Although the entire premise of this blog and my research on Gun Culture 2.0 more generally is that self-defense and concealed carry have been become the core of American gun culture, I do recognize that self-defense and concealed carry have always been a part of American gun culture. Even in the late 18th and early … Continue reading
Although I have been on a bit of a writing hiatus this summer, owing to my racket stringing side hustle and moving to a new house, I have continued my travels through American gun culture. On a sojourn to Texas in August, I spoke to the director of training at a large gun range. At … Continue reading
I had not heard the story of the Florida man (or is it another case of #FloridaMan?) who died in Queens recently after being punched in the head. At least not until his alleged assailant was identified as an assistant basketball coach at my school, Wake Forest University. Somehow in response to drunken Florida Man … Continue reading
The 14th Annual National Organization of Church Security and Safety Management National Church Security Conference is a wrap. Three of the four members of our church security collaborative inquiry team attended the conference at Grace Church in Frisco, Texas. I was invited into this project because of my long history of work in the sociology … Continue reading
Last year I was invited to serve as one of the “critics” in an “author-meets-critics” session at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Montreal. The author in question is someone whose work I admire, Jennifer Carlson, so I gladly accepted. Putting together my list of top books on guns in America, I … Continue reading
While I was at the Rangemaster Polite Society Tactical Conference on the outskirts of the outskirts of Little Rock last weekend, I received an interesting interview request. A reporter wanted to talk about guns being left in bathrooms, after two guns were found in a short period of time in bathrooms at the University of … Continue reading
I was fortunate to have John Johnston of Ballistic Radio and Citizens Defense Research visit my Sociology of Guns class this semester during one of the two weeks we discussed concealed carry and armed self-defense. John engaged my students in a wide-ranging discussion of concealed carry classes as “training” and training for armed self-defense beyond … Continue reading
