Nation of Cowards [Paperback]

Jeff Snyder (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Accurate Pr (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888118083
• ISBN-13: 978-1888118087
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,011,411 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thought Provoking Read - No Matter Your Ideology, July 26, 2002

By 

T. Piatek (Irkutsk, Russia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Nation of Cowards (Paperback)

Whether or not you like guns, you'll find it hard not to appreciate "Nation of Cowards." It is a collection of essays revolving around the issue of firearms in civic and personal life, but at its heart, it isn't about guns at all - it is about *people*.

Snyder's arguments are compelling: they hinge on several easy-to-swallow propositions.

First, he asserts that we have rights, and first amongst those is our right to life. From that right, he infers a right to self defense, without which the right to life is rendered meaningless. Thus, with a right to self defense, one has the right to posess the means with which to render such defense effective - ergo, the right to own and use a firearm.

Second, he asserts that classical liberal theories of government hinge on the notion of "government deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed." Sound familiar? This is the idea of government by consent set forth in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. Snyder argues that consent is meaningless without the ability to object, and to enforce such a negative vote. Thus, firearms allow the citizenry to collectively enforce their will on their subject, and any infringement upon their rights (already established above) to own and use them violates the principle of consensual government.

The arguments hardly stop there - Snyder continues to logically follow the arguments of gun control to their conclusions, thus demonstrating the grounds on which he calls them self-contradictory and immoral.

Amongst other topics, Snyder launches attacks against irresponsibility, instrumentalism (denier of will), and utilitarianism (the destroyer of rights). While many of the same arguments are repeated throughout the text, one must remember that the chapters are merely a collection of columns, speeches, and articles written throughout the years. While this does detract from the cogency of the text as a whole, it is undeniably admirable as a purely ethical defense of arms-bearing.

If there's only one book you buy about gun control, make it this one.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Message from Author, December 6, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Snyder (NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nation of Cowards (Paperback)

Unlike most books on the subject of gun control, this book is not about whether gun control works (i.e., prevents crime and suicide, reduces the severity of injuries from violent assault, and saves more lives). Nor is it about whether the right to keep and bear arms works (i.e., prevents crime, saves more lives, etc.). Instead, the essays in this book examine the ethics of gun control, and what the gun control debate reveals about our character. Along the way it also examines the nature of modern American law and government, civil disobedience and revolution, and the relationship of freedom and responsibility. You can find copies of the published reviews of the book, as well as commentary by George Will on the title essay, at nationofcowards.net. Thanks for considering the book!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Federalist Papers Live Again!, January 24, 2002

By 

Neal D. Nelson (Princeton, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nation of Cowards (Paperback)

"Nation of Cowards" is a superb collection of essays on the American condition. This book not only addresses the gun rights issue but also makes you aware how far our country has deviated from our forefathers intent - and why. Every page is a thought-provoking masterpiece of insight. While the author sometimes resorts to long sentence structures, if read conversationally, they make imminently good old-fashioned common sense. This should be required reading in every institute of learning across the land. The writers of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay would be proud to call Jeff Snyder one of their own. Highest recommendation!