Illuminations #5. From the Training Range to the Policy Table
Light Over Heat February Digest
Welcome to Illuminations - your monthly dose of light over heat.
This month: I got back into the field observing gun training for the first time in a while, crossed another item off my presentation list, and took part in something I thought I’d never do — weigh in on gun policy. Plus a streetwear brand I’d never heard of, a spy thriller set in Florida, and a TED talk I’m nervously preparing for.
In Case You Missed It
ICYMI, here are three things I did in February.
1. Discussion of guns in American society on WHYY Philadelphia’s Studio 2 (3 February 2026)
I appeared on this live call-in show with James Reeves of The Firearm Blog TV and Lara Smith of the Liberal Gun Club. Our segment begins approximately 12 minutes into the livestreamed video on the WHYY YouTube channel.
Hosts Cherri Gregg and Avi Wolfman-Arent were well prepared with good questions, and I think they were genuinely surprised by the diversity of callers, especially the liberal Buddhist gun owner.
I shared some additional thoughts in a follow-up Substack post.
2. Getting back into the field observing “Pistol Intelligence” gun training course (21-22 February 2026)
I wrote about spending my Substack First Anniversary at Apache Solutions Firearms Training, observing Riley Bowman teaching his “Pistol Intelligence” course. I noted in that post that observing part of this civilian gun training class reminded me of why I started this research in the first place — and where it’s heading. Some of my greatest memories and greatest insights come from observing and participating in these classes. Chapter 8 of Gun Curious, on “Being Responsibly Armed,” covers some of what I learned from my field research. I will cover more in Gun Culture 2.0.
3. Presentation on “American Gun Culture in a Different Mirror” (27 February 2026)
I made my third trip to Phoenix in 13 months to attend another event sponsored by the Arizona State University BRIDGS (Bringing Research and Innovation into the Debate on Guns in Society) Initiative. This was the Second Annual Guns in Society Symposium. In looking forward to developing my book on Gun Culture 2.0, I shared my most well-developed ideas on looking at gun culture “in a different mirror” with some of the leading gun studies scholars in the world. If I don’t find a way to publish these thoughts in an academic journal in the coming months, I will share them here on Substack.
On My Radar
Here are a couple of things I have been watching and reading that I think are worth your time, as well as a novel I can recommend.
1. Becoming America with Bonnie Boswell: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, PBS SoCal (24 February 2026)
In this series, reporter Bonnie Boswell travels across the country to talk with people about the American ideals of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” In this episode, she takes up the issue of guns and violence. I was drawn to it because she travels to Denver to meet with Amanda Wilcox, whose daughter’s murder turned her into a gun control activist, and Edgar Antillon, CEO of Guns for Everyone. Though their views differ considerably, both serve as advisors to Emmy Betz’s Firearms Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) at CU Anschutz Medical School. Their segment starts about 11 minutes into the episode.
2. “Can Gun Culture Help Streetwear Find Its Edge Again?” GQ (10 February 2026)
I’m always interested to see when gun culture spills over its boundaries. My buddy Kevin (see #3 below) tipped me off to this story in what I used to call Gentlemen’s Quarterly about the NYC streetwear brand Qilo embracing camo patterns and tactical gear. I’m not clever enough to come up with a phrase, but it makes me think about the male equivalent of the stereotypical approach to marketing guns to women, “Shrink it and pink it.” Basically, “Camo it and tac it.” Or maybe, Qilo Tactical is Streetwear for Your Daily Gunfight.
3. Salvation by Kevin Creighton
Full disclosure: Kevin Creighton is a friend of mine. Additional information: I don’t recommend every book my friends write. I don’t typically read fiction in this genre, but I read the book in manuscript as a favor to Kevin and really enjoyed it. As the title suggests, this is a salvation narrative set in the context of a James Bond-like spy thriller and Carl Hiaasen-like Florida crime thriller (though less humorous and more serious). Several tensions drive the plot. The basic tension between good (the protagonist John) and evil (La Familia Michoacana). The tension between “true” Christianity and “false” Christianity — it is a salvation narrative after all. And the tension inside the protagonist. I found myself drawn to John and pulling for him to succeed. There’s also a love story in here between John and Sandra that captured my attention. And of course, I was interested to see where John’s Christian rebirth goes. Kevin writes from a particular faith perspective, but I don’t think you have to share that perspective (I do not, for example) to enjoy this book.
Light Over Heat
In the 14 years I have been studying American gun culture, I have assiduously avoided proposing or endorsing gun policies. That said, I do have views on the Great American Gun Debate. I believe that getting beyond the firearms ownership VERSUS public safety false dichotomy can be facilitated by having civil conversations about guns with those with whom we disagree. So I could not turn down the opportunity to engage in an extended deliberative dialogue with a diverse group of stakeholders representing a truly broad range of perspectives on firearms in America.
As I discuss at greater length in a separate Substack post, the goal of the dialogue was to engage in what Randy Miyan of the Liberal Gun Owners calls “simultaneous proponency”: equal support of both firearms ownership rights and the reduction of firearms-related injury and death.
After some 80 hours of professionally facilitated deliberations, our panel has issued a package of eight extensive policy proposals intended for introduction into red state legislatures. The proposals are provided in full (60+ pages) and explained in various formats on the “Bridging the Divide” website.
If you would rather listen than read, check out a good conversation on Stephen Gutowski’s The Reload podcast with panel convener Michael Siegel and panel members Rob Pincus and Jonathan Lowy.
What’s Next
I continue to try to make progress on my book, Gun Culture 2.0: The Evolution and Contours of Defensive Gun Ownership in America, but also have some other projects I’m working on.
Here's what's coming up:
1. “Escaping the Gun Debate Trap,” TEDxWakeForestU, 22 March 2026
I am excited to appear at TEDxWakeForestU to talk about how to escape the shouting match that characterizes too much of our public conversations about guns. This talk is in line with my attempts to have civil conversations about guns in uncivil times.
If you’re familiar with TED talks, you know the format is different than a traditional academic lecture and I’m working hard to take my ideas and TED-ify them. The event will not be live-streamed but will be recorded and posted to the TEDx Talks YouTube channel after the fact.
2. Q&A with Margaret Kelley, author of A Gun of Her Own: The Everyday Lives of Women Who Shoot
My Light Over Heat Virtual Book Club is currently reading this book and we’re fortunate to be joined by the author on Wednesday, April 1 (no foolin’) at 6:00 pm Eastern Time.
If you would like to join us for our third and final discussion of A Gun of Her Own or attend the Q&A with Margaret Kelley, please register for the Zoom Webinar here.
Join the Conversation
Your turn: What's on your mind after reading this?
I’m especially curious to know what you think about the Bridging the Divide proposals. Do you see them as a real step forward, or a well-intentioned long shot? Reply and let me know.
Looking forward to hearing you say:
"Thank you for coming to my Ted talk"
The Buddhist guy was good. A couple of the phone callers sounded like they were reading from a prepared script. Mad Moms or something.