Welcome to the Dispatch Podcast.

I'm your host, Sarah Isger, joined by Steve Hayes.

And this week we are talking to Steven Gatowski.

He is the founder of The Reload.

This is a great publication

that y'all should consider subscribing to.

Basically, Steven has created this dedicated reporting

just to discuss the nuances of big gun stories

as well as shed light on under-reported aspects

of gun ownership in America.

We're going to talk today about the culture of gun ownership,

the politics of gun ownership, the NRA, gun control,

actions on the hill, and everything in between.

Let's dive in.

Steven, just super big picture,

why are guns such a salient issue in the culture wars?

That's a great question.

I mean, it's really like a cultural touch point, right?

It's something that millions, really hundreds

of millions of Americans value dearly

as part of their not just political identity,

but their identity as an American.

...