On January 8, I participated in a panel discussion on “Firearms and Lethality” at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting. From the session description: “The concept of lethality features prominently in gun policy and litigation. Lethality has been used to justify banning machine guns and “assault weapons.” Civil lawsuits against firearm manufacturers […]
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It seems Nicholas Cage may have stolen the wrong document! America turns 250 this year. As we all know, on July 4, 1776, our Founders “signed” the Declaration of Independence. But apparently, when Nick Cage said he was going to steal the Declaration of Independence in the classic movie, “National Treasure,*” the correct response would
Which Declaration? Read More »
I make my kids watch old movies with me. We recently watched “The Outsiders.” Sometimes they grumble a bit. “But they’re classics,” I tell them. “They’re useful to your foundational cultural knowledge.” (And besides, how else are they going to understand when I make a “Brewster’s Millions” reference?! That’s a classic, right?) When the movie
It’s NYE. Don’t shoot!! I spoke to reporter Pat Loeb about America’s long history with celebratory gunfire. Listen to the KYW Newsradio story here or read the transcript below. A Warning for Revelers Philadelphia was one of the first cities in the country — in the colonies, actually — to outlaw celebratory gunfire. But every
Without Yukon Cornelius, there’d be no Rudolph. He was the real hero that foggy Christmas Eve. And that peppermint prospector goes heeled!* I love Christmas movies. I never make it through them all every year but I try. Of course, there are a few we never miss. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the
My experience is that most criminals are dumb and their crimes unsophisticated. (Or maybe those are the only ones I caught, and I’m the dumb one!) That certainly wasn’t the case with this conspiracy in Miami, and the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that caught these would-be kidnappers is one of the
Crypto Kidnapping Conspiracy Read More »
I know how to build bombs. I could teach you (but I’d have to charge).* Is that legal? I read The Anarchist Cookbook as a kid. (Let’s leave it at that!) Thankfully, I had sense enough not to try anything in it. Years later, as an ATF agent, I’d see that book countless times on
I always appreciate when a nickname captures a person’s true self. Take Cameron “Crazy Gun” Watkins, for instance. The OakTree Inn & Suites in Oklahoma City is now permanently closed. It’s reviews online weren’t great so you probably haven’t missed out. Tripadvisor ranked it 181 out of 182 hotels in OKC. (I don’t know which hotel
Open Source Defense is one of my favorite substacks to read. A lot of interesting and insightful commentary for the pro-2A crowd. I’ve privately shared various posts with friends and colleagues (across the political spectrum) when they were relevant to a particular discussion or issue. This specific OSD post highlights apparent absurdity in federal firearms
I ate SO MUCH turkey on Thanksgiving! Did I use a weapon to do it? That’s (sorta) the question the Oregon Supreme Court addressed in an opinion this week. Anthony Richard Cortes is homeless. (Or “houseless” or “unhoused” if you’re the Oregon Supreme Court.) He was also on probation so he had to meet with
Dangerous to Turkeys Read More »
