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Armed and socialist: Inside the Socialist Rifle Association

33:57
Numerous Assault Rifles Hanging On Wall.
(Getty/ballyscanlon)

Gun ownership in America has long been associated with the political right. Forty-five percent of Republicans and conservative independents own a firearm, compared to 20 percent of their liberal counterparts, according to a 2023 Pew survey.

But in recent years, gun ownership has been changing. More liberals are buying firearms, and left-leaning gun groups emphasizing inclusivity are cropping up across the country.

One group is the Socialist Rifle Association. With roots online, the organization started as a place for funny memes and became a collective aiming to arm the working class.

As the 2024 election approaches, Endless Thread's Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson scope out a firing range in central Massachusetts with the SRA.

Show notes:

This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple Podcasts. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

Headshot of Ben Brock Johnson
Ben Brock Johnson Director, Digital Audio

Ben Brock Johnson is the director of digital audio at WBUR and co-host of the podcast, Endless Thread.

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Headshot of Dean Russell
Dean Russell Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts

Dean Russell is a senior producer for WBUR Podcasts.

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Headshot of Amory Sivertson
Amory Sivertson Host and Senior Producer, Podcasts

Amory Sivertson is a senior producer for podcasts and the co-host of Endless Thread.

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Headshot of Paul Vaitkus
Paul Vaitkus Manager of Podcast Production

Paul Vaitkus is the manager of podcast production for WBUR.

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