Know Your Gun Rights

Many people choose to keep and bear (own and carry) arms for their personal security. In the United States this right is enumerated in the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.

“According to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data, having a gun and being able to use it in a defensive situation is the most effective means of avoiding injury (more so even than offering no resistance) and thwarting completion of a robbery or assault. In general, resisting violent crime is far more likely to help than to hurt, and this is especially true if your attacker attempts to take you hostage, such as sometimes happens in a carjacking situation. Most often with gun defenses, criminals can be frightened away or deterred without a shot being fired. Estimates of these types of defensive uses of firearms are wide ranging, from a low of 65,000 to 82,000 annual defensive gun uses (DGUs) reported to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), to a high end of some 2.1-2.5 million annual DGUs, but they seem to occur at least as often (if not far more often) each year as misuses of firearms by violent criminals.”

But with rights come responsibilities, and it is important that we understand just what our rights and responsibilities are with regard to firearms.

The book Infringed by Alexandria Kincaid, a nationally renowned firearms law attorney, is an excellent and highly recommended reference for understanding your rights and responsibilities when it comes to firearms laws and regulations.

 

The National Rifle Association - Institute for Legislative Action is also an excellent resource for learning more about firearms law and policies throughout the United States.

If you choose to own and carry firearms for your personal protection you should take the time to understand the laws that govern your rights and responsibilities.