Red, Blue, and Brady

Gun ownership in the US has changed, and with it, how that ownership is viewed and studied. One person studying those changes -- and a participant in them -- is sociologist and gun owner Dr. David Yamane. Dr. Yamane, author of the book Concealed Carry Revolution: Expanding the Right to Bear Arms in America and the blogs Gun Culture 2.0 and Gun Curious, joined hosts Kelly and JJ to discuss what he (and Michael Bane) call Gun Culture 2.0 -- namely, the emerging trend where individuals don't enter gun culture through hunting, military service, or family tradition, but out of personal defense concerns. 

Mentioned in this podcast:
Gun Culture 2.0, or How a Liberal Professor Became an Armed American (Gun Culture 2.0)
Guns Are Normal, Normal People Use Guns (Gun Culture 2.0)
Gun Culture 2.0: The Sociology of the Great Gun-Buying Spree of 2020 (Policy Punchline)
"The sociology of US gun culture." (Sociology Compass)
Understanding America’s Gun Culture (Lexington Press)
Gun Culture 2.0 (Vice)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.
 
Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.
 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

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The part firearms have played in the story of the United States is far greater than any mere chronicling of all things Second Amendment could hope to reveal, as historian and author Dr. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz explains in her book "Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment." Together with  hosts Kelly and JJ,  Dunbar-Ortiz discusses the origins and intents of firearm legislation before and after the Second's codification, plus many of the goals and purposes, mundane and otherwise, that generations of Americans have pursued through the use of the weapons these laws impact -- and, thornily, how those generations have, consciously or not, not only held gun ownership up as a celebrated American right, but enshrined it as an essential, even sacred, element of an American identity awash since its beginnings in the blood and misery of racist acts and expansionist policies.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• The Brutal Origins of Gun Rights (the New Republic) 
• Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: “The Second Amendment is Almost a Time Bomb That Was Planted in the Constitution” (Williamette Week) 
• The Second Amendment is racist at its root (the Christian Century)

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For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Many Americans have long regarded the Second Amendment as a particularly bright example of their nation's dedication to the principles of liberty; the right to own and use firearms is often tied closely in our culture to the preservation and enjoyment of other freedoms, such as speech and religion, which are so linked to the very idea of the United States that thinking of one immediately conjures up the other. However, not everyone throughout our history has seen the gun as a symbol of something noble, and today, to discuss how these differing perspectives connect to the Second Amendment and its complex cultural legacy, hosts Kelly and JJ welcome Dr. Carol Anderson, a historian and New York Times best-selling author whose new book -- "The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America" -- explores the narrative tapestry that Americans past and present have woven around these weapons and their role in our republic.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• America’s gun obsession is rooted in slavery (the Guardian)
• The Second Amendment is not about guns -- it's about anti-Blackness, a new book argues (CNN) 
• Historian Uncovers The Racist Roots Of The 2nd Amendment (NPR)
• Was the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms Designed to Protect Slavery? (New York Times)

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For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

The filibuster has a complex history and an even more complicated present, having become an instrument of partisan gridlock which allows a minority of the Senate's members to halt the chamber's progress -- inaction which often has major implications for gun violence prevention. To discuss what the filibuster is, what it means for Americans and gun violence prevention, and efforts to end or reform it, hosts  hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by Brady’s VP of Policy Christian Heyne, Just Democracy’s Stasha Rhodes, and Fix Our Senate’s Eli Zupnick.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• 51 is Fair: Why We Must End the Filibuster (Brady)
• The Fight to Fix Our Senate (Brady)
• 51 is Fair: You Might Not Know It, But the Game is Rigged (Brady)
• What's a filibuster? Democrats may finally ax a relic of our racist past (CNN)
• Here’s Why the Filibuster Is a Jim Crow Relic (MSN)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Patience Murray survived the Pulse nightclub shooting, and her stirring rendition of her poem "the Guilt of Being Alive is Heavy" made her go viral as both a writer and a survivor. In the years that followed, Patience continued to produce work as a survivor activist, writing the book  Survive Then Live: The Patience Carter Story, hosting a podcast, being in an Emmy- nominated documentary series about her wedding  (Sincerely, Patience). But Patience was still struggling -- not just with the trauma of Pulse, but from pre-existing ordeals she had suffered.   

In part two of this episode, Patience joins hosts Kelly and JJ to discuss  how her faith has helped her to heal, the reality of what survivors deal with, and how she has found healing through her professional and creative work.

You can join Patience every Thursday  LIVE on FACEBOOK or on Clubhouse at 7pm ET by clicking here.  You can find her new song, Philly Never Seen, here.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Pulse survivor to become chief visionary officer of Gun Violence Survivors Foundation (WFTV)
• Philly Never Seen (Soundcloud)
• There are wounds deeper than my physical ones (WFTV)
• Pulse Nightclub Survivor Shares How She's Coping One Year After The Tragedy (Refinery29)
• Pulse Shooting Survivor on the Healing Power of Music (Teen Vogue)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

On June 12, 2016, young women Patience Murray (then Patience Carter),  Tiara Parker, and Akyra Murray went to the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, for a fun girls night. Together the friends danced until the early morning hours, kicking off Patience's  first trip outside of her native Philadelphia. Tragically, the joy of that evening was cut short when a gunman attacked the club, ultimately killing 49 people and wounding more than 52. Patience and Tiara were shot and survived, but Akyra (only 18), was killed. 

In the days that followed, Patience confronted her struggles -- physically, mentally, and emotionally -- creatively, first reading a poem entitled "The guilt of feeling grateful to be alive is heavy," at a press conference at the hospital following the shooting, then with her book Survive Then Live: The Patience Carter Story. 

In part one of this episode, Patience joins hosts Kelly and JJ to discuss her journey to healing -- from therapy on her legs, to PTSD, to wrestling with survivors guilt, to finding love in her now-husband,  Akyra Murray's brother, Alex, to her work with the Gun Violence Survivors Foundation. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Orlando Massacre Survivor: ‘The Guilt Of Being Alive Is Heavy’ (Huffpost)
• How one Pulse shooting survivor found love, learned to live again after tragedy (GMA)
• Survive then Live (the Moth)
• Eagles debut 'Sincerely, Patience,' a mini-doc about Philly survivor of Pulse nightclub shooting (Philly Voice) 

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Support the show (https://www.bradyunited.org/donate)

Mass shootings account for only  0.2% of firearm deaths in the US a year -- but their impact is large, deeply traumatizing survivors, their communities, and the country as a whole. How do we, as a nation, try to prevent these mass shootings? And what commonalities exist between not just these shootings, but the shooters themselves? To find out, host JJ is joined by
Dr. Jillian Peterson of Hamline University and Dr. James Densley of Metropolitan State University,  both authors of forthcoming book "the Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic" and co-founders and co-presidents of a nonpartisan, nonprofit research center of the same name (the Violence Project). Together they all discuss the Violence Projects' mass shooter database, which collates data about mass shooters life histories, psychological profiles, and first person accounts (while also practicing no notoriety) -- and how this data suggests better interventions against violence.  

Mentioned in this podcast:

• the Off-ramp project: the road to violence is long -- let's build more exits (Off-ramp)
• How Many Mass Shootings Have There Been in 2021 So Far? It Depends How You Count (Newsweek)
• Recent Spate Of Mass Shootings Is Among Worst In U.S. History (the Wall Street Journal) 
• How Ending Child Abuse And Improving Mental Health Care Could Prevent Mass Shootings (Global News - 13 Hours)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Support the show (https://www.bradyunited.org/donate)

Most Americans are familiar with the National Rifle Association (NRA), as it is one of the most visible and powerful special interest groups in the US. On this podcast we've discussed numerous times that the NRA -- and NRA backed politicians -- have weakened existing gun laws or trompered over new, life-saving legislation. But how does the NRA manage to run such a powerful group, despite a history of mismanagement? Hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by Dr. Matthew Lacombe, author of the book Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political Force, to figure out how the NRA gained such influence within national politics. Join us as we discuss Matthew Lacombe's work (which traces the NRA from 1930 to 2020) showing how the NRA has carefully and purposefully created a distinct identity around gun ownership, which in turn has made its followers a potent political force.

Mentioned in this podcast:
US gun control: What is the NRA and why is it so powerful (BBC)
The NRA is a powerful political force — but not because of its money (Vox)
How NRA’s true believers converted a marksmanship group into a mighty gun lobby (Washington Post)
The NRA is down, but not out (Brady)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Support the show (https://www.bradyunited.org/donate)

Darien was a charismatic, kind, 25-year-old athlete who was in the process of getting her master’s degree  when she was shot during a home invasion. 51 days after being shot in the hand and leg, Darien died from her injuries. Police quickly recovered the murder weapon, but Darien’s parents Wayne and Judi Richardson were horrified when they found out that the gun could not be traced to the shooter due to a loophole in the law known as the private sale loophole. In Maine and elsewhere, unlicensed private sellers are not required to conduct a background check. This loophole then enables people who are prohibited from owning firearms to buy firearms with no questions asked. 

Wayne and Judi then became gun violence prevention advocates, fighting not just to close the private sale loophole but also to support victims of violent crime via their foundation, Remembering Darien. They’ve done this both federally and locally, most recently pushing a bill in the Maine Legislature – L.D. 999, referred to as Darien’s Law. 

If you or someone you know has information about Darien’s murder, they can reach out anonymously via (207) 874-8575, on the Portland Maine’s police department’s crime tip line at 207-874-8584, or by texting the keyword “PPDME” plus their message to 847411 (TIP411). There is a reward being offered for information related to her case. 

Mentioned in this podcast:

• Gun loophole cited in unsolved Portland killing (Portland Press Herald)
• This Obscure Loophole Lets Domestic Abusers Buy Guns & How It Happens Is Infuriating (Bustle)
• Gun laws, loopholes, and and violence (Brady)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Support the show (https://www.bradyunited.org/donate)

On the 4th, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of the Southern District of California  overturned California’s over 30 year ban on assault weapons, saying the state’s law was unconstitutional and that prohibiting such firearms for decades was “a failed experiment.” This decision was a huge blow to gun violence prevention advocates, who were shocked when in his ruling Judge Benitez opened by calling AR-15s not dissimilar to swiss army knives. Judge Benitez also claimed that the AR-15 firearm is "a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle."  

To explain what this decision means, what happens next, and yes, how an AR-15 is not like a swiss army knife,  hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by Brady President Kris Brown,  advocate and father Fred Guttenberg , and veteran  activist Timothy "TJ" Ryan.   

Mentioned in this podcast:

• California Assault Weapons Ban 'Disrespects' Freedom, Federal Judge Writes (NPR)
• Brady condemns ruling (Brady)
• Federal judge likens AR-15 to Swiss Army knife while overturning assault weapons ban (CNN)
• California officials vow to fight back after federal judge overturns state’s 3-decade old assault weapons ban (KTLA)
• Why have a Swiss Army knife when you could just buy an AR-15? (Washington Post)

Help support the podcast and Brady's mission by clicking here!

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. 
Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support 
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady