By Colin Ahern – Contributor

The Donald Lecture by Prof. Robert J. Cottrol didn’t just tweak my views on gun control; it was a fresh lens on a camera stuck on narrow focus. As someone who’s typically leaned pretty far left on the gun debate, I expected to sit through another academic spiel reinforcing what I already believed. But, thankfully, I was wrong. Prof. Cottrol, with his deep dive into the historical context of guns in America, particularly in relation to African American rights, brought new and insightful arguments to the age-old debate.

My biases against the Second Amendment were quickly addressed, and the lecture featured an argument I have never considered before; the Second Amendment aims to decentralize military power from the government. This aims to prevent an institution from having a monopoly over military might. This was a point he would later return to during the question and answer portion of the Donald Lecture. He stated that, regardless of individual stances, it was unusual that this question of military monopoly was absent in much of the world outside the United States.

The narrative about African American history and gun rights was particularly striking. It wasn’t just a recounting of facts; it was purposeful storytelling. The parallels drawn between the eras when African Americans were armed for their defense and the dramatic shifts in their civil rights journey painted a vivid picture of a complex battle. The story of the Deacons for Defense and Justice  – an armed African-American self-defense group  – stood out as a stark reminder of the power and peril of taking up arms for justice. Armaments were central in the acquisition and defense of civil rights for African Americans.

The shift from armed self-defense to political and economic strategies in the civil rights movement was critical. The narrative evolved from the use of guns in self-defense to a broader struggle for rights that eventually moved away from the battlefield.

The final, and least surprising, aspect of the talk concerned the current state of gun violence and its disproportionate impact on African American communities. Cottrol painted a stark picture of systemic issues that plague these communities. The discussion around over-policing and the tragic consequences of law enforcement’s snap judgments showed their perception of African American neighborhoods and civilian areas as dangerous areas, rather than an urban neighborhood.

Prof. Cottrol’s lecture wasn’t just informative; it was invigorating. It challenged me to see beyond my preconceptions and appreciate the nuanced history of gun control and rights in America. The realization that the Second Amendment has played a dual role in African American history, as both a tool for empowerment and a source of division, adds layers to the debate that are too important to ignore. This lecture has left me hungry for more perspectives on the debate to compliment Prof. Cottrol’s approaches in law and history.