Tragedy in Aurora: The Culture of Mass Shootings in America

In this well-meaning but awkward mélange, lawyer and policy analyst Diaz (Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America) combines a sprawling analysis of the American plague of mass shootings with the story of contributors Lonnie and Sandy Phillips, whose daughter, Jessi Ghawi, was killed in the Aurora shooting in 2012. Diaz argues that firearms manufacturers and the NRA exploit cultural divisions in the American electorate for profit. He compares Canada’s gun culture—where restrictions on guns and licenses have helped to minimize mass shootings—to that of the U.S., where traditional attachment to guns and unscrupulous rhetoric have derailed attempts to pass similar regulations. Meanwhile, he argues, more (and more powerful) guns proliferate, making incidents of mass violence more deadly, while gun control advocates have taken a top-down approach that has failed to galvanize cultural change. Meanwhile, the book incorporates the contributors’ family story (one chapter is titled “When Lonnie Met Sandy”), memories of Jessi, and excerpts from her social media accounts to give a human face to mass gun violence. The book is often difficult to follow and its language can be florid (at one point, a Batman cosplayer is called “a chilling portent, a threatening gesture, a flutter of the Angel of Death’s wings”). Readers can give this one a miss. [em](Aug.) [/em]