A Parade of Grief

<p><strong>Fraga ... traces America's history ... from the days of Bleeding Kansas to the long tradition of political assassination; exploring the ways that American gun culture has become more radical over time. Related issues of racism; police violence; mental health; and suicide are discussed; as are the numerous ways that efforts to legislate gun control have been stymied at all levels of government. Fraga is a skilled writer; and his matter-of-fact prose captures the mundane terror of these stories . . . <em>-Kirkus Reviews </em></strong></p><p>New Zealand reined in gun violence; why can't the US? Fraga explains how rural voters in the US have more clout than their counterparts in New Zealand; and they are the fiercest advocates of gun rights. Not long ago; a Texas congressman evaded a metal detector in the Capitol. He was reported to have sneered; You can't stop me. Another congressman told police who tried to scan him after he set off the machine; Nah; I'm not going to do that. And a third member of Congress refused to let the police search her handbag after she bragged that she was going to carry a loaded Glock to Congress.  </p><p>Many in rural states believe you fight guns with guns. Fraga examines the Heartland; specifically Kansas. 'Bleeding Kansas he reminds the reader; is home to Dodge City; the cow town so beset by violence that it invited Wyatt Earp to be its Marshall. The City Council instituted a 'Deadline' along Front Street separating the north end of town where guns were prohibited-cowboys packing heat there were arrested and immediately packed off to jail-from the free-wheeling south end where pretty much any behavior went unchecked. Unpacking the right to bear arms and the 2nd Amendment; Fraga exposes the history of the NRA up to and including the Russian Maria Butina's involvement in the NRA in 2016. </p><p>Robert Fraga wrote <em>The Greening of Oz </em>(2012); about the town of Greensburg in western Kansas that came back green after a tornado almost wiped it out; and <em>The Road through San Judas</em> (2020) about the struggle between landless farmers and the wealthy Mexican family who wanted them gone. His latest <em>A Parade of Grief</em> is an important read.</p>