TAG: Talking About Guns

A recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal for her “exemplary public service to advance free and fair elections,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joins us for the latest episode of TAG. From armed protestors outside her home in the middle of the night contesting the 2020 election results and learning of a plot published on Facebook to shoot her in her backyard to her efforts to inst...

She was given a death sentence. Years later, she asked herself, “What am I doing with this extra life I’ve been given?” On the latest episode of TAG, we chat with Leigh McGowan about her Webby-award winning @IAmPoliticsGirl “Breakfast Rants” and podcast that have attracted nearly 2 million followers and earned her praise for her breakdown of complex issues into no-nonsense, everyday speak. We delv...

The first Gen Z member of congress joins us on the latest episode of Talking About Guns. 26-year-old Representative Maxwell Frost recounts the “emotional whiplash” of attending the Newtown vigil in DC at age 15 and how it “made me uncomfortable to a point where I’ve devoted my life to fighting for a world where people don’t have to feel that kind of pain.” The former national organizing director o...

In the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, we’re joined by Second Amendment activist and gun rights attorney Kostas Moros on the latest episode of TAG. “The idea that we don’t care is absurd and offensive,” Kostas tells us regarding the perception of gun owners and their feelings about school shootings. We discuss the number one area of common ground between gun owners and non-gun o...

In the latest episode of TAG, we’re joined by UCLA’s Adam Winkler – one of the most cited law professors in judicial opinions today – to discuss what he deems “a revolution in American gun policy” since the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision came down in June. The “Gun Fight'' author and Second Amendment expert breaks down the new Bruen constitutionality test and its consequences. He reveals...

On the latest episode of TAG, we’re joined by Wake Forest Professor David Yamane, who shares with us what prompted a liberal academic to become an armed American, acclaimed for his expertise in Gun Culture 2.0: the shift toward self-defense. He tells us about his Sociology of Guns course and what surprises his students most – including the cognitive dissonance they feel when going to the gun range...

On the latest episode of TAG, 97Percent Board Member and Former Homeland Security Advisor to VP Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, shares the incredible story of how her aunt was at the El Paso Walmart shooting -- and after being dragged to safety by a stranger, provided intel on the shooter. Olivia walks us through her responsibilities in the aftermath of a crisis. We analyze whether mass shootings should...

On the latest episode of TAG, we’re joined by former Illinois Republican Congressman and 2020 GOP Presidential Candidate Joe Walsh: a self-proclaimed “gun nut” who tells us what propelled his evolution from Tea Party member with an A rating from the NRA to outspoken gun safety advocate. 97Percent’s newest board member explains why “it’s going to take someone like me helping to lead the way to get...

On the latest episode of TAG, we’re joined by The History Channel ’s “Top Shot Season 4” Champion Chris Cheng: an openly gay, Asian American, civil rights advocate who left his career at Google to become a professional sports shooter – breaking every stereotype about the gun community in the process. We chat about his experience in the competition as a self-taught amateur not taken seriously. We d...

On the latest episode of Talking About Guns, we chat with former 8-term NY Congressman Steve Israel about the conversation with a Republican colleague in a members-only elevator that inspired his novel, a political satire imagining a world where it’s mandated for all Americans to carry a gun. We break down the power of voter intensity (“an obligation to support extremes”) vs. NRA funding (“not as...

On the latest episode of TAG, we’re joined by Amy Swearer, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation. We chat about why she wanted to fill the conservative vacuum in gun safety and why it’s so important and how to have conversations with people who disagree with you about gun policy. She shares the highs and lows of her experiences testifying before Congress following Uvalde and Buffalo; and we di...

In the latest episode of TAG, we chat with Latino Rifle Association President, P.B. Gomez, about the deliberate irony of the organization's name, how the LRA is opposed to certain cultural norms of gun ownership, why gun “laws with good intentions have consequences for marginalized communities,” and his goal of making more gun safety education content available in Spanish. Dr. Siegel also joi...

13-year NFL veteran, FOX Sports broadcaster, screenwriter, and 97Percent board member Ephraim Salaam joins us for the latest episode of TAG. We chat about the culture of gun ownership in the NFL – about the need for protection following robberies and one of his teammates being held at gunpoint. Ephraim tells us about when he was with the Atlanta Falcons, a white lawyer told a room of African Ameri...

Abené Clayton, lead reporter for The Guardian’s “Guns and Lies” series, joins us for the latest episode of TAG to discuss her work investigating everyday gun deaths in Black and brown communities – not solely high-profile mass shootings. She dissects “the unspoken epidemic”: an unprecedented increase in homicides among Black women, particularly in the Midwest. We discuss the effectiveness of certa...

After nearly losing his life to a stray bullet, Joe Sakran decided to become a trauma surgeon to “give other people the same second chance I was given.” Dr. Sakran, now Director of Emergency Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, joins us to talk about the creation of @ThisIsOur Lane, his viral Twitter account in response to the NRA, and why making “the community closest to the struggle part of th...

Former Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, who served Florida’s 26th district from 2015-2019, joins us for Episode 2 of TAG Season 2. While many believe additional, federal, gun safety legislation is unlikely anytime soon after the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Cong. Curbelo explains how the “breakthrough” could mean more needed reforms are coming -- how “Republicans now have...

Talking About Guns is a bi-weekly video series created to demystify a typically loaded and polarizing topic, featuring a variety of guests who represent different perspectives in the gun safety debate.

On the Season 2 premiere of TAG we’re joined by Jonathan and Geneva Solomon, the husband & wife co-owners of Redstone Firearms: California’s only Black-owned gun shop. They explain why they put education at the forefront of their business, why “there’s no excuse” for not safely storing your firearm, and why they're proud to epitomize The Responsible Majority. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: R...

In today’s premiere episode, we talk with Whitney Austin, founder of Whitney/Strong : a nonprofit focused on reducing gun violence by increasing responsible gun ownership -- which she created after surviving a mass shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio. She tells us what question she wishes people would stop asking her, what it's like talking to gun shop owners about suicide prevention, what legislati...

In this week's episode, we talk with 97Percent board member Abra Belke, a former lobbyist for the National Rifle Association. How can we make sure gun owners are included in the conversation about gun laws? How does the urban vs. rural divide on gun ownership impact gun issues? How can we reduce accidental firearm incidents in the home?  Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Abra Belke Producer: Ernest...

In this week's episode, we talk with Fred Guttenberg, father turned advocate after the murder of his daughter Jamie in the Parkland school shooting. Fred and Matt discuss the importance of gun owners being for gun safety, respecting the 2nd amendment, and steps we can take to stop bad actors from ending up with weapons they shouldn’t be able to acquire. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Fred Gutten...

In this week's episode, we talk with Mark McKinnon, famed Republican strategist and host of The Circus on Showtime, and discuss Mark's work in politics and the incredible results of a poll we conducted with Beacon Research of more than 1,000 gun owners across the country. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Mark McKinnon Producer: Ernesto Chavezvaldivia Executive Producer: Adria Márquez Editor:...

In this week's episode, we talk with Justin McFarlin , an Army combat veteran and NRA-certified pistol instructor , who shares the conversations he has with his fellow veterans and gun owners about the importance of responsible gun ownership and how accountability is key to reducing gun violence deaths in America. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Justin McFarlin Producer: Ernesto Chavezvaldivia Ex...

In this week's episode, we talk with Jason George, Emmy-nominated actor, advocate, and 97Percent board member, who shares his personal experiences with guns, what Hollywood can implement on-set to avoid tragic accidents with firearms, and finally a Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, “Which character is most likely to?” game. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Jason George Producer: Ernesto Chavezvaldivi...

In this week's episode, we talk with Stephen Gutowski, award-winning journalist and Founder of The Reload , who talks about his work reporting on gun policy and politics, his founding of The Reload, an independent publication focusing on fair and discerning reporting on firearms and how they intersect with politics, and a fun trivia game to wrap things up. Host: Mathew Littman Guest: Stephen...