Because They're Assholes: Violence and Gun Violence

by Michael R. Weisser

In his third book on Guns in America, Mike Weisser deals with the connection between violence and guns. Questions that Mike asks and answers include: * Is America a more violent country than others? * What are the real factors influencing the rise and fall of American violence? * Do guns make us more violent? * Do we know how to identify and treat violent individuals? Drawing on a wide range of published studies and his unique understanding of American gun culture, Mike addresses issues usually ignored by other authors with his usual mix of no-nonsense facts, acerbic humor, and profound insight.

228 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2014

About the author

We always had books around the house and I loved to read. My favorite author when I was kid was the Civil War historian, Bruce Catton. Then in my 30s I started reading spy novels, particularly Eric Ambler and others like him, followed by John LeCarre and others like him, such as Downing, Kerr and Furst. In my 30s I also discovered the Swedish and Scandinavian crime writers - Wahloo, then Mankell, now Nesbo.
I published my first book in 1977, then two more in 1980 and 1983. All were non-fiction. I stopped writing for many years because I wouldn't write if I couldn't get published and it was too difficult to deal with agents, editors, publishers, etc. Then I started doing some short pieces on the internet and finally discovered self-publishing of books on the web. So now I'm writing again.
I have been in the gun business for 35 years and have sold more than 40,000 guns and also trained more than 2,000 men and women in shooting techniques and gun safety. So I figured it was time to write a book about guns. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you'll enjoy reading it. I also do blogs about guns for the Huffington Post.

Reviews

[Carol Mello]

3rd book in a series of 4 ( at this time the 4th volume is not yet published) by ex college professor who quit to open a gun shop quite a long while ago because guns were one of his hobbies. The man clearly loves guns but he also cares greatly about the number of homicides and suicides commited using guns. Due to the analytical and research abilities that enabled him to acquire a Phd in History, his approach to guns and gun violence is based on facts that are available. My opinion based on the author's sound analysis of gun stats in America is that it is strange how the quality of any and all statistics for guns and gun violence in America are so incomplete; it seems as if there is an unconscious or conscious effort afoot in this country to not keep high quality stats on guns. This volume is about one on one gun violence not the mass shootings. So this volume covers stand your ground shootings which in some cases are people with anger problems who lose their temper and use a gun because they are armed at the time. It covers domestic gun violence. It covers stupid young usually male idiots with a gun who decide to commit a stupid crime. It covers gun suicides. I like reading a book about guns by someone who collects and likes them, understands the average gun owner, and is trying to help everyone (but especially non gun owners) understand all the issues. Readers who do not own guns will learn a lot about the guns themselves, the different types of people who own them, and the type of gun owners who end up killing another (just one) person. One thing I did learn from reading this author, which I did not know, is that the number of shots fired is an indication sometimes of the intent of the shooter. One shot (which is all it takes to kill someone if you aim the gun right) can be a sort of accident...the shooter may not really intended to fire nor to kill but got caught up in the moment. Multiple shots show an intention to kill the other person and to make sure that person is dead. If I ever end up on a jury for homicide by gun, this fact is one I will consider. The title pretty much covers the homicide part of this book. The suicide part is rather sad. A certain number of people, the author estimates, would have commited suicide another way even if they did not have a gun. But the author feels, that for older gun hobbist who commit suicide with a gun, they were down and the gun was there; otherwise they would have had time to think it through more carefully and perhaps not killed themselves. That is very sad indeed.

Highly recommended for open minded readers in search of sane information and sound logic applied to gun violence.