Black and white guns and fear :gun ownership in the U.S.A
Loading...
Date
2006
Authors
Uygun, Pinar
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kadir Has Üniversitesi
Open Access Color
OpenAIRE Downloads
OpenAIRE Views
Abstract
Silah sahibi birçok ABD vatandaşı, silahlarını kendilerini korumak amacıyla
bulundurduklarını söylüyorlar. İstatistikler ise ABD’de insanların silahlarını kendilerini
koruma amacından daha çok intihar olaylarında ve kasıtsız atışlarda kullandıklarını
gösteriyor. Buna rağmen yine de ABD’de kendini koruma duygusunun tahrikiyle yoğun bir
saplantıya dönüşen bireysel silahlanmanın temel nedeni, ABD vatandaşlarının paranoyası ve
korkusudur denilebilir. Bu paranoya ve korkunun kökleri ABD’nin kuruluş döneminde,
vahşetin ülkeyi keşfeden beyazların aktivitelerinde önemli bir rol oynadığı günlere uzanıyor.
Afrika kökenli ABD’liler sürgün (ailesinden ayırmak), kırbaçlama, dayak, tecavüz, sakatlama
ve hatta bir organı kesmeyi içeren uygulamalara tabi tutuluyorlardı. Bu sert koşullar sayesinde
kölelik düzeninin sürekliliği sağlanıyordu. Bazı bölgelerdeki koloni yönetimleri köleliğin
devam etmesini desteklemek amacıyla kolonistlere silah dağıtmayı düşünürken, kölelerin ve
hatta özgür Afrika kökenli ABD’lilerin hayatlarını kontrol etmek amacıyla “kölelik kuralları”
adında yasalar yürürlüğe sokuluyordu.
Çalışmamın birinci bölümünde ABD’nin kuruluş döneminde Afrika kökenli
ABD’lilere karşı sürdürülen uygulamalara, bazı eyaletlerin yasalarına değindim. İkinci
bölümde bu şartlarda silahların beyaz ABD’liler için önemini, Afrika kökenli ABD’lileri
silahsızlandırma ve onları beyaz egemenliğine karşı koyma yollarından mahrum etme
amacıyla yürürlüğe giren yasaları inceleyerek tanımladım. İkinci bölümde 18. yüzyılın ikinci
yarısında Ku Klux Klan ve diğer ırkçı örgütlerin beyaz ırkın üstünlüğünü korumak amacıyla
Afrika kökenli ABD’lileri korkuttuklarına, onlara karşı silahlı saldırılarda bulunduklarına
değinerek, yeniden yapılandırma döneminde (Reconstruction) Afrika kökenli ABD’lilerin
kalıtsal olarak vahşi, hayvani ve yıkıcı insanlar olduklarını, cezayı ve ölümü hakettiklerini
ima eden belirli ırkçı stereotiplerin kurgulandığını anlattım. Üçüncü bölümde medya
tarafından çizilen bir çok sterotipik davranışın aslında kölelik sisteminin zenciler üzerinde
bıraktığı uzun süreli olumsuz etkiler yüzünden kaynaklandığını ama medyanın bunun
belirtmeyerek beyaz üstünlüğünü onayladığını vurguladım. Ayrıca günümüz medyasındaki
ırkçı stereotipleri inceleyerek zencilere giydirilen olumsuz imajın beyazlarda bireysel
silahlanma ile sonuçlanan bir paranoyaya neden olduğunu belirtmeye çalıştım.
Most of the gun owners in the U.S. claim they possess guns for self protection. However statistics show that in the U.S. guns are more likely to be used in a suicide or unintentional shooting than in self-defense. Yet, still mostly, the reason for gun ownership in the U.S. is the U.S. citizens’ paranoia and fear which results in excessive obsession with the thought of self-protection. The roots of U.S. citizens’ paranoia and fear lies in the frontier era when violence played an important role in colonists’ life and actions. During the frontier era a great deal of violence which included family separations, whippings, beatings, rapes, mutilation and even amputations, strict laws and harsh punishments were applied especially to African Americans to ensure the continuation of the slavery system. While some regions’ colonial governments were willing to distribute guns in support of slavery, there were laws to control slaves and even free African Americans that were named “slave codes.” In Chapter I, I mentioned some states’ laws to exemplify the treatment of African Americans and land owners’ anxiety during the period. In Chapter II, I indicated the importance of guns for white Americans as I explained that this can be observed in the laws that were applied to disarm African Americans and deprive African Americans of the means of resisting the white domination. After the second half of 18th century the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacy organizations used guns, tortured and terrorized African American people to maintain white supremacy. Following these events, especially in the Reconstruction period, certain racist stereotypes were constructed which define African Americans as innately savage, animalistic and destructive people who deserve punishment and death. In chapter III, I pointed out that most of the sterotypical behavior of black people that media constructed is in fact the outcomings of destructive, long-term effects of slavery on African American people but the media ignores this reality, simplifies black violence and it simply affirms white supremacy. In Chapter III, I also examined these racist stereotypes in the contemporary media and explained that the negative images of black people result in additional fear among whites. I indicated that this fear has been responsible for a high level of access to guns.
Most of the gun owners in the U.S. claim they possess guns for self protection. However statistics show that in the U.S. guns are more likely to be used in a suicide or unintentional shooting than in self-defense. Yet, still mostly, the reason for gun ownership in the U.S. is the U.S. citizens’ paranoia and fear which results in excessive obsession with the thought of self-protection. The roots of U.S. citizens’ paranoia and fear lies in the frontier era when violence played an important role in colonists’ life and actions. During the frontier era a great deal of violence which included family separations, whippings, beatings, rapes, mutilation and even amputations, strict laws and harsh punishments were applied especially to African Americans to ensure the continuation of the slavery system. While some regions’ colonial governments were willing to distribute guns in support of slavery, there were laws to control slaves and even free African Americans that were named “slave codes.” In Chapter I, I mentioned some states’ laws to exemplify the treatment of African Americans and land owners’ anxiety during the period. In Chapter II, I indicated the importance of guns for white Americans as I explained that this can be observed in the laws that were applied to disarm African Americans and deprive African Americans of the means of resisting the white domination. After the second half of 18th century the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacy organizations used guns, tortured and terrorized African American people to maintain white supremacy. Following these events, especially in the Reconstruction period, certain racist stereotypes were constructed which define African Americans as innately savage, animalistic and destructive people who deserve punishment and death. In chapter III, I pointed out that most of the sterotypical behavior of black people that media constructed is in fact the outcomings of destructive, long-term effects of slavery on African American people but the media ignores this reality, simplifies black violence and it simply affirms white supremacy. In Chapter III, I also examined these racist stereotypes in the contemporary media and explained that the negative images of black people result in additional fear among whites. I indicated that this fear has been responsible for a high level of access to guns.