Guns and Liberty; Producer Debbie Bilder Talks Drones

Guests: Firmin DeBrabander, Craig Whitlock

Last Thursday, 10 people were killed and at least seven were wounded in a mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. This shooting is one of the 294 mass shootings that has taken place so far in the US in 2015. Our guest FIRMIN DeBRABANDER, author of Do Guns Make Us Free: Democracy and the Armed Society, points out that state governments across the country have been active in passing new gun laws, but these laws often make it easier for people to access firearms, despite widespread popular support for national restrictions on gun ownership and possession. DeBrabender argues that this trend, coupled with the National Rifle Association’s rabid support for an armed society, is actually making our nation less free. Then, we’ll hear producer Debbie Bilder’s interview with CRAIG WHITLOCK of the Washington Post about the latest news on drones and drone operation in the US. As recreational drones take off in popularity, many people worry that they pose a serious threat in the skies – to planes, helicopters, and to our national security.