In Defense of Self-Defense

Florida State University's Research in Review ^ | Winter/Spring 2009 | Jeff Worley

[snowsislander]

A landmark case comes down on the side of Americans' individual right to arm themselves. What the best research has to say about what it all means, and why.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court tackled one of the most divisive and hotly debated issues in the past half century: the individual citizen's right to own a gun for personal use.

At issue was the District of Columbia's 1976 ban on handguns, the strictest gun-control law in the country, a law that banned residents from owning handguns, automatic firearms, and high-capacity semi-automatic firearms. The statute also prohibited possession of unregistered firearms.

Dick Anthony Heller, a security guard, challenged the District of Columbia's law, and his lawyers began amassing the strongest arguments from the most highly respected researchers in the country to support their client's challenge. Among those experts identified for support was Gary Kleck, a criminology professor in the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University.

"I didn't have any active involvement," says Kleck, sporting a tightly cropped white beard and surrounded in his Hecht House office by books on criminology, guns and violence, and criminal justice ethics. "But after the Heller challenge, I was asked every few weeks or so by his law team for reprints of my articles. They were obviously building the empirical side of the case."

[snowsislander]

Dr. Kleck's research has been top-notch in examining the real-world use of firearms in self-defense and in destroying the lies of HCI.

[DocH]

Dr. Kleck fails to take into account the fact that Obama and his supporters always point out how well he can "multi-task" (after all, The Messiah is the smartest, coolest person on the planet, right?).

I believe that IF any gun control bills reach his desk, he WILL sign them (at which point, I, and MILLIONS more, will proceed to fully IGNORE his patently UN-CONSTITUTIONAL government edict.

Obama's words, his previous record, his anti-gun cabinets appointments, and his currently posted gun control wishes on the official White House website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/urban_policy) ALL suggest Professor Kleck is DEAD WRONG on this one.

The website reads... Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

[snowsislander]

Dr. Kleck fails to take into account the fact that Obama and his supporters always point out how well he can "multi-task" (after all, The Messiah is the smartest, coolest person on the planet, right?).

Yes, I also don't agree with Dr. Kleck's and Mr. Worley's lack of concern about the Obama administration (for instance, as expressed in the sub-feature Gun Control: The Obama Effect) --- I think that it's clear that the Obama administration is going to go massively all-out for gun control --- but in his defense, Dr. Kleck's area is crime research, not political science.

Indeed, I recommend that everyone join a gunowners' group, such as the NRA (1-877-NRA-2000), the Second Amendment Foundation (1-425-454-7012), or Gunowners of America (1-703-321-8585) --- or, if you have the money, all three of them. The more united we are against gun control, the stronger voice we will have.

[DocH]

I recommend that everyone join a gunowners' group

As a Benefactor (I've put my money where my mouth is, though I'm not wealthy) Life member of the NRA, I STRONGLY agree.

The next time any gun owner goes by Wal-Mart, or some other store, looking to buy virtually non-existent ammunition, and strikes out once again (hopefully the supply will soon meet the demand), they should go home, get online, and use some of their ammo dollars to join the NRA (there is strength in numbers), the GOA, or some other pro-gun/pro-2A organization.

Another no-nonsense pro-gun org is JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership).

If not, you are a gun owner who is potentially screwing your fellow citizens, and our children out of the ONE right which helps protect all the rest.

Besides all of the other anti-gun/anti-2A signs that Obama and crew have shown in their past and current statements and actions, it appears they are setting American gun manufacturers/dealers/owners up by blaming us for the violence in Mexico.

The truth is, there is violence in Mexico because it is a third-world sh*t-hole, where the government, police, and military are infested with people who are corrupt. This is due to massive (compared to their usual wages) amounts of money being paid to them by the drug cartels to look the other way, assist them in their illegal activities, or, PROVIDE THEM WITH FULLY-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, GRENADES, AND OTHER WEAPONS OF WAR WHICH ARE NOT COMING FROM THE U.S.

Write/call/email your reps and write letters to the editors to STOP this dangerous myth-making in its tracks.