At 'L.A. Progressive Shooters,' a gun space for people sick of American gun culture

At least two hours have gone by in the Pistol 101 class, and no student has fired a bullet or even picked up a gun. This isn't a lesson for anyone eager to pull the trigger. Tom Nguyen's teaching style is patient, aimed at demystifying an object many of his students have spent their lives fearing, even hating. Something of a leftist firearms whisperer, Nguyen pokes fun at stereotypical American gun culture, mocking "alpha male" behavior and the John Wick film franchise with its video game levels of violence. Owning a gun doesn't have to define your personality, he preaches, and it doesn't mean you have to seek conflict. "Being peaceful," he says, "is not the same as being helpless, or harmless."