Assignment 1

Chronology

In 1791, the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It stated, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” It was not until the early 1900’s that this amendment was challenged. In 1911, the first state law requiring permits to carry any weapon that can be concealed was put into effect in New York. This law was called the Sullivan Act. Covering all state and federal regulations regarding gun control is out of the scope for this post, as there are thousands of laws at the state and local levels according to the National Rifle Association (NRA). However, there are several national events that have directed the path of the gun control movement, or the right to bear arms, depending on the side you take. It was not until the 1960’s that gun control became a prevalent social movement. After the assassination in 1963 of John F. Kennedy, an NRA member, followed by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Congress passed the Gun Control Act of 1968. This act was seen as a huge upset to the NRA, but a win for gun control advocates. Although it did not ban any weapons, the act did put restrictions on firearms sales, firearms dealers, transportation of firearms, and labeled who would be a prohibited possessor of firearms. In 1975, gun control advocates began to form social movement organizations to be able to fight the already established NRA. The National Coalition to Ban Handguns and Handgun Control Inc. were founded. At the same time, the NRA, an organization that was already well funded and well connected, created The Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). This branch of the NRA was created specifically to fight new gun control legislation and to try to overturn laws already in place at the local, state, and federal levels. The NRA’s first major victory came in 1986 when Ronald Reagan passed the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act. This act reformed some aspects of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Although this was seen as a victory for the NRA, it could also be seen as a victory for the gun control advocacy groups because at this time police organizations split from the NRA due to their being in favor of gun control ideas. In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Bill requiring a waiting period for firearm purchases, which was later changed to an instant FBI background check. In 1994, a ban on assault weapons was put into effect, although this recently was not renewed in 2004. Lastly, the most current event at the national level regarding the right to bear arms is the Supreme Court case of The District of Columbia vs. Heller. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for D.C. to ban handguns for private use. It also said it was unconstitutional to require people to keep their weapons unloaded in their homes. This is a major victory for gun rights advocates. This ruling is one of the first by the Supreme Court to say that the second amendment applies to the private person, not only militias. The battle between gun control advocates and gun rights advocates is far from over, and there will continue to be victories on both sides of the fence, both at the federal and state levels.

Mass Society Theory

Mass Society Theory, according to Goodwin and Jasper, states that social movements occur when society has lost other organizations to join, such as churches, unions, community groups, etc. These groups are seen as intermediaries between an individual and the government. When these groups do not exist for a certain cause, such as the right to bear arms or gun control, then a new social movement occurs. This could possibly be seen with gun rights activists before there were gun clubs, shooting ranges, or other local firearm organizations. Militias or survivalists could be possible groups these disenfranchised people join in order to protect what they believe are their rights. Militias can be defined as a military-type group set up by normal citizens. They are usually locally organized with no connection to other militia-type groups in other counties or states. Gun control and the right to bear arms are usually not topics that normal groups can deal with, especially when trying to enact/stop change in the government. This would cause the start and rise of the social movements for each side.

Cultural/Emotional Theories

In Goodwin and Jasper, they discuss the animal rights movement when describing cultural theories. Their example illustrates that because of change in technology, among other things, people were allowed to recognize nonhuman suffering. The same could be used when explaining the gun control movement. From 1791, the year the second amendment was ratified, to the early 1900’s, most people lived in rural areas, having to use guns to hunt, protect themselves from thieves, or possible Indian attacks. When the 1900’s came around, there were the beginning stages of police forces, more people lived in cities, and the technology of guns had changed dramatically since the 1790’s. People began to see the crime caused by guns, experience prominent figures being assassinated, and learn, through enhanced communications, about gun violence. This changed people’s attitudes towards the right to bear arms. People began to feel emotionally connected to gun violence victims, and the culture surrounding owning a gun began to change.

Resource Mobilization/ Political Process Theories

The theory that best describes the right to bear arms movement is the rational resource mobilization and political process theory. The National Rifle Association began as a shooting and hunting group, having nothing to do with gun rights advocacy. When the NRA began to see what they believed as an American right be challenged, they were able to gather the funds and the members necessary to affect the legislative process at the local, state, and federal levels. The NRA was able to evolve from a hunting and target range group to one of the biggest lobbying groups in the U.S., right next to the big tobacco lobby. The NRA also had, and continues to have, prominent members of their organization, including celebrities and people at all levels of the government, including some presidents. Because of the paid memberships and funding the NRA received from members, they were able to connect all the local gun clubs, shooting ranges, and firearm organizations together to further their agenda. Looking at the current NRA web site, there are links to laws, legislation from all levels of government, news, items to be concerned about, grassroots causes, and many other links which every member and non-member has access to.