Massad Ayoob's Blog, page 9

THE DANGERS OF A “DOMESTIC”

Cops know one of the most dangerous calls is “a domestic,” that is, a domestic dispute. It can be just as dangerous for friends and relatives who, with the best of all possible intentions, attempt to helpfully intervene. I made that point in this article. Oh, and the lead photo here. It illustrates that, as […]

BANDIT HEAVEN

I’ve been interested in the history of America’s Old West since I was a little boy. One of my favorite modern historians in that field is Tom Clavin. I’ve just finished his latest book, “Bandit Heaven: the Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West.” It taught me some things I didn’t know, […]

TIME TO BUY MORE AMMO

Old guy here advises you to buy more ammo. Now. Here’s why. Massive US shipments of munitions – small arms as well as artillery—to Israel and Ukraine have greatly depleted US military stocks which urgently need to be replaced. Nitrocellulose, a critical ingredient for gunpowder, is now harder to access than ever. As much as […]

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES

On my lovely bride The Evil Princess’s side of our blended family is our youngest great-grand-daughter Paisley, who is already well on her way as a professional model. She just enjoyed her second birthday. Recently talking with her proud grandfather Erik, we learned that when he was playing with her he said aloud, “Paisley, I […]

THE WAITING

I have followed Michael Connolly’s “Harry Bosch” series of police procedural novels since they first came out. The character arcs are in real time. The lead character is now old, retired, fighting cancer but still able to mentor those who’ve become the primary protagonists. In his latest, “The Waiting,” those are young LAPD detective Renee […]

CATCH THE NEW SECOND AMENDMENT FOUNDATION VIDEO

The Second Amendment Foundation has released a 22-minute video celebrating its fifty years of fighting for gun owners’ civil rights. Some of those who’ve been along for most or all of the ride, including founder Alan Gottlieb, give insight into how far we’ve come.  See it here:

SUICIDE PREVENTION

While participating in a Zoom conference with other members of the New Hampshire Firearms Safety Coalition, of which I’ve been a proud member for a quarter century or so, I was reminded that I have not addressed here a topic NHFSC has strongly and successfully focused upon: suicide prevention. The organization was founded by the […]

THE LAW AND THE FACTS ARE ON OUR SIDE, BUT WE SHOULD BE USING EMOTION, TOO

Historically, both law and facts are on the gun owners’ side of the “gun control” debate, and the Other Side had relied largely on emotion.  I respectfully submit that emotion is something our side should play to, as well. I made that point recently at the 2024 Gun Rights Policy Conference in San Diego last […]

ABOUT THE ELECTION

Don’t you hate it when the candidate “on your side” acts as if he’s trying to throw the fight? I voted for Donald Trump and urged others to do the same in 2016 and 2020, and as soon as early voting opens in my state will vote for him again in 2024. Not because he’s […]

THE NEXT TIME AN ANTI-GUNNER SAYS CITIZENS’ RIFLES ARE USELESS AGAINST ARMIES…

…remind them of this. I was recently reading “Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans” by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager. The War of 1812 was going badly for the Americans. The British had burned the White House, and a huge contingent of British troops was in Louisiana planning to march north in conquest. […]