Among the responsibilities of the communications and external relations department of my university is to connect faculty experts with media working in their areas of expertise. So, after major events like the mass murders in San Bernardino and Orlando, my contact in that office usually asks me if I want to comment. For example, after … Continue reading
In the wake of any terrible event, I try to get the basic facts while avoiding social media in general because of its shallowness (memes!), polarizing tendencies (echo chambers!), and openness to the lowest common denominator (name calling!). I have been re-emerging a bit lately, and trying to find some good reading on the issues … Continue reading
I find advertising in general extraordinarily interesting. I was a devoted follower of the TV show Mad Men and I teach about advertising in my classes. Advertising is a major part of our culture, and of course it is a major part of gun culture as well. When I watch gun TV shows, I am … Continue reading
A reader whose views I respect criticized my recent response to the New York Times’ historic front page editorial, “A Gun Epidemic,” because it was based more on my opinions than on facts. Although I don’t entirely agree with that criticism, I thought I would post this further fact-driven response to one of the main … Continue reading
Today the New York Times editorial board made clear (without directly saying it) that they think gun owners (who disagree with them) are immoral, disgraceful, and indecent, and that we should ban civilians from owning any firearm that can kill people quickly and efficiently (which is to say, most firearms). I am a student of … Continue reading
I had hoped to post some of my own thoughts on mass shootings this week, but the last week of class and other responsibilities overwhelmed me. Which is probably for the best because I am never anxious to speak publicly about a topic in the immediate of a major event. Fortunately, scrolling through my Facebook … Continue reading
As noted previously, one of the three papers on the recent American Society of Criminology panel for which I was the discussant was by the distinguished criminologist Gary Kleck. Every time there is a mass shooting in America, some people look to ban large-capacity magazines in order to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the … Continue reading
