Hoplophobia
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Hoplophobia (pronounced HOP-li-fobia), from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, is a phobia identified by firearms instructor Colonel Jeff Cooper in 1962. His intent was to gain clinical recognition of the irrational fear of firearms. He stated that "the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user".
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."
Sigmund Freud, "General Introduction to Psychoanalysis".
See also: List of phobias
External link
- To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth excerpt explaining the origin of the word (http://members.wserv.com/~crimson/hoplo.htm)
- Sarah Thompson, M.D., author of Raging Against Self Defense: A Psychiatrist Examines The Anti-Gun Mentality (http://www.jpfo.org/ragingagainstselfdefense.htm) disputes the assertion the condition denoted by the word Hoplophobia is a true mental illness, in part because people who are truly phobic acknowledge their fears are irrational, while most people who have an irrational fear of firearms refuse to acknowledge its irrationality. She argues the irrational fear of firearms is manifest as a constellation of defense mechanisms.