Gun violence is prevalent in the United States but not in Japan. It’s a difference that is palpable to those who have lived in both cultures and goes far beyond the statistics.

Content Note: Discussion of gun violence, domestic violence, and other violence, including personal experiences with it.

Transcript

K: So, today’s episode is going to start off a little bit different than our usual episodes, and it’s going to start off with a trigger warning. So, anyone who is sensitive about guns or gun violence, this may be an episode for you to skip. While we’re not going to talk about anything in graphic detail, we will be talking about my history with gun violence, Chad’s experiences with guns, and gun violence in the U.S. as compared to gun violence in Japan. And I just want to be sensitive to everyone who’s been affected or has a strong reaction to the topic and give you the option to click away now. And… I think this is our first trigger warning for an episode. 

C: No. I’ve put content notes on other episodes. This is the first one we’ve done audio; that we’ve said. But the… description of the episode always has content notes if we have something sensitive.

K: Yeah, but I think this is probably going to be one of our more heavy and politically charged episodes.

C: I think so. I think this is one of the ones that it’s more obvious that people might have historical issues with it or strong reactions or things like that.

K: Yes. And my experien – my own, personal, experience with gun violence is actually quite harrowing. And, so, warning you: it starts now. So, seriously, if this is something that’s going to be triggering – because I’m not doing this for the purpose of triggering anyone. I’m not doing t his for the purpose to be salacious or be controversial. I’m doing this merely because it’s something that’s been on my mind for… well, for the past – I want to say for the past year.

C: Mhm.

K: Because all of the mass shootings in the U.S. deeply, deeply affect me. And, especially when so many of my communities that I identify and belong to – my ethnic background is I’m African American, Jewish, Cherokee, and French. So… and Dutch. I don’t know why I always leave off the Dutch. I do, but I’m also Dutch. And to see my communities just being decimated by gun violence breaks my heart every year. And I’m also pansexual, which makes me part of the LGTBTQIA+ community. And last year was not a great year for us.

C: It was not.

K: This year isn’t starting of any better for us, and it’s exhausting, to be honest. What do – how do you feel when you hear me talk about that?

C: I feel a lot of sympathy. So, I feel like I don’t identify as belonging to any of those groups, but I’m your partner, and you do. 

K: Yeah, and ethnically you don’t belong to any – it’s not like you’re lying. Like you’re in denial about belonging to any of those groups. Just technically, you don’t belong to any of those groups.

C: Yeah. Culturally, two of my grandparents were English from England. One was Norwegian from Norway, and the other one… it depends on what lies you choose to believe, but it’s basically English.

K: He means the lies that his family tells because for many, many years his grandmother would say that they were Irish, and that was just the family joke because his grandfather had red hair. 

C: Yes.

K: And then one of his brothers tried to move to Ireland, and then they found out that they are not Irish. Because, if you have an Irish grandparent, interestingly enough, you can

C: It’s easier. Like, I could move to Norway relatively easily because my grandmother was a Norwegian citizen from Norway.

K: Yeah. But you have to prove it.

C: Correct. Which I could do.

K: Yeah. So, something that… I don