2020 experienced the deadliest gun violence in decades, and the U.S. continues to lead the world in gun violence. The political left broadly seeks to address gun violence, while the political right typically offers thoughts and prayers after mass shootings and obstructs reform. The right invokes an inviolable constitutional right while restricting voting and civil liberties it opposes, indicating selective defense of rights that often aligns gun access with white privilege. Personal hunting experience can produce positive feelings about guns, yet political philosophy supports surrendering some weapon rights in civil society, and those mistreated have strong claims to defensive arms.
In addition to the pandemic, 2020 was marked by "the deadliest gun violence in decades." Since then, the US continues to lead the world in gun violence. Those on the left, broadly construed, profess to want to address gun violence. Those on the right, broadly construed, offer thoughts and prayers after each mass shooting and then obstruct efforts to address gun violence.
From a philosophical standpoint, I have also argued in favor of weapon rights as part of the right to self-defense. This justification does, of course, run up against another of my views in political philosophy. Stealing from Locke and Hobbes, I think that we give up some of our rights when we enter civil society and one can make a good case that this can include the right to possess certain weapons.
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