Beyond July 4th?: Critical reflections on the self defence debate from a British perspective

The focus of this article concerns the distinctions between broader public policy goals aiming to reduce the likelihood and frequency of violent (gun-involved) encounters and the contexts and circumstances in which these are likely to arise. This is addressed by attempting to consider the circumstances in which people acquire, seek to acquire, demand, and ultimately carry and employ potentially lethal technologies in their day-to-day encounters. The argument developed here is not about the restriction of personal freedom but about maximising freedom from fear and insecurity by addressing the conditions which drive the demand for defensive weapons and the rates of aggressive criminality. In other words, the article discusses the potential for establishing conditions for 'social defence' as necessarily prior to 'self-defence' while considering the extent to which these 'alternative strategies' may be compatible or incompatible.