A year ago today I was the lunchtime speaker at the National Firearms Law Seminar in Indianapolis. More than anything I’ve written or said, “Gun Culture 2.0, or How a Liberal Professor Became an Armed American” offered a very personal perspective on how I got into guns and the study of gun culture. I also discussed some of the many lessons I have learned on my journey and what the takeaways are from those lessons.

The original 37 minute video has nearly 7,000 views, which ain’t bad for a long lecture by a professor.

But I know time is a scarce commodity, even during a pandemic shelter in place. So I have chopped the original video into three shorter videos for its anniversary.

The first video is 15 minutes long. In it, I discuss how I got into guns, and outline two of my three main observations about Gun Culture 2.0:

1. Guns are normal, and normal people use guns.
2. Shooting is fun, and challenging

In the second part of my presentation (17 minutes), I discuss my understanding of Gun Culture 2.0 in more detail, how I got into Gun Culture 2.0, and the third major lesson from my study:

3. Gun culture is inclusive, because self-defense is a universal concern.

In the final part of my presentation, a brief 5 minutes, I discuss three takeaways from my participation in and observation of Gun Culture 2.0:

1. Resist efforts to stigmatize guns and gun owners by showing the positive face of gun culture..

2. Promote the act of shooting whenever possible.

3. Embrace diversity and inclusivity. Build bridges, not walls.