American Carnage: Shattering the Myths That Fuel Gun Violence (School Safety, Violence in Society)

(Paperback)

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Shooting Down Gun Violence Misinformation

"Don't tell me there's no such thing as gun violence. It happened in Parkland." Fred Guttenberg

#1 Best Seller in School Safety, Education Policy, and Law Enforcement Politics

Fred Guttenberg, who lost his beloved daughter Jaime in the 2018 Parkland school shooting, and International gun policy consultant Thomas Gabor team up in American Carnage to dismantle some of the most common myths about guns and gun violence.

A national disgrace. In America, over 40,000 die each year as a result of gun violence. Relative to other advanced countries, the U.S. has a dismal gun violence record. Gun law reforms could reduce the number of gun deaths, but many political challenges stand in the way. A widespread multi-year misinformation assault on truth by the gun lobby and gun-extremists sows doubt about the dangers of pervasive gun ownership, gun carrying, and potential effectiveness of gun laws.

Debunking popular gun myths. Countering with strong evidence-based research the many slogans and myths repeated incessantly by spokespersons for the gun lobby and its surrogates is essential if we are to have a society where kids can attend school safely and people can work and enjoy life without fear of being shot. Over the last 30 years, the NRA's campaign to achieve an armed society has succeeded in persuading many Americans that having a gun in the home or carrying a gun makes them safer. The evidence is overwhelming this is not the case. Guns in the home are far more likely to be used against a family member or in a suicide attempt than against an intruder. Tackling this and other myths is critical.

Myths and slogans exposed as false in American Carnage include:

• Gun owners frequently use firearms to fend off attackers
• An armed society is a safer society
• Guns don't kill people, people kill people

If you have read Trigger Points, The Violence Project, Warning Signs, or Fred Guttenberg's Find the Helpers, American Carnage is a must read.

Reviews

American Carnage by authors Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg is a must read. Fred, like far too many Americans, understands gun violence because of the murder of his daughter Jaime. His work with Thomas Gabor to take on the myths around guns and gun violence in America and to present an evidence-based approach has resulted in a book that should be read by everyone who cares about this issue.
Congressman Eric Swalwell, US Representative to California's 15th congressional district

What a powerful book! American Carnage is an essential read for anyone seeking to counter fiction with fact in their efforts to reduce gun violence in the United States.
Cassandra Crifasi, co-director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, The Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

This book, one I will go back to many times, gives you every essential tool to become a well-informed member of a club I want you to join: committed citizens lifting their voices for the lifesaving changes to gun laws the vast majority of Americans want.
Steve Kerr, son, husband, father, grandfather, and head coach of the Golden State Warriors

Let me say at the outset that Fred Guttenberg and I agree on very little when it comes to gun policy. But we listen to each other and we constantly search for common ground. This book written by Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg is an important one. And even though I disagree with some of what's written here, I recommend this book to anyone interested in saving lives. Fred and Tom make a passionate & evidenced-based case for facts to consider when pursuing certain reforms, which I'm sure will spur further passionate debate on this issue between us. I highly recommend American Carnage.
Former Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois's 8th district

Organized around the prolific myths surrounding the gun debateand there are a great manythe authors, a criminologist and an activist, are motivated by a simple principle: that facts matter. In service to that principle, Gabor and Guttenbergs highly readable and engaging book is a valuable contribution to truth in the otherwise often murky story of America and its guns.
Robert J. Spitzer, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland and author of The Gun Dilemma and The Politics of Gun Control

Theres no single voice more important in the conversation in America about gun safety and avoiding the unthinkable tragedy of losing a child to gun violence than Fred Guttenberg. Freds voice rings like a clarion in American Carnage where he, along with Thomas Gabor, explores the crucially important issue of misinformation when it comes to gun violence. The assault on truth spreads through every aspect of American politics, and there is no issue more uniquely American or deadly than gun violence. American Carnage is an essential read on one of the most important issues of our time.
Nicolle Wallace, host of Deadline: White House on MSNBC and former White House communications director

American Carnage is a must-read for every gun violence prevention advocate and those interested in the complexities of the gun violence issue in America. Skillfully written and engaging, American Carnage lays bare the falsehoods and myths that have been circulated over decades by those most willing to profit from their acceptance and proliferation. This book is a fact-filled roadmap for debunking the disinformation which has made gun violence prevention such a complicated issue.
Donna Wald, president of Grandmothers Against Gun Violence MA

Smart, concise, well-written, and, perhaps more importantly, well-researched with non-biased, well-respected resource organizations. In debunking the many myths prevalent in the contemporary gun debates, the authors prove with facts and logic, glib slogans do not an argument make. The definitive resource on the misconceptions surrounding our gun culture debates. Highly recommended especially for advocates on both sides of the debate and the general public.
Patricia Hatch, founding member and former president of Cape Cod Grandmothers Against Gun Violence

Since 2020, gun violence has become the leading cause of death for American children. That fact alone should make everyone who cares about a child read this book. We buckle our children into car seats, install pool fences, teach them not to take drugs or go with strangers. We give them medicine when they are sick and protect them from dangerous situations. It is long overdue that we protect them from the most dangerous threat of allgun violence.

This book is clearly written and easy to read. It is packed with well-researched, evidence-based facts. The myth-busting in this book provides new information even to long-time supporters of firearm regulation. This is the information that makes us better advocates for the kind of sensible gun laws that will save our children.
Susan Foley, MD, and Rebecca Cohen, co-leaders of Speaking Up for America/Indivisible

This vital, accessible book offers a clear-eyed, deeply researched response to the flood of disinformation about guns and gun-related violence. Required reading for all who wish to stem the surging tide of gun carnage.
Caroline Light, director of the undergraduate women, gender, and sexuality studies program at Harvard University

In American Carnage, Thomas Gabor and Fred Guttenberg masterfully tackle many of the common myths and misperceptions about firearms and gun violence in America. They provide an even-handed approach to sharing evidence-based facts and the realities of this complex issue in a way that will be approachable to audiences. In short, American Carnage is a strong primer for anyone looking to inform themselves about the bevy of issues surrounding the issue of firearms in the US.
Jaclyn Schildkraut, PhD, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, Rockefeller Institute of Government, and national expert on mass shootings

Author Bio

Fred Guttenberg began his public life after the murder of his beautiful fourteen-year-old daughter Jaime in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting on Feb 14, 2018. The day after the murder, Fred decided to attend a public vigil. While there, the mayor asked him to speak. His words shook a nation and he has not stopped since. Only four months prior to the murder of his daughter, Freds brother Michael passed away in October 2017 from cancer related to his service in 9/11 in New York City. He was one of the original first responders at the World Trade Center with a team of doctors who got trapped in the WTC as it collapsed. Amazingly, the room that they hid out in did not collapse and Michael and his team of physicians spent sixteen days at ground zero taking care of others. Following his involvement in these two distinctly American tragedies, Fred has traveled the country talking about both events but also talking about perspective, perseverance, and resilience. He discusses pivotal moments in our lives and how we respond to those moments, using his speech to inspire others. Prior to these events, Fred Guttenbergs professional life included over a decade in sales and management with Johnson & Johnson, followed by almost fifteen years as an entrepreneur, having built a business including nineteen Dunkin Donuts. Fred and his wife Jennifer now spend time challenging elected officials to do more. They began a nonprofit organization dedicated to Jaimes life called "Orange Ribbons for Jaime." He has been a regular on TV news programs and myriad online and print media. The nonprofit is now his full-time mission. Thomas Gabor, formerly Professor of Criminology at Ottawa University, is an international gun policy consultant. An author of 200 works, he has testified in front of Parliamentary committees, served as an advisor to the United Nations, and advised governmental agencies. He is author of Confronting Gun Violence in America and ENOUGH!. Steve Kerr is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. He is an eight-time NBA champion, having won five titles as a player as well as three with the Warriors as a head coach.