Guns and Contemporary Society: The Past, Present, and Future of Firearms and Firearm Policy [3 Volumes]

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Glenn H. Utter
Bloomsbury Academic, 2015 - 976 pages

This three-volume set examines various approaches to firearms, including constitutional and legal issues, public health and criminal justice concerns, and perspectives on personal safety and self-defense.
Recent mass shootings have led to renewed calls for additional legislation at the state and federal levels to address gun access and control. In this hard-hitting compilation, experts delve into various aspects of firearms in America--from gun control and gun rights to militia movements, to school-related shootings, and to the recent trends in gun ownership by women. Authors from varied backgrounds and viewpoints share their perspectives on the pros and cons of firearm ownership as all of the following: a constitutional right, a key instrument of self-defense, a guarantee of political freedoms, and as a major factor in crime and personal injury.

The reference is divided into three volumes. The first volume covers firearm history, legislation, and policy; the second volume explores public opinion, gun ownership trends, international laws, and self-defense; and the third considers popular debates about firearm policy, including concealed carry of firearms, terrorism and the ownership of firearms, background checks for purchasing guns, and stand-your-ground laws. The work concludes with an informed debate on gun policy between Richard Feldman, president of the Independent Firearm Owners, and Paul Helmke, former president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

  • Considers a wide variety of policy recommendations, from advocating greater firearm ownership and carrying among private citizens to suggestions for further limitations on gun acquisition and ownership
  • Features historical background on the development of the present role that firearms play in American society
  • Examines recent trends in the ownership of various types of firearms
  • Challenges the adequacy of background checks and granting of firearm access
  • Compares gun-related accidents and firearm policy among the states

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About the author (2015)

Glenn H. Utter is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he has taught since 1969. His areas of instruction include American government and politics and classical and contemporary political thought. Dr. Utter received his B.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Binghamton, his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his M.A. in philosophy from the University of London (Bedford College). He has served as the manuscript reviewer of two political science journals. Dr. Utter has authored the books Campaign and Election Reform, and The Religious Right: A Reference Handbook, and edited American Political Scientists: A Dictionary. He is also the author of numerous articles and book chapters.

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