Dan Baum
In Arizona’s wake, gun control for the mentally ill?
Much has been made of Tucson shooting suspect Jared Loughner’s troubled state of mind by police and former classmates. But if Loughner’s mental issues were a factor in Saturday’s attacks, does it follow that we should screen people for mental illness before allowing them to purchase guns? Is this even possible? And more importantly, do […]
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 […]
‘Gun Guys’ Challenges the Stereotypes about Firearms and Those Who Love Them
The classic American “gun guy” is shotgun-toting John Wayne, riding his way through cowboy movies like “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” “El Dorado,” and “True Grit.” Author Dan Baum describes himself as more of a Woody Allen than a John Wayne, and yet he has loved guns since his first successful shoot at the age […]
US Mayors Take on Gun Control… During the Super Bowl
As famous for its commercials as the big game itself, this year the Super Bowl premiered an ad starring New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Tom Menino. The thirty-second spot promoted Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition group of 600 mayors organized to promote urban safety by preventing the flow of illegal weapons into […]