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The national fight about guns gets loud, tribal, and stuck—and meanwhile, the leading cause of firearm death in America happens quietly every day. We sit down with industry veteran and Walk The Talk America founder Michael Sodini to explore a different path: building trust between gun owners and clinicians, reducing stigma, and putting practical tools in people’s hands before crisis hits. No litmus tests. No lectures. Just programs that meet communities where they are.

Michael shares how a simple idea—free, anonymous mental health screenings placed inside gun boxes—opened doors that politics kept closed. We dig into why privacy matters for help-seeking, how cultural misunderstandings push gun owners away from care, and the clinician training WTTA built to bridge that gap. You’ll hear how a CEU-backed course in firearms cultural competence equips therapists to engage without judgment, and how a growing directory of pro–Second Amendment providers signals safety for clients on the fence about reaching out.

We also get specific about policy. Red flag laws might sound decisive, but they can create fear that keeps people from asking for help. Michael argues for targeted incentives that drive real behavior change: insurance breaks for shops that display prevention materials, legal protections for temporary offsite storage, and partnerships that make safe holds easy when life gets unstable. Plus, we spotlight Kids of Kings, a mentorship program that treats firearms like a martial art, links range time to grades and behavior, and introduces inner-city youth to engineering, competition, and leadership pathways.

If you’re tired of blame and hungry for solutions that save lives without sacrificing rights, this conversation offers a blueprint. Subscribe, share with a friend who cares about mental health or the Second Amendment, and leave a review with one idea you think we should scale next.

Stories of Service presents guests’ stories and opinions in their own words, reflecting their personal experiences and perspectives. While shared respectfully and authentically, the podcast does not independently verify all statements. Views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the host, producers, government agencies, or podcast affiliates.

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