In honor of John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley: In Search of America, I am keeping my eyes open for clues about America’s gun cultures as Sandy and I travel from our home in North Carolina to Yellowstone National Park and back. My inaugural post on this series can be found here.

On the first day of our trip out west, Sandy and I made our way to Chillicothe, Ohio. A small city of 22,000 people, and the only city in Ross County, Chillicothe is situated along the Scioto River fewer than 50 miles south of Columbus. The city’s claim to fame is hosting the Ohio Constitutional Convention in 1802, and serving as the first (1803-1810) and third (1812-1816) capitals of Ohio. Chillicothe was also a stop on the underground railroad as enslaved people crossed the Ohio River and made their way up the Scioto toward freedom (Wikipedia).

After getting Airstream Joy set up at the Sun Valley Campground, Sandy and I ventured into the city for provisions. We had a nice fast-food Mexican meal at the Casa del Taco (a local and slightly elevated version of a Taco Bell) and then hit the Kroger.

On our way out, my eyes were drawn to a nearby truck’s window stickers because they had AR-15 style rifles on them. As I got closer, I could read the accompanying text.

Having just read and reviewed Jennifer Carlson’s book, Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy, I was not at all surprised to see this sentiment expressed.

But I was, admittedly, disappointed. Not to the point of tears, as the truck owner would hope, though. No, he would have to lubricate his guns with the tears of his fellow Trump 2020 tribesmen, especially those who will be spending time at Club Fed for their seditious conspiracy.

I was disappointed because I have just returned from an excellent discussion of guns and violence sponsored by the Vail Symposium. As part of their “Conversations on Controversial Issues” series, I emphasized the importance of civil discourse — and what Carlson calls “civic grace” — when approaching the divisive issue of guns.

I hate to begin this series on a negative note, but this was unfortunately the most prominent aspect of America’s gun cultures I saw in Chillicothe. I can’t say that I am surprised, as the area is very politically conservative, racially homogenous, and has a higher-than-average rate of violent crime.

Of course, as my friend Chelsy Lyons and other conservative-leaning gun owners reminded me, this view is not representative of all conservatives or all gun owners or all conservative gun owners.

To paraphrase Michael Bane, even your mother’s knitting group has assholes in it. (Very rough paraphrase but captures the spirit of Michael’s comment to me.)

Right-wing virtue signaling among some gun owners like this is, nevertheless, a big turnoff and a reason I am sometimes reluctant to characterize myself as a “gun owner” and why I may never feel fully at home in gun culture.

Fortunately, we ended the night with a nice sunset view from our campsite on the outskirts of Chillicothe.

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