Mountain Journal founder Todd Wilkinson and I join forces for our “The Week That Is,” column where we discuss topical events relating to the nation’s capital city and the public land West.
This time we have a discussion with Ryan Busse of Montana, author of Gunfight My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, a new book about guns and America. The book is raising eyebrows, opening eyes and changing the discussion about firearms and politics in this country.
Few topics are more “triggering” today in America, especially within red states, than discussions about guns. Perhaps no one, at this moment, understands this better than Busse, a self-described former “gunrunner” who has called out the firearm industry and the powerful National Rifle Association in his new book.
Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America is an insider’s account. Already called one of the most important books about guns in America ever written, it has placed Busse on a metaphorical firing line and is stirring up conversation nationally. No matter where one comes down on right to bear arms issues, Gunfight ought to be a part of your reading list.
Gunfight is not a tell all, it’s a mea culpa. And kudos to Busse for the courage to do it. Having witnessed first hand some of the episodes in Busse’s book, I know the truth when I read it.
More importantly, Busse sounds a graphic warning about the future facing our country. As if the increasing body count of innocent lives lost is not enough, he gives us a behind the scenes look at politics of authoritarianism in the gun industry and how that has become the playbook for the radical right and much of the Republican party. His revelations and observations will send chills down the spines of those of us who cherish our democracy.
Read Wilkinson’s and my conversation with Busse > ‘Gunfight’ Is One Of The Most Important Books You May Ever Read About Guns In America. I don’t think it will be our last.
You can order a copy of Gunfight My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, here.