A man shoots an AR-15 rifle, at Dragonman’s firing range and gun dealer, outside Colorado Springs, Colo. / AP
Dan Baum’s new book “Gun Guys” is essential reading for anyone trying to navigate the emotional terrain of today’s gun debate.
Baum, a former New Yorker writer, is one of those increasingly rare birds in the polarized gun debate: a self-described “tax-and-spend Democrat” who just plain loves guns.
At odds with his political party and his colleagues, but also out of touch with the gun crowd they find so terrifying, Baum embarked on a 15,000-mile road trip through America to discover the roots of our country’s peculiar fascination with firearms.
His travels took him from machine-gun shoots to pig hunts in Texas to the Hollywood armories that provide the boom sticks for summer blockbusters.
Along the way, he talked with almost every cross-section of the gun community. One chapter consists of an interview with a black Detroit man who started carrying a concealed pistol after being mugged at gunpoint. Another focuses on a husband and wife who compete in “run-and-gun” shooting competitions.
Big effing deal! So a “tax and spend Democrat” thinks guns are neat and just wants to be one of the good ole boys. I don’t need affirmation of my 2d Amt rights from a “tax and spend Democrat.” Period!
It would be worthwhile if he would have learned something in his travels. I wonder if he would advocate taking more taxes to spend at the point of a gun.
This does not inspire me to buy the book.