If I write another book about guns and gun culture in America — which depends on whether or not my forthcoming book, Gun Curious, makes a difference — it will begin with what I am calling The Master Narrative of Democracy-Destroying Right-Wing Gun Culture and Politics.

Much like The Standard Model of Explaining the Irrationality of Defensive Gun Ownership, this Master Narrative underlies much of what is written about guns and gun culture in America.

I see the narrative (in some cases more and in some cases less) in the work of Ryan Busse, Harel Shapira, Matthew Lacombe, Robert Spitzer, Patrick Blanchfield, Jennifer Carlson, and Andrew McKevitt (whose book we’re reading in Virtual Book Club starting next week!) — all of whom have recently published or will soon publish books on guns in America.

Most recent case in point: Dominic Erdozain’s “takedown of American gun culture” in his recently released book, One Nation Under Guns: How Gun Culture Distorts Our History and Threatens Our Democracy (affiliate links on Bookshop.org and Amazon.com).

The title says it all.

I haven’t yet written up anything on The Master Narrative, since I may not write another book about guns and gun culture. But if I do, it will start here.