ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’ve been putting off writing this part of the book for fear of forgetting someone or, more accurately, failing to adequately recognize all of the people who have made it possible for me to start, write, and ultimately complete this project. And now, after months of procrastination and anxiety, as I wake up early on a Sunday and head into my WeWork office to write these words, I find myself sitting across from a flex space co-worker wearing a bright orange NRA hat. (If there’s a lesson in there somewhere, I’m not sure what it is, though I’m now confident there’s no escaping our trolling culture.)

That being said, this book would not have been possible without the stewardship, mentorship, and encouragement of so many people.

First and foremost, I have to thank Chelsea Parsons of the Center for American Progress (CAP). Chelsea’s contribution to the gun violence prevention movement is immeasurable. She both crafts the policies that shape our movement and articulates those ideas in the clearest terms possible. Chelsea is the fiercest of policy wonks and advocates. Chelsea has taught me (almost) everything I know about guns and I am so grateful for all of the time she spent helping me form the arguments in this book and reviewing its different components—from the initial book proposal I put together in 2016 to the final version of the Second Amendment Compact contained within it. When I first started this project Chelsea and I were work colleagues, and we have since become good friends. I am so grateful for that friendship.

There are so many other people at CAP who believed in me throughout my ten years there and who gave me the courage to think that I could even take on such an ambitious project. They include John Podesta, who would bring me into meetings I had no place being in when I first started at CAP as a young health care reporter; Faiz Shakir and Judd Legum, who gave me such amazing opportunities to advance at ThinkProgress; Neera Tanden, who after the 2016 election inspired me to continue working in progressive politics; and, of course, my dear friend Angie Kelley.

Angie believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She taught me how to think strategically about problems, identify our goals, and channel all of our resources toward meeting them. She showed me how to run a meeting, manage people, solve complex problems, act and think like a leader. I still can’t accomplish any of this with a tenth of Angie’s grace or strength, but thankfully our lessons continue to this day.

(My NRA-hat-wearing co-worker left as I was writing that last part, so thankfully he did not see me tear up—repeatedly.)

The team at Guns Down America has supported me every step of the way, particularly Stephen Geer, who lit a fire under my ass to finish this project and motivated me to do just that. Brandon Lorenz’s strategic guidance and just really smart ideas have helped shape and give meaning to our work as an organization and to the words found within these pages. I am so blessed to work with so many creative and strategic people, including Tallman Trask, Clayton Spinney, Lance Orchid, Daniel Forkkio, Po Murray, Michelle Ringuette, Shira Goodwin, and Michael Fleming.

While writing this book, I was motivated and inspired by so many brilliant advocates and thinkers who have been working to build a future with fewer guns every single day, relentlessly, for years. Chief among them are Nina Vinik, Arkadi Gerney, Tim Daly, and Mark Glaze. These four brought me into this movement and helped me find my place within it. I will forever be grateful for their guidance and support. More broadly, I have to mention the amazing Sarah and Abby Clements, Stasha Rhodes, Mark Jones, Alicia Samuels, Amber Goodwin, Christian Heyne, Lori Haas, Josh Horwitz, Adam Skaggs, Josh Sugarmann, and so many others.

Throughout this journey, I’ve also relied on several friends who have been kind enough to look at different portions of this work and provide invaluable feedback. Josh Rovenger printed out the entire manuscript and read it while flying to his bachelor party! He’s the reason why the introduction explains why I don’t believe all firearms should be banned. Josh Lederman read a version on his computer, but offered no less valuable suggestions about chapter framing, order, and how best to pull the reader in. These two were the first “outsiders” to read the book in full, and their positive feedback gave me the confidence I needed to drive this project toward the finish line. I’m also forever indebted to Clara Salzberg, Matt Ingram, Ed Chung, Navin Nayak, Laura Merner, Jeff Krehely, Kerry Eleveld, Evan Wolfson, Michael Waldman, Michelangelo Signorile, and Errick McAdams, for their great encouragement and help with various parts of the book-writing process.

That process would never have been possible without my amazing literary agent, Anna Sproul-Latimer of Ross Yoon, who guided me through everything from A to Z and always had my back, and also Howard Yoon, who sharpened my book proposal with his keen insights. Julie Enszer, my editor at The New Press, put up with me and challenged me, and made this work so much better. Amanda Palleschi is the reason I was able to finish this book on any kind of reasonable timetable and insert the right level of detail, fact, and personal anecdote. A big thank-you to you, Amanda.

Working on a book is an incredibly time-consuming project that pushes everything else out of your life and forces those close to you to bear your burdens and responsibilities. This is something I may not have always recognized while going through this process, but I am very clear-eyed about this reality as I write these words now. I would not have been able to work through this project had it not been for the support and understanding of Brian Volsky. I certainly would not have been able to complete it without the love, tenderness, and sacrifices of Pete Dohan, who makes it possible for me to continue doing this work every single day. And finally, I want to thank my parents for instilling within me the drive, determination, and perseverance that pushed me to take on and complete this project.