Do Feminists Support gun control?
It is undeniable that we live in a gender stratified society, and violence against women is no stranger to this. In all levels of the animal kingdom including humans, physical intimidation and coercion is widely used to gain dominance over certain groups. Due to biological, environmental, and social conditioning, men more often than not have a physical advantage. This means that women are at a disadvantage in an attack and also, are more susceptible to intimidation and compliance when faced with a physical threat from a male.
This is where the gun comes in. Some call the gun "the great equalizer." If we lived in a world where not a single person possessed a gun, these differences in men and women would lead to women being at a disadvantage in conflict, at higher risk of abuse, and dominance in general. In a world where everybody owns a gun, the playing fields have been leveled. Men would be "picking on somebody their own size." A gun is no more lethal in the hands of a man than it is in the hands if a woman. Because the male population owns guns at a much higher rate, women are killed by men with guns at a much higher rate, rather than women with guns. Also, if everyone owned a gun, it is undeniable that gun related murders (self defense or not) would rise. This is an interesting concept to think about, however gun rights are not about everyone toting guns, but rather that guns be accessible to all law abiding citizens. Perhaps without America's strong gun rights, women would be at more of a disadvantage.
England has extremely strict gun control laws. All private ownership of handguns and assault weapons have been banned for a decade. Despite this, twice as many women are sexually assaulted every year compared to America (208,000 vs over 400,000). In England, owning guns was not a right, it was a privilege that was taken away when an incident similar to Sandy Hook took place in England. Since the all out ban on gun ownership, England's violent crime rates soared above America's.
This is where the gun comes in. Some call the gun "the great equalizer." If we lived in a world where not a single person possessed a gun, these differences in men and women would lead to women being at a disadvantage in conflict, at higher risk of abuse, and dominance in general. In a world where everybody owns a gun, the playing fields have been leveled. Men would be "picking on somebody their own size." A gun is no more lethal in the hands of a man than it is in the hands if a woman. Because the male population owns guns at a much higher rate, women are killed by men with guns at a much higher rate, rather than women with guns. Also, if everyone owned a gun, it is undeniable that gun related murders (self defense or not) would rise. This is an interesting concept to think about, however gun rights are not about everyone toting guns, but rather that guns be accessible to all law abiding citizens. Perhaps without America's strong gun rights, women would be at more of a disadvantage.
England has extremely strict gun control laws. All private ownership of handguns and assault weapons have been banned for a decade. Despite this, twice as many women are sexually assaulted every year compared to America (208,000 vs over 400,000). In England, owning guns was not a right, it was a privilege that was taken away when an incident similar to Sandy Hook took place in England. Since the all out ban on gun ownership, England's violent crime rates soared above America's.