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| What the Owner of an AR-15 Sees in Every Single Place He Goes | What the Owner of an AR-15 Sees in Every Single Place He Goes |
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| In addition to the horrifying security camera footage of the shooter who killed six people, including three children, at the Covenant School in Nashville last week, there emerged some less publicized but no less disconcerting images: photos, apparently obtained from social media, of assault-style weapons belonging to the shooter. These guns were emblazoned with adolescent slogans (“hellfire”) and decorated with stickers that might have appeared on the deck of a skateboard: the logo of the fashion house Stüssy, a blue-and-red illustration similar to work by the graphic artist known as Kaws, a maroon globe of uncertain provenance. | In addition to the horrifying security camera footage of the shooter who killed six people, including three children, at the Covenant School in Nashville last week, there emerged some less publicized but no less disconcerting images: photos, apparently obtained from social media, of assault-style weapons belonging to the shooter. These guns were emblazoned with adolescent slogans (“hellfire”) and decorated with stickers that might have appeared on the deck of a skateboard: the logo of the fashion house Stüssy, a blue-and-red illustration similar to work by the graphic artist known as Kaws, a maroon globe of uncertain provenance. |
| These weapons did not call to mind the .30-06 rifle I use for deer hunting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or any other gun I have ever handled. At first I did not even register them as belonging to the same category of object. They reminded me of the guitar I owned as an angsty ninth-grader, with its Ralph Nader campaign sticker and the phrase “This machine kills fascists” written in permanent marker in imitation of Woody Guthrie. These guns were lethal weapons, yes. But much as my guitar was not only a musical instrument but also a medium for (dorky and clichéd) personal expression, the guns were acts of and occasions for speech. | These weapons did not call to mind the .30-06 rifle I use for deer hunting in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or any other gun I have ever handled. At first I did not even register them as belonging to the same category of object. They reminded me of the guitar I owned as an angsty ninth-grader, with its Ralph Nader campaign sticker and the phrase “This machine kills fascists” written in permanent marker in imitation of Woody Guthrie. These guns were lethal weapons, yes. But much as my guitar was not only a musical instrument but also a medium for (dorky and clichéd) personal expression, the guns were acts of and occasions for speech. |
| Understanding the cultural appeal of AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles like those used in Nashville may not be as urgent a matter as the policy question concerning their availability. Indeed, though I generally support gun rights, I favor imposing restrictions on the manufacture and ownership of AR-15-style weapons. But the problem is deeper than the guns themselves — not just the existence of the evil people who pull the triggers but also the specific place these weapons occupy in American life and the logic by which their ownership seems justifiable to enthusiasts. | Understanding the cultural appeal of AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles like those used in Nashville may not be as urgent a matter as the policy question concerning their availability. Indeed, though I generally support gun rights, I favor imposing restrictions on the manufacture and ownership of AR-15-style weapons. But the problem is deeper than the guns themselves — not just the existence of the evil people who pull the triggers but also the specific place these weapons occupy in American life and the logic by which their ownership seems justifiable to enthusiasts. |
| The AR-15 is situated at the intersection of a relatively innocent hobbyism and the sinister mainstreaming of features of the militia culture of the 1990s, even among people who lead law-abiding lives. The primary selling point of the AR-15 is that it can be endlessly modified, configured, reimagined. It can become louder or quieter, easier to carry, wield, fire and reload, or more lethal. It is meant to be combined with a seemingly endless array of customizable stocks and grips, blast mitigation devices, piston uppers and conversion kits. These components are themselves paired with a vast assortment of accessories — vests, helmets, straps and other gear unfailingly designated as “tactical.” | The AR-15 is situated at the intersection of a relatively innocent hobbyism and the sinister mainstreaming of features of the militia culture of the 1990s, even among people who lead law-abiding lives. The primary selling point of the AR-15 is that it can be endlessly modified, configured, reimagined. It can become louder or quieter, easier to carry, wield, fire and reload, or more lethal. It is meant to be combined with a seemingly endless array of customizable stocks and grips, blast mitigation devices, piston uppers and conversion kits. These components are themselves paired with a vast assortment of accessories — vests, helmets, straps and other gear unfailingly designated as “tactical.” |
| It is this adjective, and the ubiquity of references to “tacticians” in advertising copy, review sites and hobby forums, that suggests the baleful aspect of AR-15 culture. Who exactly is practicing these tactics, and where and for what purpose? What this “tactics” business signals is not so much a commitment to action (the overwhelming majority of those who own AR-15-style weapons are law-abiding) as a general frame of mind. To the would-be tactician, every place that humans inhabit — housing developments, apartment complexes, stores, strip malls, hotels, churches, hospitals and, yes, schools — is another opportunity to imagine oneself taking part in military-style maneuvers. Where would you go for cover if you were here? How would you hold this position? What weapons and gear would you use? | |
| Such mental habits may be usefully cultivated in the training of U.S. Special Forces. But at a time of social atomization, racial unrest, increased crime rates and widespread drug abuse, it is harder to see the upside of instilling this paranoid attitude among millions of ordinary Americans who otherwise show no indication of moving to remote Montana and stocking ammo for the day the black helicopters arrive. |