Keeping track of self-defence
I recently discovered the National Rifle Association publishes an Armed Citizen Database where they record news stories of law-abiding Americans using firearms to halt or prevent crime:
During the decades the American Rifleman has published “The Armed Citizen” column, thousands of incidents of law-abiding Americans using firearms to halt or prevent crime have appeared in the magazine. Editorial space allowing, the total could have been far greater of course, as award-winning survey research shows that each year in the U.S. gun owners use firearms for protection as frequently as 2.5 million times.
The right to own a firearm to protect yourself and your family is a fundamental civil liberty. One doesn’t actually have to fire the gun; even brandishing the weapon can often be enough to deter a criminal. It’s unfortunate neither mainstream party is supportive of this unfashionable aspect of civil liberties.
