Free Republic

...We live in a precarious time in the United States of America. Many citizens are concerned about efforts to infringe upon the rights delineated in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. As a constitutional lawyer who spent much of my career defending the fundamental Rights to Life and Religious Freedom, I share their concern. However, one of those Rights is found in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which reads "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."......

A woman openly carrying a Glock was threatened by an armed felon in the early morning hours of 1 August, 2016.  She was leaving the gas station with a drink in her hand and the Glock on her hip.  Her daughter would be turning three in about a week. From abc15.com: Miracle said she was leaving the Circle K near 59th Avenue and Camelback Road with her family early Monday morning when the suspect, Frank Taylor , tried to bum a cigarette. She told him that she didn’t have one, and then seconds later, Miracle said, she could feel...

On the hip, in a case, or on the seat next to the driver, where are you packing for easy access? Car jacking happens almost everywhere and one of the question that comes up is where are you packing your firearm for easy access. Here’s some noise taking place on 1911 Forum on the subject. boatdoc: many of my friends are appendix carrying for access while driving seems to me that an extra gun could be placed in an ankle holster( a revolver maybe?) for your protection. A purse or briefcase might give the perps a gun they did not...

The 10mm is becoming increasingly popular as a wilderness defense gun in Alaska.  Fully loaded it is as light, and a bit more powerful than a loaded, small frame .357 magnum. The Glock 20 holds 15 rounds versus five or six for a .44 or .41 magnum revolver.  In this case near Homer, Alaska, on the Kenai peninsula, it did the job in stopping a charging brown bear sow. It happened on 29 July, 2016, a Monday afternoon about 4 p.m.  From homernews.com: A Homer man shot and killed a charging sow brown bear at Humpy Creek last Friday....

Current laws should be changed to allow concealed carry (CCW) permit holders to be armed in gun-free zones (GFZ). Two scenarios to consider: First, you have a CCW license and are out for a normal day. You find yourself in a GFZ. Therefore, you don’t have your gun as current law prohibits it. A shooting breaks out. Without your gun, what do you do? Do you flee or hide? Being unarmed, your options are limited. The outcome for you and fellow citizens may be completely out of your control. Although law enforcement in our nation is outstanding and officers are...

On January 26th, 2016, at about 6 p.m., a woman was attacked in a parking garage in Louisville, Kentucky.  The man who attacked her had a knife, and demanded "everything you have".  He turned out to be an addict.  The attack occurred as the woman was seated in the driver's seat of her car.  She had placed her purse on the passenger seat.  Unknown to the assailant, she had a Beretta Tomcat in her purse.   From wlky.com:   "And I thought he was going to kill me because he was pushing the knife toward me and before I could...

PRAGUE (Sputnik) — The president added that those in possession of guns would have to get used to protecting themselves instead of keeping weapons at home. "Earlier I spoke against possession of large amounts of weapon [by the citizens]. After those [terrorist] attacks, I do not think so any more," Zeman said in an interview with the Czech Blesk newspaper. Europe has been pushed to urgently and extensively boost its safety and security measures over the past months amid a wave of deadly attacks that has occurred in Europe, including a truck running over a crowd in France's Nice and...

After the carnage like we’ve witnessed in American cities such as San Bernardino and Orlando, and more recently in Europe, the national conversation tends to shift temporarily back toward gun control legislation and how to best protect ourselves in the homeland from future terrorist attacks. Sadly, however, what is always absent from these post-tragedy conversations is any mention of one change with enormous potential to save lives—one which would not require controversial legislation, millions of dollars, nor procurement of expensive advanced technologies. This change includes an overdue re-examination of how unarmed civilians should respond during these events, including how federal,...

An excellent off-topic discussion started in this morning’s “Nevermind” post. It deserves more prominence than it’ll get in comments, so I’m moving it forward here. LBS wrote: DH is a pacifist and against all violent methods of self-defense – especially guns. He says I can defend myself, as long as the method couldn’t possibly kill the attacker (yeah, I know what you’re thinking). Do any of you have any ideas what a short, sixtyish, fat cancer survivor could have handy to better the odds? (BTW, murder or divorce are not options. I really love the guy. He’s mostly a great...

"A Catholic priest has called for Christians to take a stand against Islamic terror, arguing that pacifism in the face of mortal danger is immoral and un-Christian." "But writing for LifeZette.com, Father George Rutler, the pastor of St. Michael’s church in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, argues that not only is such pacifism immoral, it is the Christian duty to protect both oneself and other innocents from violent aggressors." "Referring to Jesus’s exhortation, found in Matthew 5:39 – “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the...

....."Ahmadzai’s attack involved no expensive weapons, no explosives, no training and not likely much contact with or advice from the Islamic State...." ...."It’s instructive to look at the knife. It’s a common kitchen knife, with a cheap plastic handle and a blade that’s not quite as long as Ahmadzai’s fist is wide. It’s the sort of knife that can be found in millions of kitchens worldwide, and a cheap version, at that."

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A gunman and his underage driver tried to rob a group of people playing the popular Pokemon Go game, triggering a shootout after one of the players pulled out his own weapon at a Las Vegas park that has become a hot spot for virtual creature hunting. The incident early Monday marked the latest illustration of unintended consequences in everyday life due to the booming popularity of the GPS-powered "augmented reality" game.

Massachusetts has a very weak "castle doctrine" law.  It provides for a defense that can be hard to prove.  It may provide little protection for the homeowner in this case. Three young males, at least two of which had been drinking, approach a dwelling and pound on the door.  The door is locked. The resident "tried to communicate".  At least one continues to pound on the door.  The resident calls 911 to report an attempted break in. Someone (presumably the person pounding on the door)  breaks out some glass.  The resident, fearing a home invasion, fires through the door,...

The homeowner has been convicted of “excessive self-defense and attempted manslaughter,” Helsinki news reports. He will serve an unconditional sentence for four years and two months, which he has to spend in prison. The man also has to pay damages to his attackers, with the fine totaling €21,000 (US$23,000). The newspaper does not provide information on the severity of injuries sustained by the home-invaders, however, it is known that they survived the event.

This article is about what to do if you are unarmed, and you are confronted by multiple attackers. Before anyone writes me "Get a gun! Get a gun!," let me state very clearly that I am a conceal and carry instructor in my home state, I often carry a firearm on me, and I urge others who feel they are up to the challenge to do the same. That being said, I know that most Americans do not carry a firearm on them (or any other kind of weapon). If you don't want to carry a weapon, I'm just fine...

The NRA released a new ad this week, warning rapists and abusers that they will be shot dead by their female victims. The ad features Dana Loesch, a gun advocate, talking to the camera. She says, Dana: Here’s a message to every rapist, domestic abuser, violent criminal, thug and every other monster who preys upon women. At this point, you think the message would be, “Stop preying upon women.” But that’s not what Loesch says. Instead, she encourages the attackers to go on preying upon women. She goes on to say, Dana: Your life expectancy just got shorter, ’cause there’s...

There’s a scene at the beginning of The Bourne Identity where the film’s protagonist is sitting in a diner, trying to figure out who he is and why he has a bunch of passports and a gun stashed in a safety deposit box. Bourne also notices that he, well, notices things that other people don’t. (video) That superhuman ability to observe his surroundings and make detailed assessments about his environment? It’s not just a trait of top secret operatives; it’s a skill known as situational awareness, and you can possess it too. As the names implies, situational awareness is simply...

An open carrier in Oregon stopped an armed robbery suspect who demanded money at knife point.  The story was covered by kezi.com, and has gone national. From kezi.com: He said he flashed his gun at the suspect who then put the knife in his pocket and walked away. "And then I was just relieved like Katie was ... that I had my pistol with me so that I knew he couldn't do anything at that point," added Rorex. He said his date then called the police. When officers arrived they arrested 29-year-old Adolfo Rodriguez of Eugene. Rodriguez is now...

Stuart Prescott, 48, of Suwannee Florida shot and killed Tyler Snellgrove, 18, also of Suwannee.  The shooting occurred on 13 September, 2014.  Deputies interviewed witnesses and obtained a warrant to search Prescott's house. Prescott was arrested and placed in Jail on the 14th or 15th of September, 2014. He was charged with 1st degree murder.  The only news at the time stated that Prescott come out onto the porch and had a confrontation with Snellgrove.  He went back inside, got a shotgun, came out and shot the younger man.  From wcjb.com: Sonja Reed says her grandson has known Prescott...

Established December 2015, FReeper Display of Arms and Bearers is a monthly online protest against government mismanagement, tyranny and violence. Visit your local shooting range once a month and upload pictures and videos of your defense training here to deter predators and disarm pacifists. Organize with other FReepers to prep for SHTF. Please see participation guidelines below. The curse of communism: "A demon. A demon! We will turn you into a demon too." Communism is identity theft. It functions by stripping one of their identity and stamping out their individuality. The communist robs you of the willpower to perceive and...