Citizen-Protectors

<p>From gang- and drug-related shootings to mass shootings in schools shopping centers and movie theatres reports of gun crimes fill the headlines of newspapers and nightly news programs. At the same time a different kind of headline has captured public attention: a steady surge in pro-gun sentiment among Americans. In <em>Citizen-Protectors</em> Jennifer Carlson offers a compelling portrait of gun carriers shedding light on Americans' complex relationship with guns. Delving headlong into the world of guns Carlson participated in firearms training classes attending pro-gun events and carried a firearm herself. Through these experiences she explores the role guns play in the lives of Americans who carry them and shows how against a backdrop of economic insecurity and social instability gun carrying becomes a means of being a good citizen. A much-needed counterpoint to the rhetorical battles over gun control <em>Citizen-Protectors</em> is a captivating and revealing look at gun culture in America and a must-read for anyone with a stake in this heated debate.</p>