Massad Ayoob's Blog, page 53

HOW WE ARE SEEN BY OTHERS

Ryan Davis recently wrote this. And this recently appeared from Michael Anestis and Bryan Craig. This is the abstract. It will cost you to read the whole thing. Please read; your comments here are invited. The abstract of the latter piece includes the statement: “These findings highlight that exaggerated fears may be motivating individuals to […]

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS POSSIBILITY

I could also title this “what I did during my COVID vacation.”  From the first week in March to the first week in June, the COVID shutdown left me unable to teach anywhere, and that’s my primary “day job.” In August, shutdowns eliminated three of the four 40-hour classes I’d had scheduled, too.  2020 has […]

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR GUN FOLKS

This is the time of year where I usually make gift suggestions in this space. I’ve been doing that already with a book suggestion here, and a garment suggestion there. For hardware, though… …we’re in the worst possible time for that.  It’s hard to suggest what guns and ammo to buy for the shooters you care […]

IF YOU OWN A REVOLVER, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS

The double action revolver was the standard American police sidearm for about 80% or more of the 20thCentury, and remains a staple among law-abiding armed citizens in the 21st.  It will be with us for a while yet. I was an “early adopter” of the semiautomatic police service pistol back in the early 1970s and still […]

WITH GIFT-GIVING SEASON COMING…

2020 having been what it’s been, I’m more ready than ever for gift-giving season and a bit of cheer.  One suggestion: some well-designed clothing from the SCOTTeVEST company. I met Scott Jordan several years ago. He parlayed a brilliant idea – clothing with multiple discreet pockets – into a unique and successful place in the […]

A GREAT BOOK, NEW AND IMPROVED

When Paladin Press went out of business, the Jim Cirillo books went with them. Old copies of Jim’s own book “Guns, Bullets, and Gunfighting” is now only available used, on Amazon. Fortunately, Paul Kirchner kept the rights to his book, “Jim Cirillo’s Tales of the Stakeout Squad,” and now has a self-published, EXPANDED version available. […]

THANKSGIVING AND DE-ESCALATION

While everything from the pandemic to the election results seems to leave us with less than usual to give thanks for, we can at least be thankful that we’re still here. The Evil Princess and I wish a peaceful and fulfilling Thanksgiving to all. One recurring theme of this holiday seems to be, “How do […]

A PREVIEW FROM THE LEFT

Annnnd… Here’s preview of how some want the new Administration to approach criminal justice issues, courtesy of the Gun Free Zone blog (www.gunfreezone.net). One seldom sees clearer proof of the fact that people who don’t understand how things work in real life should not be the ones making the rules.

GUNS, AFRICAN-AMERICANS, AND VOTES

Candace Owens is a young American voice on the right, a black voice all too familiar with a certain political party’s history of treating her people, going all the way back to the first days of the Ku Klux Klan.  She founded Blexit, the movement which encourages African-Americans and other minorities to leave what she calls […]

FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

With all the exhaustive focus on the national election these past months, it’s easy to overlook the local fronts. That would be a mistake, because it’s at the grassroots levels that we’re winning most of the battles. As we smile warmly at our victories in the Supreme Court of the United States, we need to […]