Gun Violence and Gun Control
Introduced by: Catherine Francis
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Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book is The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic, published on September 29, 2026. Gladwell argues that gun violence in the United States is an invented epidemic driven by specific historical choices, public dishonesty, and systemic misallocations of public safety funds.
Overview & Key Arguments
Gladwell challenges conventional narratives from both sides of the American gun debate. The following are some of the themes.
The Second Amendment. Gladwell reviews the history of the 2nd Amendment. He argues that the United States Supreme Court got it wrong.
Distractions in the Gun Debate. Gladwell argues that public discourse is fundamentally dishonest and that political efforts to ban assault rifles ignores the fact that handguns cause the vast majority of fatalities, and suicides make up a large portion of annual gun deaths.
Under-Policing vs. Over-Incarcerating. Gladwell argues that the US does not spend enough on policing and spends too much on prisons.
The Role of Emergency Medicine. Gladwell argues that advancements in trauma care save tens of thousands of lives each year, meaning survival often depends on how close a victim is to a major trauma center. The homicide rate has decreased because of improved trauma care not less gun violence.
Targeted Community Interventions. Rather than relying on legislative changes and mass incarceration, Gladwell argues that violence-interruption models focusing on at-risk young men work better.
Discussion Questions
What are your views of gun control?
Are lawmakers focusing on the wrong issues?
Should more resources be put into policing?
Compare the United States to Canada. Do we have a gun violence problem here? What can be done about it.
How do issues of systemic racism and economic inequality factor into gun violence?
Please join the Zoom Meeting here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/971381033