Podcast Summary

Podcast: Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Episode: The Gun Control Lie I Once Believed In
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Sasha Stone

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and analytical episode, Sasha Stone reflects on her transformation from a lifelong Democrat who fervently believed in gun control as a solution to gun violence, to someone critically questioning the simplistic narrative surrounding gun laws. Drawing on cultural history, media analysis, and contemporary tragedies, Sasha dissects the "gun control lie" she once held. She explores why mass shootings have proliferated, the role of media and internet mythologizing, and the often ignored deeper societal roots—especially male alienation, mental health, and cultural shifts—which she now believes the left is unwilling to confront. Clips from political commentary, TikTok, and a segment with Matt Walsh and Megyn Kelly help frame a piercing critique of the mainstream progressive stance on guns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Democratic Gun Control Narrative: A Personal History

• Sasha traces her early belief in the Democratic Party's approach, rooted in the 1990s Clinton era, when gun control was considered a unifying and galvanizing issue.
  • "As a lifelong Democrat, I always thought the problem of gun violence was easy to solve. Just get rid of the guns." [00:13]
• She recalls iconic fictional moments, like The American President (1995), to illustrate how the left mythologized political courage around gun bans.
  • Citing: "...if you want to talk about character... Just tell me where and when and I'll show up. This is a time for serious people, Bob. And your 15 minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepard and I am the president." [01:42]

2. The Shift: Columbine, News Cycles, and the Birth of the Shooter Mythology

• Major incidents, such as Columbine (1999), upended the discussion. The shooters gained notoriety, and early theories about them (like being bullied) proved false with time.
  • "It wasn't just the crime itself. It was the pleasure the shooters took in carrying it out, performing for the security cameras, the casual cruelty, and later, how they became subversive icons." [06:25]
• Sasha points to the rise of the 24-hour news cycle (post-O.J. Simpson trial) and the internet as accelerants for copycat crimes, feeding the desire for fame and legacy among shooters.

3. The Relentless Focus on Guns—And Its Limits

• Sasha critiques the knee-jerk "ban the guns" solution that dominates left-leaning discourse, highlighting how activists and some content creators shut down more complex conversations.
  • Referencing viral TikToks: "Do not blame this on mental health. It's the guns... Thoughts and prayers are absolutely meaningless." [14:23]
  • "As if countries all around the world don't have people with mental health issues, yet they don't have mass shootings every month." [15:59]
• She questions the efficacy and practicality of sweeping gun confiscation, especially in a country with 400 million firearms, and argues that violence finds other outlets (bombings, stabbings, vehicles) when guns are unavailable.

4. Disparities in Gun Violence Data & Media Focus

• Sasha shares data from gunviolence.org, expressing shock at how rare mass shootings are compared to the daily, often ignored, toll of murder-suicides and city crime.
  • "Here is their 10 year review... mass shootings at 332 people killed in 2015 to 500 people killed in 2024. But the number of murder suicides is higher..." [22:37]
• She criticizes the left for not engaging with nuanced discussions about urban violence, even as gun violence disproportionately affects working-class and Black communities.

5. The Political Response & Culture Wars

• The episode features notable quotes and clips (e.g., Jen Psaki, Matt Walsh, Megyn Kelly) examining how both parties exploit tragedies—Republicans accused of inaction, Democrats of politicizing every shooting with a consistent gun narrative.
  • Walsh: "The gun solution is totally impractical. It's never happening... Even if you did it, you'd still have mass death, because mad men do what mad men do." [43:15]
  • "We should pray, but also ... we should institutionalize these people when it's clear that they're a danger to society." [44:05]

6. Gender, Loneliness, and the New Social Landscape

• Sasha suggests a link between male alienation, societal changes, feminism, and the psychological profiles of shooters—territory she argues the left refuses to discuss.
  • "It's only perpetuating even more. There's going to be more violence against women, more grapes, more abuse in households..." [55:42]
• She includes a montage of TikTok commentary from women describing their independence from men and their intentional detachment, suggesting a broader cultural shift that leaves many men feeling “invisible” or “loathed.”
  • "Over the last few years, I have completely decentered men from my life... My mother is my best friend. I'm married to a woman. My spirituality is centered around the feminine..." [52:29]
• Sasha warns this dynamic may have consequences: “How can we not even talk about what has happened to men over the past 20 years that has brought them to the point where so many of them feel like there is no place for them in society, that they are loathed at best, invisible at worst?” [59:10]

7. Beyond Guns: Mental Health & Pharmaceutical Questions

• New studies are finally questioning the link between psychiatric medications (SSRIs, hormones) and violence. RFK Jr. is cited as taking action where others have not.
  • "We are doing those kind of studies now at NIH... Some of the SSRI drugs ... have black box warnings that warn of suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation." [61:59]
• Sasha concludes that future efforts must focus on fortifying “soft targets” (schools, churches), and having real conversations about root causes—not just gun access.
  • “Debating about guns for 30 more years isn’t going to do anything... We have to have a serious conversation about the deeper issues at play...” [63:15]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Like everything else, [gun control] is a way to deflect from failure.” – Sasha Stone [00:07]
• “You gather a group of middle aged, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time. And you talk to them about family and American values and character. ... That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections.” – Sasha (quoting The American President) [01:28]
• “School shootings were rare, but Columbine hit differently than any tragedy that came before it.” – Sasha Stone [05:30]
• “The more evil the deed, the greater the myth. The end game always seems to be suicide. Go out with a bang.” – Sasha Stone [08:40]
• “Solving that problem... proved too difficult. So we pivoted to the guns. Always the guns. Just get rid of the guns and the problem will be solved.” – Sasha Stone [09:08]
• “If people want to kill, there are other ways. ... No, guns just made it easier. But taking them away is not only impossible, it doesn’t solve the problem.” – Sasha Stone [20:21]
• “There is no question that the Democrat brand lately stands for defending and protecting criminals and crime rather than protecting citizens.” – Sasha Stone [30:09]
• “The gun solution is totally impractical. ... Even if you did it, you'd still have mass death, because mad men do what mad men do.” – Matt Walsh [43:15]
• “You see how easy it is to blame the guns? Then you never have to look at anything else. Uncomfortable things, things no one can even talk about.” – Sasha Stone [45:58]
• “How can we not even talk about what has happened to men over the past 20 years ... that they are loathed at best, invisible at worst?” – Sasha Stone [59:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 03:00: Sasha’s personal history with the gun control argument; The American President monologue
• 03:00 – 08:00: Columbine, Stockton shootings, and media transformation of shootings
• 08:00 – 13:00: Rise of the 24-hour news, shooter mythology, influence of internet/fame
• 13:00 – 20:00: Progressive TikTok responses, recurring “it’s the guns” theme, shutdown of mental health discourse
• 20:00 – 25:30: Data from gunviolence.org; everyday urban gun violence vs. media focus
• 30:00 – 40:00: Political reaction, “Republicans defend, Democrats politicize,” case study: Minnesota shooting
• 41:50 – 47:00: Matt Walsh and Megyn Kelly: thoughts and prayers, conservative proposals, fortification
• 50:00 – 58:30: Social and gender commentary via TikTok on male alienation and modern feminism
• 59:00 – 01:06:00: The impact of psychiatric medications, necessity for fortifying public spaces, and need for deeper root cause analysis
• 01:06:00 – End: Sasha’s closing remarks and behind-the-scenes update

Tone and Style

Sasha Stone’s delivery is candid, introspective, and often polemical—contrasting her former uncritical acceptance of gun control orthodoxy against her current skepticism. The episode proceeds with a blend of personal anecdote, sharp social critique, and data-driven arguments; she maintains a conversational yet urgent tone throughout, punctuated by moments of exasperation with the dominant narratives and a sense of urgency for new, more honest conversations.

For more insights, visit sashastone.substack.com