Sitting in a place of honor on my bookshelf is a copy of The Best Defense, written by Robert Waters in 1998.  This classic describes fourteen cases where ordinary citizens used guns to save their lives from violent attackers.  I’ve kept it around as a reminder to stay vigilant and to occasionally loan to friends who don’t think guns are ever used for self-defense. Waters’ new book is Guns and Self-Defense, which he co-wrote with his son Sim Waters, who has a degree in criminology.  ...

Prof. Erler with Fellow This year’s class of Publius Fellows headed from the Claremont Institute to the West End Gun Club in the Los Angeles area’s San Gabriel Mountain foothills for an Independence Day of shooting, learning about the Second Amendment, and consuming mass quantities of barbecue. The Publius Fellowship is one of four educational programs offered by the Claremont Institute to up-and-coming young conservatives headed for careers in scholarship, journalism, or government. ...

(from gatdaily.com) [Ed: DRGO’s ‘Dr. Latebloomer’ originally published this June 25 at GATdaily.com.] In the news recently, was another celebrity toddler drowning. As horrible as that is, this tragedy was one of over 3500 unintentional drownings that occur yearly in the U.S. , not counting boating accidents. Skier Bode Miller‘s family experienced a similar heartache just last year. (more…)

[Ed: There’s no better way to mark July 4th than to read our country’s Declaration of Independence. I’ve retained the original orthography, but edited out the specific complaints about King George and Parliament’s abuses in order to focus on the principles that applied then, do now, and always will.] In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.  (more…)

[Ed: DRGO's 'Dr. Latebloomer' originally published this May 15 at GATdaily.com.] Some gun colleagues and I were having a conversation recently and someone mentioned a “SHTF Office Gun”.  I remember laughing to myself, saying something like – sheesh, can you imagine a Pediatric Office SHTF Gun? That would go over like a lead balloon (no pun intended). (more…)

(from bricksstuff.de) Approximately 30 percent of all U.S. homes have at least one firearm. But there is another weapon that is in 100 percent of all homes: bladed weapons.  Knives are the most common, but this also includes hatchets, axes, swords, kukris, machetes, tomahawks, spears and the list goes on and on. It is unlikely that the average citizen is aware of the vast diversity of bladed weapons, which are probably mankind’s second weapon development (following the caveman’s imp...

(from ign.com) [Ed:  This is the author’s update of a longer paper on impact weapons he originally wrote in 1994. Nothing in this article should be construed as giving legal advice. Please check your state's statues, and consult with the police and/or an attorney. The author’s personal recommendations do not constitute DRGO’s—but they are well worth considering.] Try asking friends or family this question:  “I’m going to say a word.  Please tell me the first word that come...

(from pitchfork.com) It’s probably not what you think, so let me explain the context. One of the obvious missions of the anti-gun lobby is to magnify the negative consequences of widespread gun ownership in America.  As you probably know, they do this in several ways. (more…)