The Changing Politics of Guns in America

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide rates among adolescents of color rose sharply, and firearm injuries became the leading cause of death among children and youth. At the same time, firearm sales soared, changing the profile of American gun owners, and the political landscape of firearms altered amid groundbreaking US Supreme Court decisions, the National Rifle Association’s collapse, and the proliferation of firearm deregulation policies. This new period of gun politics has coincided with larger societal phenomena, including growing distrust of government, institutions, and one another. Together, these developments demonstrate an urgent need to rethink our messaging strategy around gun violence. Specifically, while trust in health institutions and experts remains low, invoking the language of public health may be not only insufficient but also counterproductive. Until public health engages proactively as a discipline with the social and political aspects of firearm ownership and understands guns as means of replacing fear and uncertainty with strength and self sufficiency, the field may find little success in reducing firearm deaths. This article discusses changes to the US gun landscape before, during, and after the pandemic, the Trump administration’s approach to the Second Amendment, and what it all means for the future of gun politics in America.