Hoplophobia

Hoplophobia, (pronounced [ˌhɔpləˈfoʊbiə]), from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, is defined as the "fear of firearms" ^[1] or alternatively, a fear of weapons in general, and describes a specific phobia.

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Firearms instructor Colonel Jeff Cooper claims to have coined the word in 1962 to describe a "mental disturbance characterized by irrational aversion to weapons". ^[2] Cooper employed the clinical-sounding term as an alternative to slang terms, stating: "We read of 'gun grabbers' and 'anti-gun nuts' but these slang terms do not (explain this behavior)." Cooper attributed this behavior to the irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry. 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."

Despite its political origins and reputation, there is a possibility for a person to have this phobia in a purely clinical sense. For instance, a patient that has no opinion on law or public policy per se, but becomes terrified when they notice a policemen's sidearm or a photograph of a rifle or knife. Hoplophobia is described as an uncommon phobia in Contemporary Diagnosis And Management of Anxiety Disorders ^[3].

Some admirers of Cooper's coinage have sought to popularize the counterpart terminology, hoplophilia for an affection towards guns which verges on or achieves a fullblown paraphilia. ^[4]

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