LearnAboutGuns.com

As I’ve previously mentioned, I’m an attorney who works for the Federal Government.  One of the things that the Federal Government emphasizes is employee training; both in terms of training to better perform or jobs, as well as safety-related training that doesn’t really relate to our jobs.  In the interest of preventing suicides, our entire office was recently made to attend a 90 minute long suicide prevention class.  This class was given by a person (an attorney, coincidentally) who attempted suicide by overdose  and survived, and now teaches and writes about suicide prevention.  During the class, the instructor made a variety of anti gun comments with which I found myself in disagreement.  Since she invited us to contact her with any feedback or questions, I sent her an email that evening after work, and thought I would post it and some further comments here: Read the rest of this article »

Earlier this month, a pink Smith & Wesson M&P pistol (which was customized to the specifications of chamion competitive shooter Julie Goloski Golob) was auctioned on GunBroker.com by the seller Donna’s Store (donnasstore).  The seller of this pistol pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds to a breast cancer awareness charity.  Rather than acknowledging the commendable philanthropic effort on the part of the seller, and the benefit of arming more women for self defense, the Center for Media and Democracy posted an article that blamed guns for violence against women and suggested that this was just an attempt at “exploiting breast cancer as a marketing device.”  Excerpts from that article, along with my responses, are below: Read the rest of this article »

In his post entitled “Dum-Dum Nation,” Mike Stanfill makes a variety of anti gun statements that are factually inaccurate.  The article begins with the text “If America had the same, sane gun-ownership laws as the rest of the civilized world,” then proceeds with the following quoted statements. My response follow those quotes from his post: Read the rest of this article »

Recent evidence makes it even clearer that gun control has failed miserably in the country where it had perhaps the greatest chance of possibly succeeding: Read the rest of this article »

Contrasting a recent case involving a 16 year old from Dalhart, Texas with a 16 year old trapshooter whom I know reinforces the point that people, not guns, are the cause of crime and negligent shootings: Read the rest of this article »

A study conducted by Charles Branas, who is a beneficiary of the anti gun Joyce Foundation, concluded that possessing a gun makes one 4.46 times more likely to be shot, and that guns rarely allow their owners to effectively defend themselves. I find this study’s methodology to be incredibly flawed, as it effectively lumps law abiding gun owners together with gang members who illegally carry guns and use them to commit crimes, and draws no distinction between the self defense abilities of a trained law abiding gun owner and criminals who illegally own guns and have received no training. Below are direct quotes from the study, and my comments.
Read the rest of this article »

Those opposed to gun rights frequently misuse seemingly simple words, in an effort to advance their agenda.   Some of these terms, along with an explanation of how they are misused by anti gun rights groups and individuals, are listed below: Read the rest of this article »

I recently received an email from a woman who is not a gun owner, but who has attended gun education events and teaches womens’ self defense classes.  She asked a rather well respected gun educator a simple question about laser sights, which he could easily have answered.  Instead of answering, he rudely and dismissively told her that laser sights are something that he neither used nor recommended, then ignored her question.  This woman emailed me to ask that same question, and mentioned the response she received from that gun educator and how it had made her feel.  I answered her question about the laser sights to her satisfaction, but was left disappointed by the way her question had originally been handled. By responding in that manner, the gun educator in question wasn’t doing the gun rights cause any favors: Read the rest of this article »

A recent comment from an anti gun individual suggested that guns should be banned in the USA in order to save money.  I’ve also heard similar comments from other opponents of gun rights.   The full comment, and my response to that flawed argument, are below: Read the rest of this article »

A truly terrible case from England shows both the futility of gun control, and the terrible things that can happen to unarmed victims: Read the rest of this article »

A tragic murder from January 2008 teaches powerful lessons about self defense.  While researching and writing about this case was heartbreaking, I offer the following article in the hope that we as a country can learn from Meredith Emerson’s murder, so that this same fate doesn’t befall another innocent person. Read the rest of this article »

In the ongoing fight for gun rights, it is important to remember that one person really can make a difference.  Here is an example: Read the rest of this article »

United States District Court Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow was assigned a medical malpractice case filed by Bart Ross, an electrician.  Lefkow, acting as judge, dismissed Ross’ lawsuit, which apparently enraged him.  On February 28, 2005, Judge Lefkow returned to her home and found her husband and mother fatally shot in the basement.  Ross committed suicide a couple weeks later, and confessed to the murders in his suicide note.  DNA evidence also indicated that Ross was the killer.  However, it turns out that white supremacist Mathew Hale was also trying to get a hitman to kill Judge Lefkow, after she ruled against him in a trademark lawsuit.  Hale is now serving 40 years in prison for soliciting her murder.  About a month ago, Judge Lefkow spoke out about the killings of her family members, and her previous home security arrangements.  Her comments, and my thoughts, are below: Read the rest of this article »

Chicago is a city of double standards when it comes to gun rights.  While ordinary citizens are deprived of the right to own a handgun for self defense, influential politicians exempt themselves from that ban.  Other politicians are also provided around the clock bodyguards at taxpayer expense, even when there is no threat to that politician’s safety.  Chicago cops are also allowed to carry a gun for self defense while off duty, but ordinary Chicago residents are denied the same concealed carry rights that citizens of 48 states are granted.  This injustice really becomes apparent when one examines the outcomes of cases where unarmed citizens are attacked by criminals, and where cops are attacked by criminals: Read the rest of this article »

Legally (and morally) speaking, there is (generally) a proportionality limit when it comes to self defense.  Simply put, Read the rest of this article »

Criminals in Chicago violate the ineffective and misguided handgun ban on a daily basis.  Often times, those criminals are aiming for a rival gang member or other criminal, but end up shooting an innocent child.  That appears to be what happened Saturday afternoon at a South Side block party, where a 2 year old child was shot by a criminal.  One of the anti gun readers of the news website where the shooting was reported had the following to say, which I’ve found to be a common type of comment on Chicago-area news websites: Read the rest of this article »

Victor Lamar Davis, a 27 year old California man, was recently convicted of sexually assaulting 7 women.  However prosecutors believe that figure is much higher.  Davis would often commit his crimes during burglaries, and some of the women were raped multiple times.  Davis faces 400 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on September 18, 2009 – yet no sentence will ever undo the harm that Davis inflicted upon his victims. However, had just one of his victims shot Davis in self defense, a great deal of human suffering could have been avoided: Read the rest of this article »

The intro to a report by Fox on the recent self defense shootings in WI mischaracterizes self defense as vigilantism.  Fox’s statements, and the problems with those statements, are below: Read the rest of this article »

A recent comment on this website very correctly noted that guns provide options.  I thought I would take a moment to expound on that point, since it seems to be lost on those opposed to gun rights: Read the rest of this article »

Taking a break from bar exam study a few weeks ago, I went to diner and a movie with two of my coworkers.  One of those coworkers is anti gun, and we and I have debated gun rights in the past.  (While we disagree, we do so amicably, and gun rights are about all we disagree about politically).  While debating gun rights over dinner, he stated that carrying a gun for self defense would not allow me to defend myself against every single conceivable attack by criminals.  One example he gave was a criminal sneaking up behind me and shooting me in the back of the head, while I am sitting in a restaurant or in a movie theater.  From this, he concluded that I wasn’t better off by carrying a gun.  I find that reasoning to be flawed: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed how protective orders don’t stop domestic abusers from harming their victims, and how the police often fail to arrive in time to save a victim.  However, as a recent tragic case from Arkansas shows, even once the police arrive, the victim isn’t necessarily any better off: Read the rest of this article »

The Brady Campaign, which is one of the leading anti gun rights groups, often uses misinformation and fear mongering.  This is true of both its own statements about guns, as well as statements made by its subsidiaries.  A recent email sent by the Brady Campaign to its members demonstrates this point quite well: Read the rest of this article »

Robbery is often thought of as a crime against property, since taking the victim’s property is generally the criminals’ goal.  However, as a practical matter, robbery is better thought of as a violent crime against a person. Read the rest of this article »

In the past, I’ve written articles about the importance of self defense, and how it is the most basic human right.  I’ve also mentioned the problem with second guessing those who defend themselves, and advocated for individuals who rightfully fired in self defense.  Today I write about the opposite situation, where a citizen has acted in a manner that cannot remotely be called self defense.  Hopefully, this will clear up any lingering confusion surrounding the distinction between self defense and vigilantism. Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned, I’m now studying for the bar exam. Like many if not most law students, I paid for a $3,000+ bar review course that is offered by a company called Bar/Bri.  It reviews the areas of the law that the bar exam tests, and takes about two months to complete.  In the course of his Constitutional Law II lecture, Professor Paul Lisnek injected some rather disappointing and totally unnecessary anti-hunting bias: Read the rest of this article »

Last week, Inside Nova ran an anti gun editorial, The article ignores facts and statistics, and instead attempts to blame guns and gun owners for the already illegal actions of one person, then calls for a gun ban.  The author of that article pushes reason to the side, and tries to scare readers into accepting his or her viewpoint, all while misrepresenting the facts.  These anti gun assertions, and my responses, are below: Read the rest of this article »

When I discuss cases where armed citizens stop violent criminals, my main focus is on how having a gun allowed those citizens to save themselves from that criminal.  However there is another benefit to stopping criminals, which is often harder to show, but remains just as real: Read the rest of this article »

For the last few months, I’ve been meaning to write an article discussing the drug-related violence in Mexico, but hadn’t gotten around to doing so.  My goal was to debunk the myth that US guns and gun owners are to blame for the violence in Mexico, and to discuss the inherent problems with our war on drugs.  However a recent article on Reason.com does an excellent job doing both, so I’ll encourage everyone to read that article. Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned about a year ago, many of my friends and family expressed concerns for my safety when they learned that I frequented Chicago-area gun stores and ranges.  They worried that gun owners were racist, and would open fire on me for being an African American.  Such concerns were totally unfounded, and I experienced not a shred of racism from gun store/range owners, employees, or customers.  Instead, I found my fellow Chicago-area gun enthusiasts to be kind, helpful, and fun to be around.  I recently moved to Iowa, and therefore had to find gun stores and ranges near my new home.  The same people who were (incorrectly) concerned for my safety in Chicago area gun stores/ranges renewed their concerns, saying that while I got lucky in Chicago, I was certain to experience racism at Iowa gun stores/ranges. Read the rest of this article »

When researching a self defense gun use case on a major news outlet’s website, I noticed a statistical graph discussing gun related deaths.  It is entitled “Who’s At Risk,” and states that it “Compares Firearms-Related Deaths Among Men, Women, Blacks And Whites in 2000.”  I see serious misrepresentation of fact in this graph: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed how the Second Amendment appears to protect many arms other than guns.  In that spirit, I would like to point out a website that I found last week: KnifeRights.org.  Basically, the goal of Knife Rights is to build an effective advocacy group that will defend knife rights against unreasonable restrictions, similar to how the NRA defends gun rights.  While I generally prefer firearms over edged weapons for self defense, I strongly believe in the importance of defending our right to keep and bear various arms, and encourage everyone to take a look at KnifeRights.org.

A while back, David Rosman wrote an anti gun editorial for the Columbia Missourian.  A reader of that editorial disagreed, and provided a link to LearnAboutGuns.com to show the effectiveness of so-called “assault weapons” for self defense purposes.  I then noticed this incoming link in my server logs, read Mr. Rosman’s article, and wrote my own rebuttal.  I recently received an email from David Rosman, in which he provided a link to his rebuttal to my rebuttal.  My response is below. Please note that I address his responses out of order, since I want to address the substantive issues before getting to his somewhat condescending remarks and borderline personal attacks (which I basically ignore). Read the rest of this article »

A common anti gun argument that I hear is that the Second Amendment doesn’t protect individual gun ownership, but instead just allows the National Guard to have arms.  This is factually untrue, for a variety of reasons: Read the rest of this article »

The Million Mom March is an anti gun organization that is closely affiliated with the Brady Campaign.  They advance their anti gun rights agenda through the unfair indoctrination of young children who will soon be voters, and their propaganda laden website.  A visitor to LearnAboutGuns.com sent me an email asking me to address some of their anti gun statements point by point, and I’m happy to oblige: Read the rest of this article »

Those opposed to gun rights often have contradictory arguments.  One such example centers around self defense gun uses, with anti gun individuals complaining when an armed citizen fatally shoots a criminal, and also complaining when the armed citizen doesn’t shoot the criminal at all. Read the rest of this article »

David Rosman wrote an editorial for the Columbia Missourian, in which he makes a variety of statements about guns and crime, most of which seem to show a lack of understanding about the issues at hand. My responses are below: Read the rest of this article »

Mike Littwin recently wrote this anti gun editorial for the Denver Post.  Written in a sarcastic manner, it blames guns for society’s woes, and blames NRA members for the actions of armed criminals who break just about every law in the book as they murder law abiding people who were disarmed by so-called gun free zones.  My response is below: Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve previously discussed, gun control is sexist, racist, ineffective, and unconstitutional in it application, serving only to ensure that crime victims are defenseless against the still armed and/or physically stronger criminals.  However that is not my point here.  Instead, I would like to note that the idea of restricting guns is wrongful and flawed at even the conceptual level: Read the rest of this article »

I recently received the following self defense suggestion via email from a relative, which advocates the use of a car alarm to scare away criminals who are breaking into one’s home.  While I love the relative dearly, I’m going to have to pass on her advice: Read the rest of this article »

One of the biggest flaws with the idea of gun control is that it relies upon criminals obeying the law, when we know that criminals will, by definition, ignore the law, since that is what makes them criminals.  Some recent Brady Campaign propaganda, from their president Paul Helmke, underscores this logical flaw in the gun control argument: Read the rest of this article »

In the wake of last week’s mass shooting in Germany, anti gun groups on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean have predictably used this tragedy to argue for more gun laws, despite the fact that the killer broke a great many laws already, would not have been deterred by one more law, and was able to succeed in his rampage only because his victims were disarmed.  A well written article explaining the pointlessness of gun control appeared in the Times Online, which is a British news agency.  Given the restrictive and ineffective gun laws that already prevent British citizens from defending themselves, I hope that those in the UK as well as Germany take this article to heart: Read the rest of this article »

A while back, I was debating gun rights with a relative of mine.  This relative (who is a doctor, not a lawyer) opined that the Illinois law that makes it a felony to carry a concealed weapon allows criminals to be put away for longer prison terms then if they were only to be convicted of the underlying crime (e.g. robbery).  The fact is that most criminals receive concurrent, rather than consecutive, prison terms, meaning that they usually don’t spend even 1 extra day in jail for having the gun.  Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

Much of this website is dedicated to discussing the benefits of gun ownership for self defense, however it occurs to me that I haven’t yet mentioned one major benefit of armed self defense that extends to the gun owner as well as innocent 3rd parties: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 29 year old man from Chicago has been charged in connection with the February 3, 2009 robbery of an elderly and handicapped person in Oak Park, IL. Police allege that Ray Griffin, a 29 year old man who resides at 928 North Monticello in Chicago, followed the disabled and elderly woman out of a store and to her home on the 700 block of South Humphrey in Oak Park. Police say that Griffin then asked the woman if she needed any help, and when she declined, he grabbed her purse and caused her to fall down a flight of stairs and break her shoulder. Police are said to have uses security camera footage to track down Griffin, who is reportedly charged with aggravated robbery of a person older than 60, aggravated robbery of a handicapped person, and felony unlawful use of a credit card. Read the rest of this article »

Gun control advocates believe that infringing the right of law abiding citizens to own a gun for self defense or sporting purposes will somehow prevent criminals from having a gun and using it to commit a crime.  The fact is that criminals ignore the laws that tell them not to have a gun, just as they ignore the rest of society’s laws.  A few recent examples from the Chicago area illustrate this point: Read the rest of this article »

A recent letter to the editor in the Post-Journal by Kevin P. Bimper suggests that there should be mandatory registration, insurance, inspection, etc. for guns, because in Mr. Bimper’s opinion, guns are like cars. I disagree with both his reasoning and conclusions: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously mentioned that armed US citizens are 5.5 times less likely to shoot the wrong person, compared to the police.  That is one of the many reasons why I am in favor of armed citizens defending themselves, as stopping the criminal right then and there reduces the risk that the police will end up shooting the wrong person while pursuing the criminal.  A recent example from Germany reinforces this point: Read the rest of this article »

The Bismark Tribune, a newspaper in North Dakota, recently published an anti gun rights editorial.  While it was not quite as outrageously one sided as some articles I’ve commented on before, I do take exception to much of what was said: Read the rest of this article »

A visitor to this website who wishes to be known at “AMomymous” emailed me some of his thoughts on guns rights.  This was a follow-up on a previous email conversation, in which I invited him to let me know what he agreed with and disagreed with as far as my gun rights stance is concerned.  There were a couple of interesting sounding sections of his musings which were not yet complete, and which I look forward to reading in the future, but for now I’ll just quote and discuss the finished sections: Read the rest of this article »

One of the recurring anti gun arguments that I hear centers on the mistaken belief that gun owners will end up shooting an innocent person (such as a child, bystander, etc.) when trying to defend themselves against a criminal.  The fact is that armed citizens are about 5.5 times less likely than the police to accidentally shoot the wrong person. Read the rest of this article »

Opponents of gun rights like to paint a rosy picture of what a world without guns would look like.  They suggest that without guns, crime would go away, and violence would end.  However that is not case: Read the rest of this article »

I previously discussed a few cases of armed citizens coming to the aid of police officers, saving their lives.  I recently found a reprinted article in which a great many more such cases were documented: Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned months ago, the Illinois State Police have been unlawfully delaying FOID cards (the card that an IL resident needs to first apply for and receive before they can lawfully have a gun).  In that previous article, I mentioned a few steps that citizens can take to try and get their FOID card issued if the police fail to obey the law and issue it within 30 days.  I also suggest signing this petition.  One visitor to this website had his FOID delayed for an extra month beyond what the law allows, and took no action (which is his choice, of course).  Upon receiving his FOID, he then posted the following comment, with which I respectfully but vigorously disagree: Read the rest of this article »

I’m a supporter of gun rights primarily because I believe in the right of law abiding citizens to defend themselves and their loved ones from attack by violent criminals.    It turns out that criminals have taken notice of the fact that armed citizens are not easy targets, and worry more about meeting such an armed citizen then encountering the police: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, South Korean women are feeling nervous and buying self defense products at about a 60% – 100% higher rate than normal.  This is due to the recent arrest of Kang Ho-soon, who is alleged to have raped and murdered many women.  While it is good to see people from other countries taking an interest in self defense, it appears that many such women are taking the wrong approach, and buying products that may actually leave them more vulnerable: Read the rest of this article »

President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise of hope and change; on a departure from failed policies of the past.  His inauguration speech continued in this spirit, promising an effective and responsive government.  There is a particular passage from that speech that I hope he pays particular attention to, especially insofar as gun control is concerned: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously talked about how “gun free zones” just lead to situations where victims are defenseless, since homicidal (and often suicidal) criminals don’t care about a law that says they can’t have a gun, or the consequences of their crime spree.  Indeed, this has been the case in every school shooting in the US.  There is even a humorous video clip that makes fun of the fact that criminals won’t stop committing their crime upon learning that they are in a gun free zone.  It is against this backdrop that I find myself compelled to criticize the “Rape Free Zone” project – not for its quite commendable goal of preventing rape, but due to the ineffective means through which the goal is pursued. Read the rest of this article »

On New Years Day 2009, there was a police shooting in which a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer shot and killed Oscar Grant III who was face down on the ground, unarmed, and surrounded by multiple police officers.  Witnesses and cell phone video footage appear to indicate that the shooting was not justified (although remember, innocent until proven guilty).  The (former) BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle, has been criminally charged, and the family of the deceased man has filed a lawsuit. Read the rest of this article »

In a 2005 report commissioned by the National Institute of Justice, researchers examined a variety of sexual assaults and other physical assaults against women. The researchers found that potential rape victims who resisted their attackers physically and verbally significantly reduced the probability that a rape would be completed and did not significantly increase the risk of serious injury. A separate study found that even when a rape was completed, women who used some form of resistance had better mental health outcomes than those who did not resist. Read the rest of this article »

I recently read a comment on The War on Guns, in which an individual advocates a boycott of Illinois-based gun manufacturers, due to the rather strict anti gun laws in that state.  He argues that buying from those manufacturers supplies tax money to the state of Illinois, which he accuses of “enslaving you and your children.”  While I (obviously) disagree with Illinois gun control laws, and do everything in my power to change those laws, I don’t think that boycotting Illinois gun manufacturers is a wise or reasonable thing.  Instead, I think that such a boycott would lead to gun rights being harmed, both in IL and other states.  At the same time, tax revenue from guns is just a drop in the bucket for Illinois anyway, so the State’s budget would not be seriously effected by such a minor loss of revenue. Read the rest of this article »

Some of my relatives are extremely anti gun.  They disapprove of my choice to own guns suitable for self defense, and don’t wish to own gun themselves.  One of my relatives has even said that she would not want to use a gun to defend herself, even if the only alternative were death at the hands of a home invading criminal.  While I respect her right to decide whether to defend herself or not, I do find that decision to be rather selfish and inconsiderate, both towards those of us who love her, and society as a whole: Read the rest of this article »

Some of the anti gun and anti self defense people tend to confuse being a vigilante with defending oneself.  There really is no connection between the two, as vigilantism is a crime, while self defense is a basic human right. Read the rest of this article »

San Fransisco has installed high tech (and expensive) camera to monitor many areas of the city.  A long awaited study on the effectiveness of the cameras has been completed, and the result is that the cameras did nothing to reduce violent crime: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve been debating whether to write this article for a while, but the comments on a recent article have convinced me to go ahead and do so.  So, here are my thoughts on open carry (as opposed to concealed carry). 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

I recently stumbled across a 7 year old article in the BBC, which showed a 40% increase in handgun related crime in the 2 years after the UK’s handgun ban was passed.  This crime increase continues to this day. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve heard quite a few gun control arguments that conflict with themselves and each other.  A few of these arguments, and their flaws, are discussed below: Read the rest of this article »

A visitor to this website emailed me a link to a great article on policemag.com.  The article discusses cases where armed citizens have saved the lives of police officers: Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned last week, my girlfriend created a gun cake at work.  It turns out that when she walked in to work with the pictures of guns printed on paper, two of her coworkers expressed fear and concern over the pictures.  How a picture of a gun can be scary is beyond me, but apparently this is nothing new: Read the rest of this article »

“Negroes with Guns” is an interesting book that anti gun rights people like Jessie Jackson really should read: Read the rest of this article »

The American Hunters and Shooters Association tries to falsely portray itself as a gun rights group. However it is really a gun control organization that was created by the anti gun rights crowd, with the intent of deceiving and confusing gun owners. Read the rest of this article »

Chicago has had a handgun ban since before I was born, and yet it is the murder capital of the United States.   The majority of Chicago’s murders are committed by handgun ban ignoring criminals, while law abiding citizens are left without a gun for self defense against these very criminals.   Against this backdrop, Mayor Daley has used the murder of Jennifer Hudson’s family to push his gun control agenda, despite the gaping flaws in his reasoning, and failure of existing gun control.  I respond to each of Daley’s unfounded contentions below. Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned on my bio page, I’m an African American law student who lives in the Chicago area.   While in school and at work, I’ve had friends and colleagues assume that I’m anti gun, and invite me to contact my elected officials in support of more (pointless and unconstitutional) restrictions on gun ownership.  A few examples: Read the rest of this article »

Anti gun rights groups will claim that guns are ultra dangerous items.  The fact is that guns are less dangerous than many of the items we all interact with on a daily basis.  Furthermore, even taking the misuse of guns by criminals and negligent individuals into account, fewer lives are lost due to gun misuse than are lost due to car misuse. Read the rest of this article »

I happened across one of the more beautifully written blog posts I’ve ever read, and wanted to encourage more people to read it: http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/rkba/i-dont-carry-a-gun/

A recent home invasion in Chicago ended with a mother and her young daughter landing face first on the pavement, with the kind of injuries one would expect from such a fall. They jumped from a second floor window to escape an armed and masked home invader who was about to kill them.  This is yet another reason why I oppose handgun bans. Read the rest of this article »

After a citizen rightfully defends themselves against an armed and violent criminal, the family of that criminal or members of the media sometimes blame that citizen for shooting the criminal.  They argue that the crime victim didn’t need to use force to defend themselves, or used too much force. In almost every such situation, it is ridiculous to second guess the victim who defends themselves from a criminal, for the reasons discussed below. Read the rest of this article »

I believe in the value of gun ownership for self defense.  This is due primarily the fact that the police almost certainly can’t get there in time to stop a criminal.  However it is also worth noting that the police owe individual citizens no duty of protection – meaning that if you call the police and they fail to arrive for hour and hours, you have no recourse: Read the rest of this article »

It seems that many people fail to grasp the difference between law abiding gun owners and criminals, and lump both groups together.  The fact is that law abiding gun owners are the polar opposite of criminals – and are a criminal’s worst nightmare. The comparison chart below highlights the profound differences which tend to exist between law abiding gun owners (such as this author) and criminals. Read the rest of this article »

The NRA has produced the Obama gun rights compatibility quiz shown below, for those that still don’t believe that Obama and Biden are two of the most anti gun rights politicians in US history. Read the rest of this article »

I noticed a link to LearnAboutGuns.com coming from this site, whose author states that she would rather “hold the burning end of a lit cigarette than a gun.” She describes herself as a Pacifist, and believes that it is wrong to use a gun in self defense, even to stop a would-be rapist and murder that breaks in during the night.  While I understand and share the respect for human life that underlies the Pacifist philosophy she embraces, I cannot join in the naive and dangerous belief that a person should allow a violent criminal to kill them or another innocent person: Read the rest of this article »

Since 2001, all pistols and revolvers in New York state have been ballistically fingerprinted before sale, and this information has been recorded in a database.  The (faulty) idea was that this database, which costs $1 Million each year, would help the police to solve gun related crimes.  However there have been exactly 0 prosecutions that can be attributed to this database. Read the rest of this article »

The primary (and untrue) argument used by the anti gun crowd is that banning guns will make all safer. This has proven untrue in countless US cities and other countries, but the fact that such an argument is tried shows that the Second Amendment right to own a gun for self defense is mistreated in a manner that few would mistreat our other constitutional rights:

Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed a rather hypocritical bias against hunting, and though I would take a moment to address it, from the perspective of someone who has never gone hunting but respects the hunting rights of others: Read the rest of this article »

It is a well understood principle that as a right becomes more difficult to (lawfully) exercise, fewer people will (lawfully)exercise that right.  This holds true for guns, and many of the so-called “reasonable restrictions” on guns actually amount to de facto gun bans: Read the rest of this article »

I recently read about a few vocal gun owners that have become disillusioned with the NRA, and are suggesting that people join other pro gun organizations instead of the NRA.  Basically, their complaints are that the NRA is overly concerned about raising money for itself, or that it does not do enough to protect the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.  I happen to disagree with these complaints, however there is a much bigger issue at play – the need for unity in the pro gun right cause: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed an interesting anti gun argument that (incorrectly) assumes gun owners are more likely to be killed by their own gun than to stop a criminal in their home, then assumes that such an (incorrect) statistic applies to each and every gun owner.  This is one of the more flawed anti gun arguments I’ve heard, so I thought I would take a moment to discuss the flaws with such reasoning: Read the rest of this article »

Smugglers have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, gaining access to expensive equipment and using some rather impressive tactics.  This is yet another reason that gun bans simply won’t work: Read the rest of this article »

I read an interesting blog post discussing a proposed New Jersey law that would require each gun sold to contain a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip with the owners personal information.  Tagging guns with RFID chips is a rather bad idea, as discussed below: Read the rest of this article »

For quite a while, there has talk about developing and then mandating so-called “smart guns”; that is guns that use an electronic system to prevent anyone but their owner from firing them. This idea is touted as a way to prevent criminals or children from misusing firearms, but in reality it will result in guns that are less reliable for self defense, and considerably more expensive. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed the racist history of junk gun laws; however this article is intended to point out the fact that “Junk Gun” is a subjective term, and is simply one more way for anti gun rights groups to erode the Second Amendment right to gun ownership.  Banning inexpensive guns is not rationally related to safety, and only serves to prevent poorer people from having a gun for self defense: Read the rest of this article »

In many areas, anti gun rights politicians and organizations have mandated waiting periods before a gun can be purchased.  They argue that his will provide time for an angry person to “cool off” so that they don’t go buy a gun and commit a crime, and that this time is needed to run a background check.  These arguments may seem persuasive at first, but are in fact rather weak and poorly reasoned; failing to prevent crime and instead leaving citizens who need a gun for self defense in a vulnerable position: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve heard of a few cases in which a citizen is in their own home when an violent intruder breaks in, and that citizen is counseled not to use their gun in self defense as the attacker comes at them. This is simply wrong: Read the rest of this article »

All too often basic rights are infringed by legislators at the local, state, or national level. These legislators pass laws that fly in the face of basic rights, preventing citizens from enjoying such rights until a court strikes them down. Since legislative bodies can pass laws with relative ease and virtually no cost to their individual members, it is easy for a situation to arise in which basic rights are severely and repeatedly restricted, with little recourse for the citizens. This problem is especially pronounced when the right being infringed is not popular with the majority of the voters, preventing the political process from correcting the problem during the next elections. To combat this problem, I propose the imposition of liability upon individual legislators who intentionally abuse the legislative process to infringe basic rights: Read the rest of this article »

Throughout most of the gun rights struggle, and especially In the wake of D.C. v. Heller, the focus of the right to keep and bear arms has been primarily on firearms.  That certainly makes sense, given the supremacy of guns in the arena of self defense.  However it is worth noting that there are other “arms” besides “firearms”, and the Second Amendment would seem to encompass many of these other arms too. Read the rest of this article »

When gun rights are debated, I see entirely too much emphasis placed on hunting and “sportsmen”, rather than on self defense: Read the rest of this article »

The Gun Control Act of 1968, a US Federal law, prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms.  The problem is that more and more non-violent crimes are now classified as felonies, which means that an ever increasing portion of the population is now prohibited from possessing guns: Read the rest of this article »

Although anti gun rights laws are often associated with Democratic or liberal politicians, the idea of gun rights actually fit in with liberal values. Read the rest of this article »

When debating gun rights, I’ve had people suggest that the NRA is some evil organization whose goal is to profit from the shooting of innocent people.  This is flatly untrue hyperbole.  As discussed below, the NRA and other such pro gun rights groups are made up of millions of law abiding citizens who have come together to defend the constitutional right to own a gun. Read the rest of this article »

When discussing gun ownership rights and laws, I’ve heard some people argue in favor of magazine capacity restrictions, features of ordinary firearms, and limits on the number of guns one can own, (incorrectly) asserting that such restrictions won’t harm law abiding citizens.  I’ve previously discussed, from a technical standpoint, why such restrictions would not affect criminals, and would leave law abiding citizens confused about the law, and with guns that are less safe and less suitable for self defense.  This article, however, addresses the deeper problem with arbitrarily restricting gun rights on the basis that a citizen doesn’t “need” a particular magazine capacity, feature, or quantity of guns. Read the rest of this article »

I was preparing to write an article discussing Barack Obama’s extensive anti gun rights record, but found this excellent post on the subject.  Simply put, Obama, like Joe Biden, is as anti-gun as it gets. Read the rest of this article »

Due to my profession, I tend to focus on the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the United States constitution. However it is important to note that the right to keep and bear arms for self defense was a preexisting right that is guaranteed by the Second Amendment. In other words, the Second Amendment is simply an acknowledgment of the right to own a gun, and a command that the Government not infringe that already existing right, rather than the source of the right: Read the rest of this article »

The short answer: The NRA is not racist, otherwise I and many of my fellow black gun owners would not be members.  Read on for the longer answer.

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I recently debated the issue of gun rights with a relative of mine who is decidedly anti gun.  She has never fired a gun, and has no desire to do so.  She is afraid of guns in and of themselves, rather than being concerned about the actions of criminals.  I though I would post a particularly salient portion of the discussion, as I can best remember it: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve seen people who don’t own guns react with surprise or concern upon hearing that I, or another law abiding citizen, own several firearms.  This article provides information about why people often own multiple guns, and how owning multiple guns is not “bad”: Read the rest of this article »

Gary Reed has written a great article addressing the use of terms such as “assault weapon” and “Saturday night special.”  Here is one of the more humerus quotes:

“Hometown Herald – A pair of assault thugs stole a Ford Saturday Night Special Crew Cab and drove it through the front door of the Saturday Nyte Special 99 Cent Store. They attacked the ATM with an assault crowbar, but the shop owner drove them off with a small self-defense assaultin’ pepperbox revolver.”

Some residents of Morton Grove, which recently repealed its handgun ban, are now calling for gun registration requirements.  I’ve also heard other people tout gun registration as some sort of cure to the actions of criminals.  Allow me to explain why gun registration bears no relationship to crime prevention, and is instead a wrongful infringement of the 2nd Amendment individual right to keep and bear arms for self defense: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve seen that some people, most of whom have never fired a gun, are opposed to parents teaching their children to fire guns.  I disagree, and feel that children who are interested in firearms should be taught to shoot under responsible adult supervision, once they are mature enough to do so safely. Read the rest of this article »

Below is a rather interesting scholarly journal article, written by psychiatrist Sarah Thompson, MD. In the article, Dr. Thompson addresses hoplophobia, the mental disorder which describes irrational fear of guns, and the mentality surrounding this issue.  It is an interesting read: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve seen a tendency to blame all gun owners after one gun user is negligent, or commits a crime.  This is unfair, and counterproductive: Read the rest of this article »

The NRA maintains a list of organizations which have opposed the right of law abiding Americans to own guns for self defense or sporting purposes.  Upon viewing the list, I was quite surprised (and disappointed) to see how extensive it was.  The full list is shown below: Read the rest of this article »

A good percentage of crime consists of criminals victimizing other criminals, often over drugs, money, or gang turf.  However, criminals will often break into the wrong house, or attack the wrong person, after mistaking them for someone else.  Self defense in this situation is yet another reason to own a gun: Read the rest of this article »

Americans use a gun in self defense once every 13 seconds: Read the rest of this article »

The Gun Control Act of 1968, a US Federal statute, prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms.  In the wake of the D.C. v. Heller Supreme Court decision, several lawsuits have been filed by convicted felons, seeking to regain their right to keep and bear arms for self defense and sporting purposes. Most of the people I’ve discussed this with are of the opinion that convicted felons should not be allowed to own guns.  I, however, have reached the conclusion that such blanket prohibition on gun ownership by felons is not reasonable.  Allow me to explain why: Read the rest of this article »

While discussing the lawsuit which seeks to strike down Chicago’s ineffective and likely unconstitutional handgun ban, Mayor Richard Daley made a series of anti-gun arguments.  These arguments appear to be based upon faulty or non-existent reasoning, and make the utterly untrue assumption that law abiding citizens will generally misuse guns for no reason at all.  This article analyzes and rebuts Daley’s rather weak anti-gun arguments one by one: Read the rest of this article »

Gun ownership by law abiding citizens has a deterrent effect upon criminals, and the reason is quite clear: A criminal out to commit robbery/rape/theft/etc. is looking for an easy target, not one that will fight back. Since criminals can’t know which potential victim is armed, they know that committing a crime is a risk. Accordingly, the more armed citizens that we have, the greater the deterrent effect upon criminals. Read the rest of this article »

Almost every day, politicians and other public figures get on their soapboxes and argue for gun control. They say their latest pointless and ineffective gun control laws will be “tough on criminals.” The reality of the situation is that criminals like gun control laws. This is because criminals will still have guns, and their victims will be easier targets. get Allow me to explain further: Read the rest of this article »

Various cities across the country, most notably Chicago, have run gun buy back programs. These programs offer citizens money in exchange for turning in guns. Such programs allow politicians to claim that they have “taken hundreds of guns off the street” that would have otherwise been used in crimes. In reality, these programs don’t do much (if anything) to stop crime, but do consume large sums of money that would be better spent actually fighting crime: Read the rest of this article »

There is a lot of misinformation out there about gun control, gun rights, self defense, “assault weapons,” and the like. This article is intended to briefly set the record straight: Read the rest of this article »

Sound suppressors, sometimes referred to as “silencers,” are legitimate tools that have gotten a bad reputation in movies and in the law. The fact is that sound suppressors don’t truly “silence” guns, but can serve a legitimate and peaceful purpose. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

Member of the gun control lobby will argue that taking away guns from law abiding citizens will somehow stop criminals from using guns to commit crimes. This is simply untrue, and I’ve addressed the facts that criminals ignore gun control laws, which only serve to leave law abiding citizens defenseless. I’ve also addressed the fact that criminals will commit crimes, with or without guns.
Gun control laws could, however, result in more criminals with machine guns. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

While discussing the issue of gun rights, I’ve had some friends suggest that only the police should have firearms. My considered opinion is that there is no fundamental difference between a police officer and a law abiding citizen, insofar as the ability to act responsibly with a firearm is concerned. Nor do I believe that police possess training or skills that a law abiding citizen can’t easily acquire, at least in a way sufficient to allow that citizen to defend themselves and their family. Allow me to elaborate: Read the rest of this article »

Rather than focus on the problem of crime, many gun control advocates cling to the abject failure that is gun control. This trend continues in the wake of the D.C. v. Heller case, where the Supreme Court found gun ownership to be an individual right. Rather than abandon the failed gun control laws that only serve to deprive law abiding citizens of the ability to defend themselves, some cities with handgun bans will now spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in a likely pointless effort to keep their unconstitutional handgun bans. Just imagine if that money were spent on “criminal control” instead of pointless gun control: Read the rest of this article »

Rather than deterring criminals, who will manage to have a gun in violation of the law, handgun bans will result in the unjust prosecution citizens who are defending themselves against criminals.   Such an outcome is plainly contrary to the (misguided) intent of such bans, which is to protect law abiding citizens from criminals.  A couple of example from the state of Illinois help illustrate the point: Read the rest of this article »

Some anti-gun-rights groups will try to argue that gun ownership somehow causes increased suicide rates. This is similar to the equally incorrect assertion that the presence of guns leads to crime. The fact is, those who are serious about committing suicide will do so, and many of them choose guns for a variety of practical reasons. Allow me to elaborate: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve seen increasing talk about the “benefits” of making gun manufacturers liable for criminals that misuse their guns, and thought it would be a good topic for an article

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The Wednesday Journal, Oak Park’s local newspaper, ran an article discussing the history of Oak Park’s handgun ban. The facts: Oak Park’s handgun ban was the knee jerk reaction to a murder that was committed not in Oak Park, but Chicago. Two decades later, criminals in Oak Park commit shootings, robberies, and pistol whipping, while only Oak Park’s law abiding citizens obey the ban and are left vulnerable. Read the rest of this article »

The NRA has an excellent article on the racist origins of the terms “Saturday night specials” and “junk guns,” and gun control as a whole. In short, these terms were used to describe guns the racist law makers saw as being used by African Americans to commit crimes on Saturday nights, after drinking. Read the rest of this article »

Purchasing a gun now is a prudent choice, given the fact that when you actually need the gun, it will be too late to buy it. I am not speaking of the world ending or other unlikely events (no, I don’t believe society will collapse any time soon) but rather about events that can and do happen, when it helps to have a gun: Read the rest of this article »

To those whose lives have been hurt by a criminal’s use of a gun, Read the rest of this article »

As the Sun Times reports, Jessie Jackson called the Supreme Court’s ruling that gun ownership is an individual right “a ‘reckless interpretation of the Second Amendment’ — and one that Chicago doesn’t have to accept.”
Jessie Jackson’s statement, aside from being untrue, endangers the very civil rights that he has supported.  As an African American, a law student, and an American citizen, I am thoroughly disappointed.  Allow me to elaborate: Read the rest of this article »

It seems that many gun control advocates have mistaken ideas about the criminals who use guns. Allow me to set the record straight: Read the rest of this article »

Unfortunately, some of the most ardent supporters of rights such as abortion, free speech, and other civil rights are also some of the same people who try to take away the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. To those people I would say that trying to take away gun rights will result in the loss of our other civil rights, such as abortion, free speech, etc. This is part 3 of the 3 part series. Read the rest of this article »

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin issued a statement that argued cities should be able to ban guns, and that denying cities that ability would result in increased crime. This statement, aside from being inaccurate, fails to take into account that gun ownership is a right, and the rights of law abiding citizens cannot be denied just because it is politically expedient to do so. Allow me to explain further: Read the rest of this article »

Unfortunately, some of the most ardent supporters of rights such as abortion, free speech, and other civil rights are also some of the same people who try to take away the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. To those people I would say that trying to take away gun rights will result in the loss of our other civil rights, such as abortion, free speech, etc. This is part 2 of the 3 part series. Read the rest of this article »

Unfortunately, some of the most ardent supporters of rights such as abortion, free speech, and other civil rights are also some of the same people who try to take away the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. To those people I would say that trying to take away gun rights will result in the loss of our other civil rights, such as abortion, free speech, etc. This is part 1 of the 3 part series. Read the rest of this article »

With more and more Americans supporting the view that gun ownership is an individual right protected by the Second Amendment, gun control groups such as the Brady Campaign are losing ground.  This is giving rise to a new tactic Read the rest of this article »

I have noticed that some people, mainly who don’t own guns, equate gun ownership with violence. Nothing could be further from the truth: Read the rest of this article »

Often times in the wake of a particularly horrific shooting, politicians and even ordinary citizens feel compelled to “do something.” Gun control advocates seize on this urge to act, since it is human nature to want to take action in the wake of a tragedy. This tends to lead to wasted effort or actions that actually make the situation worse. Sometimes the best course of action is no action, or at least action after considerable thought is given to the issue: Read the rest of this article »

Many gun control advocates argue that we need handgun bans in order to prevent crime. Empirical evidence collected from cities that have handgun bans (such as Chicago and D.C.) flatly disprove that idea. It appears that a hand ban, rather than a handgun ban, might better prevent crime. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

I recently received an email from a gentleman named Jon, regarding my use of terms such as “assault weapons” and “gun control” on this site.  Jon stated that he believed I should use terms such as “politically incorrect guns” instead of “assault weapons,” and to similarly frame the “gun control” issue in a more pro-guns manner.  I wholeheartedly agree with Jon’s statement when it comes to discussing gun rights in person or on TV, but the internet is a different story: Read the rest of this article »

Some friends and family members have asked me why I have a gun. After having answered this question several times, I decided to write an article that I can point people to in the future: Read the rest of this article »

Throughout this site I have pointed out the many problems with gun control. Those problems include the fact that criminals don’t obey laws (including gun control laws), and that failure to obey laws is what makes them criminals. Given the number of people still reaching this site after searching for “reasons to support gun control”, I thought I would further explain why gun control laws won’t prevent crime any better than the laws against murder and other crimes. Read the rest of this article »

Self defense is the most basic right that we humans have. It is a necessary foundation upon which all of our other rights are based. Given the fact the criminals who seek to harm law abiding citizens and their families are often armed, gun rights are an essential part of the right to defend oneself and one’s family these days. Read the rest of this article »

Several of the people I’ve worked with and known socially over the last year have stated that they are either opposed to gun rights, and/or don’t personally wish to exercise their right to keep and bear arms.  While they certainly have a right to choose not to own a gun, I am of the opinion that this is a bad choice for them, and a bad choice for our society.  Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

In cities such as Chicago and London, which already have strict gun control laws, there have been “gun violence” protests organized by anti gun groups.  These usually take place after a criminal violates the gun ban laws and commits a crime.  Unlike protests designed to focus the attention of political leaders on a governmental policy (such as involvement in wars or civil rights), these protests seem to be without purpose.  Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

“Zero Tolerance” policies are becoming more and more popular in our nation’s schools, workplaces, and other venues, especially as far as guns and other weapons related items are concerned. The problem is that these policies lead to unjust results and defy common sense. Zero tolerance policies run contrary to the ideas of justice that we as a civilization have been developing for centuries, and should be abandoned. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

Despite a ban on handguns and draconian restrictions on long guns, the District of Columbia (”Washington D.C.”) has a serious problem with criminals using guns. Between March and April alone, this city of about 500,000 people has had over 330 reports of gun related crimes. As VOA reports, it is not unusual for D.C. residents Read the rest of this article »

Gun Ownership Helps Protect Everyone – even those who don’t own a gun themselves, as explained below: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed that a fair number of people who visit this website search on Google for “reasons to support gun control”, despite the pro-gun-rights nature of this website. I’ve decided to write this article listing reasons to support gun control, for those visitors. Read the rest of this article »

I have noticed that there is insidious anti-gun indoctrination experienced by many people, and that it happens from an early age.  I believe this to be a serious problem, not just for the future of the 2nd Amendment, but for society’s ability to solve its social problems, such as violence.  I’ve seen this anti gun indoctrination from first and experience, through the attitudes of many otherwise reasonable people, and from the news.  Allow me to elaborate: Read the rest of this article »

Joining the NRA is a great way to help protect our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms. Normally, a 1 year membership is $35, but you can join here for $25 – That is a $10 discount. Read the rest of this article »

Gun control laws, especially the bans on so called “assault weapons“, tend to be highly technical in nature.  Such laws include arbitrary limitations on the length of barrels, the number of round a magazine can store, cosmetic features of the gun, etc.  This leaves the average law abiding citizen unaware that they might be violating the law, until they are  arrested.  Worse yet, some laws are rather vague, leaving even the most diligent and well educated citizen unable to determine if they are in violation.  Given the severe penalties in place for having a handgun magazine that holds one round to many, or a rifle barrel that is a half an inch too short, these laws are some of the most unjust currently on the books.  Below are some examples: Read the rest of this article »

Personal responsibility seems to be something that our society is lacking these days, especially insofar as guns are concerned.  Rather than blaming negligent adults who didn’t store their gun in a safe and responsible manner when a small child shoots his or her self, we blame guns.  Rather than blaming the adults who did not follow the basics of gun safety and unintentionally shoot themselves, guns are the scapegoat.  Instead of blaming criminals, we pass gun control laws that the criminals will just ignore, just as they ignore the laws against robbery, murder, and rape.  This is ineffective, leads to wrongful violations of the rights of law abiding citizens, and teaches our children the wrong message.  Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

I have previously discussed how the bans on so called “assault weapons” only ban cosmetic and safety features of guns that are not true military style guns anyway, while not reducing crime or even being rationally related to crime.  Now I’ll address the fact that criminals simply don’t tend to use these so called “assault weapons”, which makes banning them even more pointless. Read the rest of this article »

Chicago Alderman Richard Mell owns a variety of shotguns, rifles, and pistols, but forgot to re-register them, which makes the handguns permanently illegal and unregisterable under Chicago law.  Since he wants to keep his handguns, he is proposing a 1 month registration amnesty period.  The catch?  It would only apply to people who happened to have failed to re-register in the same time frame as him.  Chicago’s Mayor Daley endorses this plan, which is designed to benefit an influential alderman, while the vast majority of Chicago’s law abiding citizens will be left without the ability to keep a handgun to defend themselves. Read the rest of this article »

Recently, I have heard politicians talking about what they consider to be “reasonable restrictions” on gun rights. These restrictions are often anything but reasonable, so I thought it would be a good exercise to compare what society would be like if we treated other fundamental rights the same way that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution’s right to keep and bear arms is treated Read the rest of this article »

Shooting is a great sport for everyone.  I say that not just because it is fun, but because it does not have to have the same physical requirements as many other sports.  This allows a lot of people to participate and excel at shooting, even if they could not do the same in other sports.  Shooting is also great for the most physically fit among us, who are seeking a new challenge. Read the rest of this article »

In the US and the UK, there are attempts by anti gun groups to make the ownership of guns seen as taboo, from both a legal and moral perspective. These attempts at eliminating “gun culture” are doomed to backfire, as history and human nature teach use. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

As stated in my biographical and demographical information, I am an African American male, in my mid twenties.  Because of this, some of my friends have questioned whether it is wise of me to go to gun stores and ranges.  These friends were concerned that, due to my race, I would face discrimination or violence in these gun-related locations.  Since I have heard so many people voice this concern to to me, I thought I would describe my experiences as a black man who frequents 4 Chicago area gun stores and shooting ranges: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed that many people who aren’t familiar with guns tend to fear them.  I’m not referring to the fear of a criminal pointing a gun at them, but rather a fear of owing a gun themselves.  Recently I asked coworkers and other people who have such a fear of guns why guns scare them. This article lists the answers I’ve been given, along with solutions for such irrational fears of guns. Read the rest of this article »

Every time I read about an “accidental” shooting in the news, I want to write a letter to the editor to point out their error. The fact is that when someone is unintentionally shot, it was not an “accidental” shooting. Instead, it was either a negligent or reckless shooting. Allow me to explain: Read the rest of this article »

Guns ownership and sporting use is a special hobby like no other.  And I’m not only speaking about the unique fun and physics that go along with responsible firearms use -  Whether you are interested in hunting, target practice, or collecting, firearms as a hobby require something that almost no other hobby requires: Read the rest of this article »

Lawfully purchasing a gun online requires only a little bit more work than purchasing most other items online, and this extra effort can be worth the price savings.  Other times, the exact firearm that the buyer wants might not be available locally, especially when the gun in question is no longer in production, or is a high demand item that is in short supply.  This article describes the relatively simple process of legally purchasing a gun online. Read the rest of this article »

Recently I have read articles produced by anti-gun groups which painted the picture of an America without guns. These articles argue that if we were to ban guns tomorrow, that the country would be a better place. I’ll leave aside the fact that firearm ownership is a right protected by the 2nd amendment, and address the substantive argument: Such anti-gun propaganda fails to take into account practical considerations, as well as human nature. Rather than reducing crime, such a ban on firearms would leave criminals with a monopoly on guns, and law abiding citizens would have their own monopoly on defenselessness. Read the rest of this article »

Gun rights are important for self defense, defense of our loved ones, and defense of our country. They also help protect our other civil rights (and in another way than you are probably thinking). Read the rest of this article »

Guns provide a special type of security that cannot be equaled by police protection. This is true even for people who live in relatively safe, affluent areas, and enjoy the services of a well funded and professional police department. Allow me to explain why. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve noticed a good deal of casual bias against guns and gun owners in blogs, even on those that are unrelated to the discussion of gun ownership rights. This bias seems to take the form of an assumption that a person carrying a gun will open fire at the drop of a hat, and/or that gun owners are less intelligent. I saw a prime example of this yesterday: Read the rest of this article »

When tragic events such as school shootings occur, some people seem tempted to call for “gun free zones”, in which it would be unlawful to have a firearm, and/or where the penalties for having a firearm would be increased dramatically. The belief that these “gun free zones” will prevent crime relies upon flawed reasoning, namely the belief that Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned in an earlier article, I support all of our constitutional rights, regardless of whether I personally exercise those rights. Unfortunately, the American Civil Liberties Union (the ACLU), which is generally a reputable organization that can be counted on to stand up for our constitutional rights, has decided to oppose the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. I find this to be an exceptionally sad situation, and would urge the ACLU to reconsider. Read the rest of this article »

Politicians and anti gun groups often speak about “reasonable restrictions” or “common sense restriction” on gun ownership. More often than not, these “reasonable restrictions” are anything but reasonable, given the fact that Read the rest of this article »

Anti gun politicians and special interest groups have tried to argue that the Second Amendment should be limited to protecting guns with a “sporting purpose”. In other words, the anti gun groups believe that law abiding citizens should only be able to own guns designed for hunting or target practice, rather than self defense Read the rest of this article »

Many of the most ardent anti-gun politicians, such as Chicago’s Mayor Daley, are protected by taxpayer-sponsored armed body guards, but deny law abiding citizens the right to defend Read the rest of this article »

There seems to be a good deal of confusion surrounding hollow point bullets, and the state of New Jersey has even enacted a partial ban on hollow points. This article is intended to help clear things up Read the rest of this article »

The federal government had an “assault weapons” ban from 1994 until 2004, and many state and local governments have enacted or considered enacting their own “assault weapon” bans. These bans make illegal many safety and utility features of guns, while not serving to prevent crime Read the rest of this article »

Just about every time a criminal commits a crime using a gun, there are politicians and members of the media who clamor for gun control. Gun control is neither a reasonable nor rational response to crime, and here is Read the rest of this article »

I have noticed that many anti-gun people equate the presence of guns with violence, as if the number of violent acts that will occur is somehow a function of the number of guns in the area. This is patently untrue. I think a few examples of areas with high and low amounts of guns might shed some light on this Read the rest of this article »

Those of us who own guns know that they tools worthy of respect, but not something to fear. Unfortunately many people who don’t own guns seem seem to have an irrational fear Read the rest of this article »

When a gun is used to commit a crime, the focus is placed on the gun, but no focus is placed on the other tools criminals use to commit crimes. When a criminal uses a handgun to shoot a their victim, politicians and many members of the media will call for stricter gun control. This can be seen frequently in Read the rest of this article »

I was preparing to write an article expressing why I believe guns are an expression of and means of ensuring civilization Read the rest of this article »

The District Court for the District of Columbia heard a case which challenged the District of Columbia’s law which banned handguns and places restrictions on Read the rest of this article »

I believe that firearms rights are a gender equality issue as well, and bans on firearms (especially handgun bans) are discriminatory against women. Allow me to explain why Read the rest of this article »

Below is a non-exhaustive list of reasons why I support gun rights and oppose gun control Read the rest of this article »