Let's be precise. There is such a thing as crime without guns. There is nonviolent crime, and there are violent crimes that don't involve guns. In the former category, there are plenty of drug-related offenses, not to mention things like burglary, fraud... perjury, obstruction of justice, treason... Just sayin'...
Violent crimes don't always involve guns. Domestic abuse usually doesn't, and there are plenty of other cases of assault that don't involve guns.
"Crime" and "gun violence" are not synonymous. "Gun violence" is a subcategory of "crime."
As for the politics, though...
Are Republicans and conservatives disproportionately afraid of the crime that doesn't involve guns? Are they just extra scared of knife crime? Sexual assault and domestic abuse? Burglary and fraud? White collar crime?
No. That's not what's going on here. That's not why Donald Trump, and Republicans more generally talk about "crime," and the left talks about "gun violence."
The terms you need to know: "symbolic racism," and, "framing."
Symbolic racism refers to expression of racial animosity through symbolic positions that indirectly tap into racial attitudes because direct expressions of racial animosity are frowned upon. The classic example, for decades, has been the word, "welfare." Picture, in your mind's eye, a person on "welfare." Most Americans will picture someone with dark skin. Therefore, talk about "welfare," rather than, say, Medicaid, and you prompt people to think about transfers of money from white people to African-Americans. That makes racists unhappy, so they are less supportive of "welfare" than "Medicaid." How prominent is symbolic racism? Measuring it is hard because it is, by definition, indirect.
"Crime." Why did Donald Trump spend the 2016 convention talking about "crime?" Why has the GOP been doing this since, well... Willie Horton? You remember what he looked like, right? Say "crime," and people are more likely to think of minorities. Why do you think Trump kept talking about inner-city neighborhoods in Chicago?
"Gun violence." When liberals go on these marches, they aren't responding to crime in general. They are responding to school shootings and such. "Mass" shooters? They're usually white, and by focusing on these incidents specifically, you alter the racial aspect of the dialog. Neat trick, right? Think, in your mind's eye, of a "mass shooter." You probably think of a white dude with an assault rifle rather than an African-American sporting gang colors. See how that works?
This is what happens when you pose two alternative "frames." Crime, generally, versus gun violence. In principle, the GOP position is not that non-gun crimes are more scary than gun crimes. It's just that the frames and context either evoke or evade racial politics in different ways.
Remember, though, that crime rates aren't going up. Violent crime rates aren't going up. You aren't going to be shot, stabbed, chainsawed, or hit in the head with an axe. If you actually worry about this shit, you need to pay more attention to FBI crime statistics. Eat healthy, exercise, don't text-and-drive, and stop worrying about shit that ain't gonna kill you.
Otherwise, you sound like Donald Fuckin' Trump to me.
Related Posts :
Kaliningrad Is Becoming A Key Russian Military Bastion Facing Europe- Top U.S. General In Europe Wants To Ship Lethal Weapons To Ukraine
- She knows it's an act of self-harm, but she's doing it anyway
- Artificial Intelligence Is What Will Win Future Wars
- Are Republicans really going to try again on healthcare?