[Dan from Michigan]

BTW - I bet Ayoob's comments were taking out of context. I know his daughter carries as well, and I believe she used a gun in self defense(Story he told in Lansing).

[.38sw]

Ok. I'm convinced. No, not to get rid of my guns, but to sign up for that combat pistol course being offered next month. As a woman, I am not convinced that i'm safer if I'm unarmed. Go peddle that garbage someplace else, VPC.

[hchutch]

I hope Massad is considering a lawsuit against this bunch. The legal fees alone from suits by the experts cited in this article could bankrupt the anti-gun lobby, to paraphrase one of their lawyers.

I, for one, learned much from his books, and bought them for the precise reason that I wanted to know what the straight scoop was.

[Not Fooled]

I'm sure this is won't be new to anyone here, but if it is..

Check out www.keepandbeararms.com. They link to 3-4 stories a week in which a firearm has been used in self defense. They've got quite a database of them now, I haven't bothered to count them but I'd say they're over 100, and growing steadily. Next time someone tells you guns aren't useful in self defense, point them to Op-SD.

[Fiddlstix]

[El Gato]

Ayoob didn't provide this part:

In fact, in 1998, for every time that a civilian used a handgun to kill in self-defense, 51 people lost their lives in handgun homicides alone. Yet, there have been an increasing number of news reports that women are a prime target for the gun industry as first-time handgun buyers. Left out of those reports is the fact that in 1999 for every one time a woman used a handgun to kill in self-defense, 120 women were murdered with handguns.

Notice the lack of quotes around this. I see the books have been cooked some more, it used to be only 43 to 1 now it's 51 to 1. Both ratios equally meaningless, since it's good guys (and gals) saved per unjustifiable homicide, rape, robbery etc., that tells the true tale. whether the perp was armed with a gun, knife, electric cord, or just bare hands.

That said, of course you should never use a handgun if a long arm of comparable or greater power is available. Ayoob would same much the same I'm sure.

[MarkL]

I just thought that I'd send this tid-bit along to Mas...

Dr. Mr. Ayoob,

I recently saw a posting on FreeRepublic.com with a quote attributed to you in a report from the "Violence Policy Center." Here's the link http://www.vpc.org/press/0111unin.htm . The third paragraph quotes you directly, although the source isn't cited. While this quote sounds genuine, the report is titled, "Pro-Gun Experts Prove Handguns Are Ineffective Self-Defense Tools, New VPC Study Reveals." It's nothing new that you've championed training for anyone who wants to have a firearm for self defense, but I believe that this press release really twisted your words.

I thought that you might be interested that you, as a "Pro-Gun Expert" believe that "handguns are ineffective self defense tools."

Sincerely,

Mark Levy

Lee's Summit, MO