Rifle Association and various militia groups, is most firmly rooted not in libertarian ideals but in two guiding, if sometimes masked, assumptions: that citizens’ armed readiness is a crucial element of political virtue and that white males are the only legitimate exemplars of patriotism. Drawing on a range of historical texts as well as original survey data, the author traces a lineage of arguments for individual gun ownership from the American Revolution to the present day. “White Americans developed an intersectional racialized and gendered theory of the Republic, which elevated White men alone as virtuous citizens,” writes the author. This is a deeply informed, persuasive book, offering a compelling overview of how Americans became militarized and how that militarization is increasing. Among the most striking sections are those in which Filindra systematically demolishes the NRA’s claims about the usefulness of an armed populace and the perils of leaving any group of citizens without the means to defend themselves with violence. As the author clearly demonstrates, rather than acting as a bulwark against tyranny, the veneration of guns has contributed to the rise of extremist organizations such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and, more generally, to “violent radicalization, support for political violence, and support for anti-democratic norms.” Though the author underscores the deep and long-standing appeal of so-called martial republicanism in the U.S., along with the significance of recent legal decisions that would seem to block attempts at gun control, she also points to a redemptive countertradition: An “inclusive civic republicanism” that emphasizes “multiculturalism and peaceful political activism” has its own profound legacy in the nation and might, if given enough encouragement, prove salvific.

An enlightening, timely study of the evolution of arguments about gun ownership.