This essay uses anthropological theory on object-human relationships to reframe our understanding of racial gun violence. It argues that the demand for self-defense has altered the meaning of firearms and normalized racial gun violence. The essay traces legal, marketing, and engineering shifts that have increased concealed carry laws, racialized marketing tying gun ownership to self-defense, and the production of smaller, more powerful pistols. It then re-reads the Trayvon Martin murder, focusing on Zimmerman's weapon and its role in the killing and acquittal. The essay demonstrates how new materialist scholarship can help understand racial gun violence.
Publisher
Palgrave Communications
Published On
May 04, 2020
Authors
Brandon Hunter-Pazzara
Tags
racial gun violence
self-defense
anthropological theory
firearms
Trayvon Martin
marketing
new materialist scholarship
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