The Future Of The Gun

[MikeBjerum]

I was sitting in the big new recliner (wifey gave me a new recliner for father's day that makes the old extra large Lazy Boy look like a kid's model) reading a new book I picked up Sunday afternoon.  I set the book down to get a pop and decided to scan the new American Rifleman that arrived today. 

On page 40, Books In Brief, is the very same book - The Future Of The Gun by Frank Miniter.  I had not heard of the book until I saw it on the best sellers rack at Barnes and Nobles.  A few dollars later I'm on my bike looking for a burger and gas for the cruise home.

I have a ways to go in the book, but the review by Mark A. Keefe, IV, as glowing as it is, is not an exaggeration, and in my opinion is less than what I think of the writing.  With a busy several days ahead this will take me till the end of next week to finish, but if it continues on as begun it will be well worth the time.  This is one of the books that will go on the shelf with my books that I use for reference while writing and debating.

[Hazcat]

OK.....So, duz ya think yaz culd give us a little insight as to what the book is about?

From the title it seems to be where the gun might evolve from where it is today, yet you say you will keep it for reference.  Dichotomy to me.

[MikeBjerum]

The book is investigative reporting in style.  It addresses the history of guns in the forming of the United States; the relationship between the civilian market and military markets; violence in the nation; and several areas of advancements over the centuries.

The book utilizes interviews with experts, and it relies heavily on both facts and factual history to build and support discussions.

As I have scanned before purchasing and what I have read so far, this is not about what guns will look like in the future.  This is about the conflict between "the two gun cultures" in our nation, and what this will mean for America, Americans, and our freedoms in the years to come.

[MikeBjerum]

http://www.americanhunter.org/blogs/the-future-of-the-gun-review

Book Review: 'The Future of the Gun'

Frank Miniter saw a need for a reporter to honestly go inside America’s gun culture for answers about our relationship with the gun and what’s to come. The result? His new book, "The Future of the Gun."

By NRA Staff (RSS)

August 30, 2014
   

An appalling majority of journalists—and, as a result, too much of the public—don’t understand what guns have to do with real freedom. So Frank Miniter saw a need for a reporter to honestly go inside America’s gun culture for answers about our relationship with the gun and what’s to come. He went inside America’s gun makers, he imbedded with police officers, he went to the gun ranges, he spent time with inner-city gangs, he went to gun competitions, he hung out with gun lobbyists and he found people who could give an insider’s view of mainstream newsrooms and so much more all to tell the real story about guns in America. What Miniter ends up with is a surprising, fast-paced and fact-based narrative every journalist should be compelled to read and that every American—gun owner or not—will get a lot out of. His investigation shows where our freedom is headed and what guns will soon look like as they are reshaped by modern technology—his groundbreaking research into what’s to come in gun design is alone worth the price of this book.

Along the way he says he found there are two wildly different gun cultures in America—the more than 100-million strong freedom-loving, gun-rights culture that upholds the responsible use of guns and the much smaller but more headline-grabbing criminal culture that thrives in spite of, or even because of, government attempts at restricting gun rights. Those two cultures are created by policy, laws that lead to two very different futures. The road we take will determine the future of the gun and the future of our freedom. To take the path toward freedom we have to understand what that freedom is all about. Understanding guns in America—what Miniter called “freedom’s tool”—is what this must-read is all about.

"The Future of the Gun" has received stellar reviews from our own J. Scott Olmsted, American Rifleman Editor in Chief Mark Keefe and NRA's Chief Lobbyist Chris W. Cox, among other. You can catch their thoughts below.

“Frank Miniter, one of the finest writers and investigative journalists I know, does a remarkable job describing the context and history of firearms in America, and then delves into their contemporary lawful and positive use. But it is in analyzing the criminal use of firearms and the effect the government restriction of gun rights has had on our society that this book makes its most dramatic impact on the national debate. Woven into his narrative is the history and big picture of firearm manufacturing in the United States (guns kick-started the Industrial Revolution) and what effect technological developments are having and will have on firearms in the near future.”—Mark A. Keefe IV, Editor in Chief, American Rifleman

“Americans who know their history and understand that all humanity is created equal know this: The Second Amendment defines a civil right. Chapter 5, "How Gun Rights Beat the Media," is alone worth the price of admission. Read it, and you'll never watch cable TV news the same way again. Read this book and you will be armed with the truth about your freedom and what`s to come.”—J. Scott Olmsted, author of “Make Every Shot Count” and Editor in Chief, American Hunter

“’The Future of the Gun’ is an insightful look into gun politics and policy, written with Frank’s trademark wit. An important read for every American.”—Chris W. Cox, chief lobbyist, National Rifle Association

[Hazcat]

Thx, now it makes more sense.

[Sponsor]