Special: Can We Talk About Guns?

In a special episode of The Takeaway, host John Hockenberry will aim to get to the root of America’s inability to openly discuss firearms by talking to those who most need to join this conversation: gun owners and enthusiasts themselves.
We start off the hour by talking to gun owners about about the significance of guns in their lives, and their first experience with with them. Dan Baum is author of Gun Guys, and Rick Ector is a concealed carry trainer in Detroit, Michigan.
What happens when guns are misused? Dr. Karen Gunson, a medical examiner for the State of Oregon, and who grew up around firearms, explains that the leading cause of non-natural deaths she sees in her office are due to gunshot wounds.
Takeaway listeners describe their own relationships with firearms, and Oregon Public Broadcasting shares the gun owner stories they have collected. Finally, Tom Diaz, the author of The Last Gun explains why after growing up as a gun enthusiast he now supports strict gun regulation.
Why aren’t we hearing the voices of gun owners in the debate on gun control? Will Williamson says he feels uncomfortable sharing with his friends and coworkers that he enjoys going out to shoot.
Not everyone who owns a gun enjoys them. Michael Kundu, a federal government employee, says he hates guns, but feels he has no choice but to keep them as a form of protection for him and his family.
Our panel of gun owners –  Dan Baum, Rick Ector, Dr. Karen Gunson, and Michael Kundu  – discuss how we can move forward in controlling gun violence in a way that is effective and includes the voices of gun owners