In our era of endless mass shootings, Vanderbilt professor Jonathan Metzl examines America’s deadly obsession with firearms through the lens of a shocking 2018 Waffle House shooting. He delves into the psyche of white male shooters, arguing the carnage stems not from mental illness but toxic racism mixed with gun worship permeating society.

As the deaths mount with no policy response, Metzl warns that America approaches an abyss where gunfire replaces democratic principles. He says protests after shootings achieve nothing without grasping structural power the way the NRA does through judge appointments. Metzl predicts continued legislative defeats and vigilantism unless liberals mobilize communities to play a long game. With vivid analysis of the link between racism and violence, Metzl’s sobering work captures our national pathology.