The A Better Way 2A Podcast

Jarrett Sleeper: Guns, Violence, and Why Nobody's Being Honest About Either

We sat down with Jarrett Sleeper [https://www.instagram.com/jarrett_sleeper/] and this one went way longer than planned because we could not stop talking. Jarrett is an actor, a jiu jitsu black belt with about 20 years on the mats, a shooter, and a guy who thinks about violence and identity more deeply than pretty much anyone we've had on this show. He also has ADHD so between the two of us this conversation went everywhere. We got into why honest conversations about guns are so hard to have, the LARP that lives inside all of us and why nobody's actually John Browning their way out of this, what it feels like to hold a gun for the first time when you didn't grow up around them, why assault weapon bans don't actually do what people think they do and who they really end up hurting, treating shooting like a martial art instead of a static range hobby, the spiritual weight of living in a country built on violence it never answered for, why community trumps ideology most of the time, the DMV for guns idea and why it would work in a perfect world but not this one, and his motto "the real deal or nothing" and what that actually means when your morality gets tested for real. This is one of those episodes where we didn't agree on everything but we were thinking out loud together the whole time. If you've ever felt stuck between wanting the world to be less violent and also wanting to be capable of violence when it matters, this one's for you. If you want to support the show, head to our Patreon for exclusive merch, extra content, and to help us build a more inclusive gun community. [https://www.patreon.com/abetterway2a] Edited by Matthew Boerger

Former Marine Turned Progressive Christian on Guns, God, and Arming Trans People - Brian Recker

We brought Brian Recker [https://www.instagram.com/berecker/] on the show because a ton of people were curious about his views on guns and the Second Amendment. Brian's a former Marine officer, a father, a self-described stubborn Christian, and the author of a book about why the concept of hell is a toxic doctrine. He also doesn't own a gun and favors common sense gun control. So we knew this one was going to be interesting. What we got was one of the best conversations we've had on this show. We got into the myth of redemptive violence and why Christians keep backing every American war, John Brown and whether violent resistance can ever be justified, how the Second Amendment was never designed to protect Black people or marginalized communities, the killing of Alex Pretti and the hypocrisy of conservatives who support gun rights until the wrong person is armed, arming trans communities and why Brian sees beauty in marginalized people exercising their rights even though he personally chooses nonviolence, the militarization of police and how you can draw a direct line from fugitive slave patrols to modern law enforcement, and why the left has a massive messaging problem that keeps alienating the exact people it should be reaching. Brian came in not agreeing with us on a lot and we didn't agree with him on everything either, but we had an actual conversation about it without anybody feeling like an enemy. That's the whole point of the show and this episode is a perfect example of it. Brian's book: Hell Bent [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/771172/hell-bent-by-brian-recker/] If you want to support the show, head to our Patreon for exclusive merch, extra content, and to help us build a more inclusive gun community. [https://www.patreon.com/abetterway2a] Edited by Matthew Boerger

Ammon Bundy Supports BLM and Open Borders. His Old Allies Hate Him For It.

Ammon Bundy was acquitted of all federal charges in two major trials, spent two years in federal prison, and had $5 million in assets seized through lawfare. He supports BLM, condemns the killing of George Floyd, argues for open borders, and thinks ICE raids separating families betray the constitution. His old conservative allies turned on him for it. We had to talk to this guy. Most people know Ammon from the 2014 armed standoff at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada and the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Since then he's run for governor in Idaho, built the People's Rights Network, and ended up on a political island because he refused to tie himself to MAGA or any one party. An Atlantic profile on Ammon is actually what got our attention and led to this conversation. We got deep into the backstory of both standoffs, the killing of LaVoy Finicum and why the same people who protest police killings stayed silent on that one, the Alex Preti shooting and how the Second Amendment crowd immediately turned on a guy who was armed at a protest because the politics didn't line up, Ammon's firsthand experience in federal prison watching the system keep inmates divided by race so a single guard can control a hundred men and how that maps directly onto how the 1% controls the rest of the country, the Baby Cyrus medical kidnapping case and how the Idaho establishment used a defamation lawsuit to take his home, his businesses, and hit him with a $53 million judgment to shut him up, why the federal government controls over 80% of Nevada's land while it sits on some of the richest mineral deposits in the country and remains one of the poorest states, and his views on immigration and why he believes our duty is to convince people, never to use force against them. Whether you agree with Ammon on everything or not, this is a dude who has actually bled for what he believes in and hasn't changed his principles when it got inconvenient. We think you're gonna get a lot out of this one. If you want to support the show, head to our Patreon for exclusive merch, extra content, and to help us build a more inclusive gun community. [https://www.patreon.com/abetterway2a] Edited by Matthew Boerger

Muay Thai, Toxic Masculinity, and Carrying Mace - Stephen Jones of Shipsco Fightwear

In this episode, Jordan talks with Stephen Jones of Ships Co. [https://www.instagram.com/shipsco/] about martial arts, creativity, masculinity, and what it means to build something with actual character in a space that often rewards posturing. They get into the culture around jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, why so many people feel alienated by the politics and ego that can come with combat sports, and how Stephen carved out a different lane by making gear that feels playful, personal, and rooted in his actual values. The conversation also moves through self-defense, escalation of force, community, the strange gifts and downsides of social media, and the way martial arts can teach humility, patience, and discipline far beyond the gym. It’s a thoughtful and easygoing conversation about staying grounded, making good work, and refusing to become the kind of person the culture expects you to be. If you want to support the show, head to our Patreon for exclusive merch, extra content, and to help us build a more inclusive gun community. [https://www.patreon.com/abetterway2a] Edited by Matthew Boerger

Adrian Bonenberger - Candidate For Governor Of Connecticut

In this episode, Jordan sits down with Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Adrian Bonenberger for a conversation about community, decentralization, gun rights, and what real local resilience could look like in a moment when trust in institutions feels thinner than ever. They dig into Adrian’s proposal for a large voluntary state guard in Connecticut, why he sees it as a way to rebuild civic responsibility without coercion, and how local organization could strengthen disaster response, public safety, and community ties at the same time. The conversation also gets into the failures of both parties on guns, the difference between root causes and political theater, and why so much of what people call security now depends on systems that feel farther and farther removed from the people they’re supposed to serve. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging episode about power, responsibility, and what it might look like to build something more durable close to home. If you want to support the show, head to our Patreon for exclusive merch, extra content, and to help us build a more inclusive gun community. [https://www.patreon.com/abetterway2a] Edited by Matthew Boerger