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As reported, the village of Oak Park, IL has suffered additional armed robberies this week, as criminals continue to ignore the handgun ban.  However there was one piece of good news that came out of these armed robberies. Read the rest of this article »

SayUncle found an armed robbery news story that is rather interesting, and had a nice outcome: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 22 year old Ben Aenchbacher was returning home from work at about 8:00pm. An armed robber was waiting in the driveway, and forced Ben Aenchbacher into his home at gunpoint, then demanded money. Ben ran from the robber, who chased after him and opened fire. Ben was hit once in the back, Read the rest of this article »

There have been over 500 murders in Chicago this year, a great many of which were committed by criminals who ignored the decades old handgun ban (plus the laws against carrying a loaded gun and committing murder).  Rather than recognizing that more gun laws won’t stop the violence, and that the true causes of crime must be addressed, Jessie Jackson Sr. took this opportunity to push for more pointless gun laws – which would only disarm law abiding citizens and leave them more vulnerable to the gun-ban-ignoring criminals: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Chicago police responded to a call of gunfire at the Ford City Mall on Chicago’s south side.  It turns out that a chair fell over, and a panicking shopper called 911 to report that someone had opened fire in the mall: Read the rest of this article »

Anti gun rights groups push for gun registration because such registration allows the government to know who owns guns, so that they can later be wrongfully confiscated.  Recent events in Tennessee, along with other trends, show that gun owners are at risk not only from overt gun registration requirements – but back door registration schemes too: Read the rest of this article »

Scott Vogel is the Communications Director for the “Freedom States Alliance,” a (misnamed) anti gun group dedicated to disarming the law abiding citizens of the United States.  In his interview on BuzzFlash.com, he made a great many untrue statements regarding gun rights.  However it is the one-sided, anti gun rights, interview questions that really drew my attention.  I address the incredibly biased “interview” questions below: Read the rest of this article »

An excellent reader comment in the Florida Time-Union responds to those who blame guns or a particular ethic group for inner city violence.  The article points out that blaming guns is intellectually lazy, and that blaming one ethnic group for gun-related crime is also misguided and has no basis in fact. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed that many of the gun control arguments have some rather degrading and sexist/racist undertones. A few such examples: Read the rest of this article »

Some anti gun individuals will complain when a law abiding citizen exercises his or her right to carry a gun to a soccer game or other social event, arguing that guns have no place at such social gatherings.  Yesterday’s events in a suburb of Los Angeles help point out the flaws with such an argument: Read the rest of this article »

I just wanted to take a moment to say “thanks” to various people, as today seemed like a good day to do so:
Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a woman in the San Francisco area was jumped by four men, taunted for being a lesbian, repeatedly raped, and left naked outside an abandoned apartment building.  The 28-year-old victim was attacked after she got out of her car, which bore a rainbow gay pride sticker. Read the rest of this article »

I was looking through my server logs when I noticed that several people had arrived at LearnAboutGuns.com after searching for phrases such as “can i carry a fake gun” or “Illinois fake gun law.”  It would seem that these individuals were looking for information on the ramifications of carrying a fake gun.  Let me unequivocally say that it is a bad idea to carry a fake gun: Read the rest of this article »

Traveler’s Notebook ran an interesting article discussing things that are generally legal in the United States, but severely punished in various other countries.  For example, consuming alcohol Saudi Arabia can earn a person a public lashing, while slaughtering cows in India can land a person in prison for 5 years.  Number 12 on that list, however, dealt with the United States – and was particularly interesting: Read the rest of this article »

I write about Oak Park, IL a lot, because it is one of the few municipalities left in the United States with a ban on handgun ownership – a ban which criminals ignore as they rob, pistol whip, and shoot Oak Park’s defenseless citizens.  However there is good news this week, as one of the armed robbers who have been plaguing Oak Park was shot in self defense by a would-be victim: Read the rest of this article »

A couple of gift ideas for this holiday season: Read the rest of this article »

Since the Supreme Court held gun ownership to be an individual constitutional right in D.C. v Heller, anti gun groups have redoubled their efforts to find new and creative ways of preventing law abiding people from enjoying the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.  These people miss the point, as finding a creative way to violate a right is just as wrongful (and unconstitutional) as directly violating the right: Read the rest of this article »

A few weeks ago, terrorists in Mumbai, India set out to kill as many people as they could, mainly by using guns.  India has some strict gun control laws, however such laws obviously don’t deter people who are bent on killing as many people as they can before dying. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, there were a pair of armed robberies in Oak Park, IL this week, despite the handgun ban.  One was a bank robbery, while the other was an armed robbery committed near a Green Line (train) station: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Chicago’s Mayor Daley stated that he will host a conference in January of 2009, with the goal of finding new way to restrict gun rights, despite the Supreme Court’s pro gun rights holding in D.C. v. Heller.  The conference will include anti gun politicians from around the country, and people who have been harmed by a criminal and wish to blame guns. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed the benefits of concealed carry, and how concealed carry permit holders can defend themselves against criminals, instead of being victims.  However the problem with concealed carry permits is that the permit process can be abused by the government. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, District Court judge Milton Shadur upheld the Chicago handgun ban. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 21 year old Brittany Zimmerman was a University of Wisconsin college student who planned to become a doctor.  She lived in an off-campus apartment with her fiancée , Jordan Gonnering.  Brittany was home alone when a criminal, believed to be a stranger, broke in to her home through the door.  She grabbed the phone, and called 911, but Read the rest of this article »

One of my hobbies is scuba diving.  As a responsible scuba diver, I make especially sure to stay current on my tetanus vaccinations, due to the heightened risk of puncture injuries on sharp objects (there are lots of sharp and rusty object in and around the water, and spending time in water makes one’s skin temporarily softer and easier to accidentally cut/puncture).  Since I was due for a tetanus booster, I scheduled an appointment at a doctor’s office that is just up the street from where I work.  As this was my first appointment at this office, they had me fill out a multi page form that asked Read the rest of this article »

I usually talk about the armed robberies in Oak Park, IL, which occur despite the decades old handgun ban, and village officials who make the flatly untrue claim that Oak Park is “gun free”.  However this week there was a different kind of (very sad) gun abuse reported: Read the rest of this article »

CNN has provided a nice world map of gun related crime.  What is interesting is that the gun related crime doesn’t seem to be strongly correlated with lawful gun ownership.  For example Read the rest of this article »

Some recent news reports of hate crimes, across the world, underscore the need for armed self defense.  Sadly, some supposed civil rights leaders ignore this fact: Read the rest of this article »

There remains a lot of confusion about what the Second Amendment meant to the founders’ of the United States, despite the Supreme Court’s clear statement that it protects the individual right to keep and bear arms, independent of service in the militia.  Some of this confusion is the result of intentional misinformation on the part of anti-gun groups, while other aspecs of the confusion can be attributed to differences in the language between the English of today and the founders’ time.  The book The Founders’ Second Amendment is a book that aims to clear things up, and to gain the notice of the (generally anti-gun-rights) mainstream media: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Eric Devictoria, a pizza delivery man in Florida, was confronted by an armed robber.  Devictoria was unarmed, but he did have a hot pepperoni pizza, which he threw in the armed robber’s face.  The temporarily blinded robber fired one shot, which missed the delivery man, who was able to escape unharmed.  Police later arrested 3 people suspected of participating in the armed robbery. Read the rest of this article »

A while back, I was discussing gun rights with a friend, when the issue of paranoia versus reasonable concerns came up.  This friend suggested that gun ownership for home defense was not needed, due to the relatively low risk of a home invasion, and that therefore only a paranoid person would feel the need to own a gun.  Politicians have also made similar remarks.  I, of course, disagree, and believe that gun ownership is a wise and prudent choice: Read the rest of this article »

A “study” commissioned by anti gun group Mayors Against Illegal Guns suggests that gun control leads to crime reductions.  When I heard this claim, I was rather surprised, given the fact that the most violent areas have the most restrictions on gun ownership, while areas with fewer gun restrictions have less crime.  I was preparing to write an in-depth discussion of the flaws with this rather biased study, but John Lott has already done a great job addressing the issue.  I encourage those who are interested to read his post on the subject.

My thanks to Danny for pointing out this “study”.

I’m generally not a fan of presidential pardons, due to the fact that they can be abused so readily.  However there are cases where our justice system fails, innocent people suffer, and a pardon can help set things right.  It is hard to find better examples of individuals who deserve a pardon more than Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Antonio Compean. Read the rest of this article »

The NRA recently ran an excellent article discussing a newer gun control tactic, which attempts to ban owners, rather than banning guns.  This approach has existed in Canada for quite some time, and is now moving to states such as New York.  You can read the article below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two masked criminals entered Big Bob’s Liquors just before 10:00pm.  One one of the criminals drew a handgun and pointed it at one of the two clerks, threatening his life.  The other clerk drew his handgun, for which he had a concealed carry permit, and fatally shot the armed robber.  The second robber fled, and a police search is reportedly underway. Read the rest of this article »

Although it seems obvious, I thought I would go ahead and say that handguns belong in holsters, rather than tucked into waistbands. Read the rest of this article »

In keeping with the weekly tradition of discussing handgun related crime in “gun free” Oak Park, IL, I must sadly report that there were 2 armed robberies over the last week: Read the rest of this article »

Google has updated its AdWords policy to allow the advertisement of spiked drinks, and other indirect means of promoting hard liquor.  Sadly, the ban on promoting lawful gun ownership for self defense purposes remains.  Google apparantly changed its hard liqueur policy in response to feedback, so perhaps if law abiding gun owners contact Google, thier anti gun policy may change as well.

As I’ve previously discussed, it is a long since settled principle of American law that the police are not liable for failing to protect a citizen – even when the police are grossly negligent.  However a particularly tragic case in North Carolina has the potential to change this rule of law: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, St. Louis, MO Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe’s ward has one of the highest homicide rates in the city. Recognizing that the police can’t be everywhere at once, Alderman Troupe has Read the rest of this article »

In previous articles, I’ve alluded to the way that some countries treat people who defend themselves worse than violent criminals.  There is a case from a several years back in the United Kingdom that serves as a perfect example: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two masked and armed men burst into the Star Deli in St. Petersburg, Flordia.  One of the gunmen stood lookout while the other ordered the owner to empty the cash register.  Despite the owners full cooperation, the gunman wasn’t satisfied with Read the rest of this article »

The video clip below shows an illegal arms market in Pakistan, where firearms and ammunition are actually manufactured and then sold.  Those who think that banning guns will work should keep in mind that the people in this gun market are able to produce machine guns and ammunition using technology that is quite primitive by American standards. Read the rest of this article »

Those who are curious how barrel length affects the muzzle velocity of bullet should take a look at ballisticsbytheinch.com.  Basically, a few guys fired thousands of rounds of ammunition from barrels of various lengths, measured the muzzle velocity, and put the information online

As reported, Meleanie Hain is suing Lebanon, PA County Sheriff Michael DeLeo for wrongfully revoking her concealed carry permit. Read the rest of this article »

Over the summer, the Department of the Interior asked for comments regarding a proposal to allow concealed carry in national parks.  Despite opposition, the Department of the Interior announced that concealed carry will be made legal in national parks, allowing law abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families, should the need arise: Read the rest of this article »

Newspapers in various states have decided to seek the names, addresses, and other personal information about concealed carry permit holders in order to publish that information in their papers, on the theory that the public is entitled to know this information.  The newspapers’ actual agenda is rather straightforward – cause difficulty for concealed carry permit holders, in order to deter people from exercising their Second Amendment rights.  My thoughts on the matter are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Dale G. Barkstrom, a 28 year old man from Crystal Lake, IL was charged with attempted murder after his girlfriend was shot in the face while the two were in bed together.  Barkstrom’s reported defense is that the shooting was unintentional.  He reportedly claims that his gun was on his bed, when his dog knocked the gun to the floor, and that it “went off” when he picked the gun back up and placed it on the bed: Read the rest of this article »

I live in Illinois, which is one of only 2 states that has a complete ban on the carrying of a concealed firearm for self defense.  That means that while the criminals in Chicago are armed, I am unarmed.  It also means that many of my fellow Illinois residents are unaware of the benefits of concealed carry.  This article is designed to briefly explain what concealed carry is about, explain why concealed carry is a good thing, and to debunk the myths surrounding it. Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve mentioned before, Oak Park, IL has a handgun ban.  People such as Frank Vozak, who chairs Oak Park’s health board, erroneously think that that handgun ban somehow makes Oak Park “gun free.” Just as having a law against murder doesn’t make the state of Illinois “murder free,” Oak Park’s handgun ban doesn’t prevent criminals from having handguns or committing crimes.  The crime reports for this week (and just about every other week) make that fact abundantly clear: Read the rest of this article »

A friend of mine is a tattoo artist, and created this tattoo for a client of his.  While I’m more of a pistol fan, I thought I would post a picture: Read the rest of this article »

Impact Guns has released a nice video clip showing a 3D animation of the new XD(M) pistol being fired, which can be see below: Read the rest of this article »

Back on October 20th, 2008, KATV anchorwoman Anne Pressly was found unconscious and severely beaten in her home.  Days later, she died without ever regaining consciousness.  New information has arisen in this case, showing that despite the unarmed young woman’s best efforts to defend herself, she was unable to do so. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve found that Chicago-area newspapers and television stations tend to have an anti gun rights bias, which is why I was pleasantly surprised by a recent article in the Chicago Tribune which discussed Chicago’s violation of the 2nd Amendment: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the city of St. Louis, MO has wisely decided not to run another gun buy back program, which would have cost about $57,500: Read the rest of this article »