Racism linked to firearm ownership and resistance to gun control

In a recent study by the University of Manchester in Britain, Monash University in Australia, and a few other universities, a link between firearm ownership by white Americans with racism and resistance to gun control. As obnoxious as it sounds, the study actually has some compelling explanations to hold up the findings.

Using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES), which gives information about voters such as age, gender, education, opposition to gun control, income, and anti-government sentiments, the study researchers put in this information into logistical regression models along with indicators of racism and stereotypes about violent black men and looked for a correlation between the two factors. The regression model showed that for each one point increase in symbolic racism, there was a 50% increase in the odds of a white American having a gun in their home.

This does not mean that owning a gun makes you racist, but that racists are more likely to own guns and oppose the restrictions of gun control. The researchers believe this is tied with the fear of ‘the criminal black man’.

This study did not examine the historical role of racism in gun control legislation targeting black citizens.