If we’re still having these same conversations

If we’re still having these same conversations, this problem isn’t reducible to any one combination of these things. If we are to make progress on gun violence in this country, we need to interrogate the core of this crisis.

America has a disturbing fixation on guns. We have nearly 400 million of them in civilian hands alone – more than one firearm per person in America.

What many fail to consider is that, historically, as with many punitive laws, gun control legislation has been disproportionately applied to Black people and Black communities.

Still, we do have a profoundly bizarre attachment to our weapons. This attachment is unique amongst our economic peers and supported by our powerful gun lobby, preventing even the most basic regulations — but only to the extent that it affects white people.