In The Second Amendment: A Biography, Michael Waldman lends a new perspective to the most controversial, volatile, and misunderstood provision of the Bill of Rights. This new book traces the relatively benign beginnings of the Second Amendment—intended to calm public fear—through the radicalization of the National Rifle Association, or NRA, in the 1970s, when the group began to wage a fierce campaign to create a constitutional protection for gun ownership. Waldman follows developments in the Supreme Court to explain the modern context for the debate over guns, which has been characterized by intransigence at the state and federal levels in recent years.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a discussion about The Second Amendment and how political advocacy and agitation shape public attitudes about guns in America.
Special guest:
Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University School of Law
Moderator:
Arkadi Gerney, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress