Guns and public health

October 22, 6:45 PMDenver Gun Rights ExaminerDan Bidstrup

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In keeping with the coming trend of treating gun violence as a public health issue, I think it helpful to point out that those of us with guns can positively affect public health.  We can help treat Hoplophobia in the general public. Hoplophobia is the fear of firearms or weapons in general.  Colonel Jeff Cooper claims to have invented the term and said "the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user."  Another common manifestation is the belief that anyone carrying a gun in public will certainly shoot someone, and probably shoot the person suffering from hoplophobia. 

One of the basic treatments for phobias is called systematic desensitization or exposure therapy . This was developed and used in 1958 by Dr. Joseph Wolpe.  It involves gradual familiarization with the feared item or event which leads to an abatement of the phobia.   A simple description of the treatment comes from Anxietybc.com, using the example of fear of dogs:


Concerned citizens have recently stepped up their efforts to desensitize the public to the presence of guns.  At rallies like the one in Arizona, people wear their guns openly, while exercising their freedom to assemble and seek redress of grievances from the government officials.  None of these events has yielded a shooting, not even a legitimate arrest.  That helps the folks with phobias see that regular people carry guns and the guns don't make them murderers. There are outright educational events such as the bring-your-guns-to-church event  in Kentucky which also passed without any violence at all.

Another treatment for a phobia is to develop a positive association with the feared item to replace the negative one.  Again, helpful gun advocates have stepped up to the service of public health. Eric Puryear, the Self Defense Examiner, serves up a daily dose of great stories from across the nation where people with guns have defended themselves from robbery or rape or death. Roughly every 13 seconds someone in the US uses a gun to stop a crime in its tracks.  This is a good thing.  Hoplaphobes should read his column daily to reinforce the notion that guns are tools that can be used in a positive manner.

Finally, gun advocates should be sensitive to the needs of their co-workers, friends and neighbors.  At appropriate times and places, discuss the second amendment to our constitution and the legitimate needs and uses for firearms in modern society.  Help debunk the OK Corral mindset many of them have.  I discussed this in the column I carry a gun...and I buy groceries. We have common ground with the hoplophobes, deep down.  We are just regular folks who seek safety for ourselves and our families, and are mindful of the preciousness of liberty.  Help them see the truth.