Three years ago, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigative reporter John Diedrich unveiled a project called Behind the Gun. Unlike many, if not most, projects of its kind, Diedrich’s series wasn’t about promoting gun control in the guise of gun safety or blaming the gun lobby and Second Amendment advocates for the actions of violent criminals.
Instead, Diedrich explored what gun owners themselves are doing to reduce firearm-related deaths, why more people are choosing to exercise their Second Amendment rights, and the trainers and instructors who are helping them do so safely and responsibly.
Even though the series came out in 2023, Diedrich’s Behind the Gun series lives on at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The paper is hosting a Behind the Gun-branded “Safety Summit” later this month, the second of the year. Though groups like Everytown have tried their best to co-opt the phrase “gun safety” and turn it into a synonym for gun control, this event isn’t about demonizing gun owners or rallying for new laws. Instead, gun owners, firearm instructors, and community leaders will be on hand to discuss what real gun safety looks like.
One of them is Vee Taylor-Tate, who decided to learn more about firearms after a young cousin gained access to a gun and accidentally shot their sibling 10 years ago. Taylor-Tate is now a firearms instructor at Prolific Arms, and will bring her years of experience to the conversation.
Other panelists include Trell Johnson, a neighborhood organizer at Safe & Sound; Theron Roger, co-owner of Prolific Arms, director of business development and firearms instructor for adults and children; and Kevin Simmons, youth mentor and pastor.
Taylor-Tate believes the conversation around guns is finally beginning to change in Milwaukee — because it has to.
Few communities have carried the burden of gun violence more heavily than Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. But Taylor-Tate believes the conversation must go beyond the firearm itself and focus on what happens before someone pulls the trigger.
At the heart of many shootings, she said, is a breakdown in conflict resolution.
Instead of walking away from an argument, agreeing to disagree or finding a way to settle a disagreement without violence, too many conflicts escalate.
An argument becomes a fight. Someone feels embarrassed or disrespected. Then someone reaches for a gun. In seconds, two families are left grieving.
… Taylor-Tate grew up around guns. Her grandmother carried a firearm for protection, but the message she heard growing up was simple: “Don’t touch it.”
Today, she teaches women individually and in groups about firearm safety, responsible ownership and how to make informed decisions about protecting themselves.
“If I have to protect myself, I know I can do it,” she said. “And I’m teaching other women how to do the same and not feel ashamed because they have to do so.”
The summit will be moderated by Journal Sentinel reporter James Causey, who writes that he grew up around guns, with both his grandfather and father instilling in him the fundamental rules of gun safety. This is personal for Causey on another level, as he’s helping his wife “overcome her fear of guns by teaching her about safe, responsible firearm ownership.”
Every so often the mainstream media can be surprisingly fair towards gun owners. The New York Times’ recent profile of the armed citizen who helped stop a mass shooting in Twin Falls, Idaho is one example. What the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is doing is on another level entirely, though. For several years now the paper has provided in-depth reporting on what gun owners are doing to combat the rise in suicide and reduce violent crime; not through gun control, but through education, training, and outreach.
We rightfully bash the media when they parrot anti-gun talking points or pin the blame for violent crime on lawful gun owners. We should also recognize and support those outlets who don’t demonize us or treat us as some bizarre tribe that needs to be studied. Kudos to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for its continued focus on the good work being done by Wisconsin gun owners, and I hope it’s upcoming summit is a huge success. If you’re in the Milwaukee area, you can get your free ticket to the August 22 event here.
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