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Deseret Morning News, Monday, December 29, 2003 Gun-rights group touts new 'word' By Dennis
Romboy A Utah gun-rights group has an
eye out for hoplophobes.
Never heard of hoplophobia? Most people haven't. The made-up word to
describe people who fear guns hasn't caught on. Not even longtime gun
enthusiasts are familiar with the term.
"We lead the state in sales, but we've never heard that,"
said Norman Van Wagenen, whose family has been in the firearms business
in Provo since 1958.
The Utah Shooting Sports Council is trying to get hoplophobia into
the local vernacular as well as the often bitter gun rights debate.
"There is such a thing as hoplophobia," said David Nelson,
founder of Stonewall Shooting Sports of Utah. "It is driving many
of the people engaged in the (gun rights) debate."
Author and gun enthusiast Jeff Cooper coined hoplophobia about 20
years ago, combining the Greek words "hoplon" for weapon and
"phobos" for terror. Basically, it means having an irrational
fear of guns.
The shooting sports council says hoplophobes should stay out of the
Second Amendment debate.
"Hoplophobes are common and should never be involved in setting
gun policies, though many are hard at work in the rights-denial
movement, and are arguably the greatest threat in the debate," the
council says in a recent action alert.
Marla Kennedy, executive director of the Gun Violence Prevention
Center of Utah, called use of the word a "desperate attempt"
to stray from the real issue by "making everyone think that it's
because we're fearful of (guns) when the truth is we just want to
protect people."
"If the gun-rights activists in the state want to interject this
word, it's just a prime example of a very small, radical group of people
who want to hijack this issue and make it more absurd than it already
is."
The word is appropriate to describe more than opposition to the right
to carry firearms, Nelson said, adding he is familiar with the effects
of phobias. He has experienced homophobia as a gay man. He also seen
hoplophobia as founder of Stonewall, a gay and lesbian gun-rights
advocacy group.
Nelson said he has friends who are terrified that a weapon sitting on
a table will go off. Some of the group's 350 members don't own guns but
attend its classes to overcome their fear, he said.
"People who don't know how to handle them should be
afraid," said Mark Zelig, a Salt Lake forensic psychologist. He
takes issue with use of the term unless it is applied to a specific
class of people like soldiers or police officers who must handle
firearms as part of their jobs.
"It sounds like (gun rights advocates) are developing a clinical
diagnosis to serve a political need," he said.
While guns don't scare Van Wagenen, he does have a phobia. "I'm
afraid of computers myself."
Apparently there is a word for that, too. Maybe there's a
logizomechanophobe near you who could go off at any time.
E-MAIL: romboy@desnews.com
© 2003 Deseret
News Publishing Company |
