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Childhood Hunting Accident Frames Memoir on Gun Culture

craigkcollins.com

Every time a high-profile mass shooting occurs in this country, a debate over the nation’s gun laws ensues.

In recent years, as soon as the emotion dies down, the laws remain essentially the same as they were before.

One of the contentions that inevitably arises is that there is a clash of cultures when it comes to guns. Urban lawmakers who favor tighter controls don’t take into account the role that guns have historically played in the more rural American West.

The story of Craig Collins may be one that bridges that divide just a bit.

Thunder in the Mountains: A Portrait of American Gun Culture is a memoir told through the lens of how guns have touched Collins' life, and the lives of friends and his family - going as far back as his ancestors in Wisconsin.

Craig Collins was in Milwaukee this fall and joined Lake Effect's Mitch Teich to talk about the book and his personal experiences that have stemmed from firearms.

"It's an extremely painful experience and once you're shot, you stay shot," Collins says. "A part of your body leaves, and that's one of the things about gun casualties - is people who are wounded, that stays with them for the rest of their life. It's a very serious injury."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sbomgK0Jd7g

You can view more video Q&A's with Craig Collins about his memoir here.

Audrey is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.