The Connection Between Gun Violence and White Supremacy

Steve Adubato talks with James J. Drylie, Ph.D., Executive Director, School of Criminal Justice & Public Administration, Kean University, about the connection between gun violence and white supremacy and ways to reduce gun violence across the state of New Jersey.

10/12/19 #322

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Welcome to State of Affairs. I'm Steve Adubato. We're coming to you from the Agnes Varis NJTV Studio in Brick City, Newark, New Jersey. It's our pleasure to welcome Doctor Jim Drylie, Executive Director of the School of Criminal Justice & Public Administration at Kean University. Good to see you Jim. My pleasure to be here. I was just telling you, before we got on the air, I read an article that you were quoted in. I believe it was in the Ledger. Check it out on NJ.com as well. And other places. Where the question about gun violence... this was after some horrific incidents, whether in Dayton or in El Paso and unfortunately they happen all too often, and you were quoted extensively, talking about some of the things we need to do to end gun violence. Let me get into this. Right out of the box, the connection between gun violence and white supremacy is? I don't see a connection, or causal connection, in the sense that we want to put our finger on one particular reason. With the gun violence that we see in the United States, it's multivariate. There are individuals that believe in a certain ideology that will use violence to advance their ideologies. But there's other individuals because of mental health or emotional issues, they use gun violence for whatever purpose they choose. And then other individuals, in a reactive way, based on circumstances within their lives. So I don't see it as one specific... But they have... but folks involved in the white supremacy movement, are in fact, based on the folks we've talked to in Homeland Security and other places, in terms of domestic threat - domestic terrorism, they're at the top of that list? They are. Now because... in the way that it's occurring, and the individuals who are advancing that ideology. But we can't ignore that there are other circumstances... Outside of that? Yes. You've said... let's go through some options. Because I hate when people say, "What's the fix?" There's no one fix to gun violence? Correct? Correct. Let's do this. Banning assault weapons. A no-brainer? It's a no-brainer in the sense that you ban them. So where do you ban them? At manufacture? Do you ban them at possession? Is it a collective ban? How do you go? There's commentary now where they're going to look for buybacks on assault weapons. We're talking a major, major undertaking on a national scale here. It's not gonna happen overnight. And is it gonna happen completely? Absolutely not a hundred percent. Doctor, let me ask you this. So there are New Jersey laws and there are national laws. New Jersey's gun laws among, many say, the toughest in the nation...."