Shooting Straight: Telling the Truth About Guns in America [Hardcover]

Wayne Lapierre (Author), James Jay Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2002

Best-selling author LaPierre, the executive director of the National Rifle Association, explains why the right to bear arms is so critical to a democratic and free society. Radio & TV tour.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Wayne LaPierre has written] the definitive manual for preserving your right to keep and bear arms. I am grateful for -- Tom Clancy

About the Author

Wayne LaPierre has been with the National Rifle Association since 1978, when he joined the staff as a lobbyist. In 1991 he accepted his current position as chief executive officer and also became the NRA's chief national spokesman. Under his leadership the NRA has achieved its most dramatic growth in membership since it was founded in 1871. He lives in northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C. James Jay Baker is the former Executive Director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 308 pages
• Publisher: Regnery Publishing; First Edition edition (July 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895261235
• ISBN-13: 978-0895261236
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Current Events > Gun Control

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tears down most gun control arguments, won't convert anti's, December 1, 2002

By 

A. Burchfield (Conway, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shooting Straight: Telling the Truth About Guns in America (Hardcover)

Does a pretty good job of explaining why most if not all gun control concepts and demands will not work and in some cases may not even be meant to. Each chapter is extensively footnoted (I'd like more detail in them)and features numerous quotes from various figures throughout history on what the Country's founders really meant and why they meant what they said. In many cases examples are given of the various control proposals that have been made, followed by just how they've failed. I appreciate the care given to the reporting of what many have privately, if not always publicly, said about what they really want for guns in America.
This book won't convince those that refuse to be convinced but should be read by anyone who has an honest interest in the facts about gun control.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid criticism of gun control, November 5, 2002

By 

J. Davis (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shooting Straight: Telling the Truth About Guns in America (Hardcover)

I'm not a member of the NRA or even a gunowner, but I have to praise this book highly. LaPierre and Baker do an outstanding job of defending the rights of gunowners in Shooting Straight. The authors address and rebut most of the common gun-control arguments. Their defense of the 2nd Amendment as being a personal right rather than a collective right was particularly convincing. Any fair-minded reader will be forced to concede that LaPierre and Baker have demolished a number of the myths of the gun control crowd. Even if you're a gun control proponent, I urge to read this book with an open mind. The NRA has been treated unfairly by the established media; I'm glad they decided to take their case to the public.

However, I do have one strong disagreement with the authors. On page 52, they urge "the enforcement of the 20,000 gun control laws on the books." Wait a minute. The authors devoted the rest of the book to showing us gun control laws don't reduce crime. So why do we need to enforce thousands of laws that are ineffective as well as probably being unconstitutional? The authors don't explain this inconsistency. In my judgement, this weakness keeps the book from meriting a 5 star rating. Nevertheless, it is still an excellent book that I can proudly recommend.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Previous Reader violates own statements & hasn't read law, July 8, 2003

By 

scg "scg" (Colorado Springs, CO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shooting Straight: Telling the Truth About Guns in America (Hardcover)

Mr. Arthur Hayhoe comments below contradict his own opening paragraph.

To all readers please read the United States Supreme Court (USSC) Decision in Perpich v. DOD (1990 Justice Kennedy wrote the decision) and the Lopez v. U.S. (1994 Justice Scilia wrote the decision). You will find the individual right to a gun very well established. If you doubt that then read the papers of the Continental Congress during the formation of our country. But that is about 3000 pages of reading.

Best wishes Steve Grigsby