Send us a text

 In the United States, over 90% of mass shootings are committed by men and boys. They're also predominantly the victims of gun violence. But why are men so tied to the vast majority of America's gun violence? Psychologist and author Dr. Ronald F. Levant, who specializes in the psychology of masculinity and gender (and who has a great new book out, The Tough Standard: The Hard Truths About Masculinity and Violence), sat down with Kelly and JJ to talk about whether or not masculinity and gun violence are intrinsically connected, how advertisers and manufacturers have leaned into societal pressures about masculinity to sell firearms, and how we all (whether we identify as male or not) can combat violence.

Further reading:
Ending gun violence isn't an "either/or" question: It must be a "both/and" (Salon)
Masculinity, mental illness and guns: A lethal equation? (CNN)
Guns, Terror, and Hegemonic Masculinity (Harvard)
Media Coverage Misses the Gender Issues at the Heart of Mass Shootings (Ms. Magazine)
Bushmaster Rifle Ad Reminds Us To Ask More About Masculinity And Gun Violence (Huffpost)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

The gun lobby has been working for decades to drown out reputable research on guns and gun violence by funding disinformation. Devin L. Hughes, the co-founder and president of GVPedia, a non-profit organization that provides access to the largest publicly available gun study database and actively fights against misinformation about gun violence, knows this better than anyone. This week, Devin joins JJ and Kelly to discuss the “firehose of falsehood” — how groups like the NRA have effectively used disinformation to flood the research landscape with inaccuracies to change the narrative and ultimately achieve success in the courts and legislatures — and the outsized impact that flood of disinformation continues to have. Devin also shares strategies for promoting truth in effort to prevent gun violence, as well as how to separate reality from disinformation.

Further reading:
Facts About Firearms Policy Initiative(GVPedia)
MYTH: 98% of Mass Shootings Occur in Gun-Free Zones (GVPedia)
MYTH: Gun bans always increase the murder rate (GVPedia)
How Often Are Guns Used For Self-Defense? (the Trace)
Defensive Gun Use: Gary Kleck Misfires Again (Armed with Reason)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

We've said it before and we'll say it again: gun violence is a public health crisis. It's an ongoing emergency that impacts more than just our physical safety, it also impacts our mental and emotional health. Even if you haven't experienced gun violence firsthand, folks across America are struggling to deal with the trauma of being constantly under fire.  So what to do with those feelings? Well, there are lot of ways to cope with your trauma — and one of them is to reach out and speak with someone who understands. Today, hosts Kelly and JJ sat down with Courtney Hunter, Vice President Public Policy and Advocacy at Crisis Text Line.

Courtney breaks down why meeting folks where they are, culturally aware communication, and trauma informed care is so important. 

Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor, 24/7, in English or Spanish.

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
How To Cope With Gun Violence (Crisis Text Line)
On Trauma, Racism, and How We Show Up for Each Other (Crisis Text Line)
Mental Health, Gun Violence, And Why America Connects Them (NPR)
What Gun Violence Does to Our Mental Health (NY Times)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Donny Kashh is a lot of things — a creative director, a motivational speaker, a mental health advocate, an amputee — and a survivor of gun violence. On October 19, 2019, Donny survived being shot six times by an unknown man. The attack left Donny in a coma, and led to the removal of his left leg. In the aftermath (and while attempting to heal during a global pandemic), Donny struggled with his mental health and in finding his way forward. He joined hosts Kelly and JJ to discuss how he now devotes himself to helping other amputees and survivors of gun violence, who may also be feeling lost after such a dramatic life change. 

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
Amputee Donny Kashh marks three years since being shot (Toronto Sun)
Bravery After Six Bullets (Toronto Sun)
Shooting survivors describe life after gun violence (CBS)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

"More guns equal less crime" is perhaps one of the most pervasive myths in the United States; the reality is, firearms simply don't make us safer. This false data has since been used as justification in any number of laws, and is frequency referenced in gun lobby rhetoric. It's also been used as the basis for other false (yet popular) claims, like the myth that shooters choose "gun free zones" to commit their crimes.

Hosts Kelly and JJ were joined by Dr. John Donohue (C. Wendell and Edith M. Carlsmith Professor of Law, Standford Law)  and Erin Davis (Senior Counsel, Trial & Appellate Litigation at Brady) to: break down where these myths, pervasive as they are, came from; what gave them their power, and their stickiness; and how can you, as listeners, fight back against disinformation?

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
Will a Gun Keep Your Family Safe? (the Trace)
Easiness of Legal Access to Concealed Firearm Permits and Homicide Rates in the United States (AJPH)
MYTH: Mass Shooters Target Gun-free Zones (GVPedia)
Why John Lott Is the Right's Favorite Gun Researcher (the Trace)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Dr. Doreen Marshall of AFSP — the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — is back in studio with hosts Kelly and JJ, this time answering your listener questions. Doreen brilliantly broke down how best to handle complicated situations like the following: 

• "I've recently lost my partner — how can I possibly handle the holidays?"
• "My child lost a friend to firearm suicide; how should I talk to her about this?"
• "My parents are gun owners, but also elderly and experiencing health issues and mental decline. How can I bring up a conversation about possibly removing their guns?"

and 

• "I lost a friend a few years ago,  and still want to know why he felt like he couldn’t come to me...Why didn’t he? And what can I do to feel better?”

If you're a survivor of suicide loss, have a survivor in your life, are struggling, or are concerned about suicide prevention (and truly, who among us doesn't fit into at least one of these categories?), this is an essential episode for you.

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
AFSP chapters and their work (AFSP)
I've lost someone (AFSP)
What Survivors of Suicide Want You to Know (Maryland SPIN)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Firearm suicides account for more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States. We've talked at length on RBB about those losses, and how we can help prevent them, from storing firearms locked and unloaded to reaching out for help. But folks who have lost loved ones to suicide may also be reeling with being a survivor of suicide loss. To talk about how to talk about suicide, how to best support one another, and how survivors of suicide loss have built committees of healing, hosts Kelly and JJ were joined by Dr. Doreen Marshall of AFSP — the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, also known as Survivor Day, takes place each year on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving, with virtual and in-person events in communities everywhere. Learn more and find an event near you.

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
AFSP chapters and their work (AFSP)
I've lost someone (AFSP)
What Survivors of Suicide Want You to Know (Maryland SPIN)

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Akilah DaSilva was only 23 when he was shot and killed during the April 22, 2018 Waffle House shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Akilah was at the Waffle House with his girlfriend Tia Waggoner and brother, Abede DaSilva. In the aftermath of the shooting, Akilah's family learned that the AR-15 used to kill him and three others had been unlawfully given to the shooter. 

Akilah's family has since fought for gun violence prevention, as well as for his legacy as a brilliant musician, engineer, and friend, with their organization the Akilah DaSilva Foundation. Hosts Kelly and JJ were joined by Akilah's brother Abede and his mother Shaundelle Brooks, both now survivors and advocates, to discuss the reality of life "after" a mass shooting, gun violence in Tennessee, and how to do what Akilah had once written — to "forget about making a hashtag, Let's throw all the guns in a trash bag."

You can listen to Akilah's music, under the name NatrixDream, here. 

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
23-Year-Old Waffle House Shooting Victim Akilah Dasilva Will Live On Through His Music (Blavity)
Waffle House Shooting Suspect Once Had His Guns Taken Away. He Then Got Them Back (New York Times)
Pleas for common sense gun reform raised after Waffle House Shooting (NC Reporter)

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7. 

Music provided

Support the show

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Gun violence in schools is a hard topic for parents and guardians to handle — but not talking about the reality of gun violence in the US isn't a solution. You, the listeners, have been writing in with your concerns, which included things like the following: 

• "If I bring up gun violence to my kids, aren’t I just making them more afraid?”
• "Should I play the news in front of my child?"
• "My kindergartener is obsessed with “keeping us safe from the bad guys." What should I do?"
• "My teenager is constantly anxious without her phone, how do I handle that?"

and

• "I’m 15. I’m scared all the time, not just at school. How do I talk to my parents?" 

Nancy Kislin, LCSW, an expert on school lockdowns and children's anxiety related to gun violence, joined hosts Kelly and JJ to answer those questions.   Listen in to learn concrete ways to handle these tough conversations. 

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
School Shootings Are Raising Anxiety and Panic in U.S. Children (Time)
Many children are regularly exposed to gun violence (NPR)
The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Adolescents (KFF)
How Can I Help My Anxious Child Feel Safe After Mass Tragedies in the News? (Parents)

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7. 

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

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady

Send us a text

Does experiencing racism or discrimination make you more likely to buy a gun? Does being worried about being a target of hate make you more likely to carry a firearm with you? Evidence seems to suggest yes, as increased rates of hate crimes against members of the AAPI community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented rise in Asian American gun ownership.

To examine how firearm behaviors (how guns were stored, carried, and thought about) were impacted by racism and discrimination experiences, Dr. Hsing-Fang Hsieh (University of Michigan) and Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu (Eastern Michigan University) launched a new, landmark study, which they joined the podcast to share with hosts Kelly and JJ.

Want to get involved?
Urge your senators to expand and strengthen background checks.
Join a Brady chapter near you and sign up to attend our new volunteer session.

Further reading:
Asian Americans are buying guns in record numbers. What's Caused This Surge? (the Guardian)
'I've Never Seen This Level of Fear.' Why Asian Americans Are Joining the Rush to Buy Guns (Time)
Gun Industry Targets Asian Americans as First-Time Gun Owners and Future Pro-Gun Advocates (Violence Policy Center) 

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7. 

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

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.
In a crisis? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor 24/7.

Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
℗&©2019 Red, Blue, and Brady