Intersectionality: a term that is gaining popularity as progressive politics make their way into the mainstream political arena. Students here at the College have started to include this word in their vocabulary, but how often do legislators think about the impact their policies will make on people of identities different than their own?
As we begin to talk about gun control and reform, it is important that people advocate for an intersectional solution. Historically, the United States government has implemented laws and regulations without thinking about or simply neglecting to acknowledge the repercussions such regulation would have on marginalized groups within this country. And as much as we would all like to view the solution to gun violence as the complete elimination of guns, that is simply not a realistic vision.
Though I am not an advocate of gun use in particular, I have recently had to step back and look at my privileges and analyze reasons why people may need one. I am a Black woman, and grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. I have never had to consider owning a gun to protect myself. But what about individuals who need to protect themselves? What if those individuals are people of color and are faced with a threat to their own safety?
It is uncommon for communities of color to automatically call the police when conflict arises, since historically, the police have often targeted these communities with violence themselves. A report released in 2015 by political scientists from Vanderbilt University revealed that the wait for police response time for emergency calls in communities of color (especially those of darker skinned) are longer than White communities.
As membership of hate groups rise and the tension within our political climate increases, people may feel an inclination to take and be in control of their own personal safety.
A report released by the Pew Research Center in 2017 revealed that the major reason for gun owners owning a gun was for protection. The United States needs to look at how all communities and those residing in them are being treated, in addition to how they are being protected or their lack of protection.
When gun control reform is discussed, the discussion often solely focuses on mass shootings. Unfortunately, gun violence within this country goes beyond schools, movie theaters and clubs. When discussing gun control reform, we additionally need to look at police brutality and the unjustifiable killings of unarmed Black, Brown and Native bodies perpetrated by police officers with guns given to them to “protect” society.
We, as a country, need to look back at our history and ensure that we will not repeat the actions which followed the United States government crackdown on the War on Drugs, which led to increased policing, stop-and-frisk practices and racial profiling within neighborhoods of color.
The discussion of gun control needs to include domestic violence and the correlation with firearms. The United States needs to look at the outrageous gun violence geared towards the LGBTQIA+ community, especially the targeting of transwomen of color. The discussion of gun control reform cannot exclusively be centered around White, cisgender, male or middle-class narratives.
It is imperative that we, the people, advocate for gun control that will not further oppress people of color, people from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrants, queer people and other marginalized groups within the United States of America. When the predominantly old, rich, White, male legislators in Congress are crafting gun reform legislation, they need to think policy change, but make it intersectional.
Monét Davis, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at MDavis19@wooster.edu.