Issue No. 13 | Trigger Warnings
Under the Gun
Guns are a way of life—a tool for some, a terror for others. Our July issue opens with a Monologue featuring Senator Kirsten Gillibrand railing against the greed of the NRA and continues with the documentary Awakening: After Parkland, in which students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School prepare to perform Spring Awakening, a musical in which young people find their voices in a world ravaged by the mistakes of adults. Our storytelling package continues with pieces about how the lack of police presence in Puerto Rico has residents taking up arms, the history of African American gun rights, and a photo essay depicting Revolutionary War soldiers wielding modern weaponry. Guns are now more lethal and readily available than ever. But what are we using them to fight against, and who are we really fighting for?
Automatic for the People
Armed militias were essential to the creation of America. But times have changed, and so has the firepower.
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A Conversation With Spring Awakening’s Steven Sater
The writer and lyricist looks back on the creation of the musical in the wake of Columbine.
Weapons of Mass Production
3 Parts | 29 min A town built by fighter jets, a group of Quaker pacifists, and homesick Yemeni refugees are all effected by the arms business in Britain.
Off Topic
This Is My Nerf Blaster, This Is My Gun
A soldier-turned-war-reporter on how child’s play is starting to look more like real combat—and vice versa.
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Off Topic
If I Was a Gamer, I’d Join the Army!
The US Army was looking for a new kind of recruit—someone with dexterity, skill, and patience. So it released a video game.
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Off Topic
A Few Good Mutants
A father and his sons melt, smoosh, carve, and reshape little green army men into “Super Soldiers.”
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The New Guard
Why Sweden, the country that’s been at peace longer than any other, embraces its military.
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Puerto Rico, Up in Arms
Is buying a gun the only way to feel safe in post-hurricane San Juan?
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The Unequal History of African American Gun Rights
When it comes to firearms, some Americans are more equal than others.
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Circuit City
In this short story, three employees of a big-box electronics store prepare for the heist of a lifetime.
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Mixtape
Trigger Warnings Mixtape
4 Parts | 38 min To wage war is human, and none of us are divine.
Becoming Private Nelson
For this patriotic American teenager, joining the military isn’t a choice—it’s a calling.
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Off Topic
It Takes a Fake Military Village
Deep in the Mojave Desert, the US military lets tourists play soldier in a camouflage Disneyland.
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About the Cover: Trigger Warnings
Collage artist Michael Tunk on the process he used to make the cover for our July issue, “Trigger Warnings.”
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