World News Korner

Racism linked to gun ownership.

Courtesy of Futurity:

A new study finds higher levels of racism in white Americans is associated with having a gun in the home and greater opposition to gun control policies.

After accounting for numerous other factors such as income, education, and political ideology, the researchers found that for each one point increase (on a scale from one to five) in symbolic racism there was a 50 percent increase in the odds of having a gun in the home and a 28 percent increase in support for policies allowing people to carry concealed guns.

Each one point increase in symbolic racism (a modern measure of anti-black racism) was also associated with a 27 percent increase in the odds of opposing bans on hand guns in the home. After accounting for those who already had a gun in the home, the odds were reduced to a non-significant 17 percent increase. However, the authors note that this reduction is unsurprising as opposition to bans on guns equates to self interest on behalf of those who already own a gun and do not wish to give it up.

And racism was already strongly associated with having a gun in the home.

Cannot say I am surprised by this one.

Considering this is it any wonder that gun sales spiked as soon as an African American moved into the White House?

Source