(from gunssavelife.com) The 39th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, co-hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), was held on Sept. 27-29 at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley. The theme of this year’s event was “Empower, Educate and Defend!”  The conference was attended by hundreds of gun rights advocates and activists, and featured an impressive roster of leaders in the Second Amendment movemen...

(from motherjones.com) A recent publication in the American Medical Association's JAMA Network Open, "Household Firearm Ownership and Firearm Mortality", purports to show a relationship between a firearm being present in a household and suicide involving a firearm. To their credit, the authors note other data suggesting that firearm ownership is unrelated to violence involving a gun, and indeed firearm ownership may reduce the homicide rate. The JAMA report has a number of limitations, of...

(from nationalflagday.org) [Ed: We first published this in 2018. It’s worth repeating.] Today, September 17, is United States Constitution Day—also Citizenship Day, and before that, I Am An American Day. Any day is good to be grateful to be American. This one is especially fitting. What a great day to be celebrating all American citizens, not just those of us that were born here. So many people are striving to become U.S citizens every day and many people that will fill out documents...

(from minnmix.com) [Ed: First appearing on DRGO 5 years ago, we repost this piece yearly.] Memorial Day has now come for the 56th time since it was officially proclaimed in 1967. It has been kept nationwide, though unofficially, since World War II, and as Decoration Day since 1868.  It was born in spontaneous memorials early during the Civil War.  Remembering war dead has been important throughout history, even as the manner of recognition has changed across time and societies. As with...

(from amazon.com) Jane Sharpe, the author of Gun Safety Activity Book for Kids, is becoming a prolific author of material that helps parents deal with behavioral and medical childhood issues. Our interest is in her works introducing, explaining and supporting our Second Amendment rights to children. We previously reviewed her Freedom Baby ABC, and were glad to provide a cover quote encouraging people to pick it up for their toddlers. She sent out a copy of her newest book for review and it i...

[Ed: A long, superb article by three longstanding experts originally posted on Ammoland October 23, 2023.] What is a ‘guardian?’ A simple definition of “guardian” is someone whose presence prevents crime. Criminologists, who created that evocative title, have ignored armed civilians as possible guardians. But there is no reason that civilian firearm owners could not be recognized as guardians. You know who they are. They are the peaceful folks who own firearms. They are the dependable fo...

[Ed: This was first published in The Orange County Register January 25.] The new year saw the customary barrage of new California gun control laws. The most appalling is Sen. Anthony Portantino’s Senate Bill 2, a rebellious reaction to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling NYSRPA v. Bruen. SB 2 has nothing to do with criminals. Rather, it selectively targets only one group—holders of a license to carry a concealed firearm for self protection (CCW). SB 2 is one of a flurry of statutes ...