Lethal Logic: Exploding the Myths That Paralyze American Gun Policy (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

“Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.”

“When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.”

“An armed society is a polite society.”

Who hasn’t heard these engaging assertions, time and time again? Burned into the national consciousness by years of targeted, disciplined messaging by the National Rifle Association and others, they are just a few of the bumper-sticker slogans that have defined the gun control debate in America. Long ridiculed by gun control advocates, they are the first words that come to mind for most Americans when the gun issue is discussed.

This is the first book both to acknowledge the profound and deadly impact of the gun lobby’s bumper-sticker logic on the gun control debate and to systematically expose the misguided thinking at the core of the pro-gun slogans. Indeed, the author contends that the gun lobby’s remarkable success in blocking passage of lifesaving gun laws is the result, in large part, of its relentless and effective use of these simple and resonant messages. Their persuasive power has been a largely ignored influence on the current politics of gun control, in which the gun lobby wields unprecedented power in the Republican Party, while many Democratic Party leaders see the policy benefits of stronger gun laws as not worth the political risk of standing up to the NRA. The book contends that the current political stalemate over guns will never be broken until the pro-gun slogans are exposed as the cleverly disguised fallacies that they are.

About the Author

Dennis A. Henigan is the Vice President for Law and Policy at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Founder of its Legal Action Project. For twenty years, he has been a leading advocate for stronger gun laws, appearing dozens of times on national television shows, including 60 Minutes, The Today Show, Nightline, Larry King Live, and Dateline NBC. Henigan coauthored Guns and the Constitution: The Myth of Second Amendment Protection for Firearms in America (Aletheia Press, 1995).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 282 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597973564
• ISBN-13: 978-1597973564
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #326,872 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fed Up Listening to Platitudes -- Get This Book, July 16, 2009

By	G. C. Ritter - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The extremes with which this work is reviewed prove how correct the premise of Mr. Henigan's book really is - (with the possible exception of abortion) gun control polarizes Americans like no other subject and, as a result, we as a society remain stuck often staring at each other shouting arguments (sometimes not very coherent arguments from either side) across a wide abyss. For decades, Mr. Henigan has fought for gun control - to the extent that there have been successes, he has largely been responsible for these gains. Over the years, the attacks on Mr. Henigan (and others) from the NRA (and others) have been merciless, but he bravely continues on. Despite what its detractors claim, this book is neither poorly written nor poorly reasoned. To the contrary, it is informative, easy to read, and thought provoking. I favor gun control and have long found Mr. Henigan's arguments persuasive - of course you would expect that. But ultimately for people who are willing to base their ultimate position (whatever it may be) more on thought and less on emotion, that is not the point. I have friends who strongly disagree with me on this issue. I hope to share this book with many of them, not to further inflame argument, but to move our differences away from angry meaningless platitudes (from both sides) and towards a more meaningful discussion. I suspect that some of these friends will dismiss the book in much the same way that some of these reviews on Amazon unfairly dismiss it. There is not much I can do about that. Other friends will strongly disagree with the arguments, but will appreciate Mr. Henigan's efforts to foster a meaningful discussion.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Lethal Logic: Exploding the myths That Paralyze American Gun Policy, August 1, 2009

By	Gregory J. Jaskolka "U.S. Citizen" (Wilmington, De. USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a MUST READ for anyone concerned with the proliferation of senseless gun violence that plagues our cities & small towns alike. It illustrates the methods the National Rifle Association (NRA), arguably the strongest single-issue special-interst group in the U.S. manipulates Congress into doing its' bidding by voting against ANY & ALL legislation regarding the ownership, or posession of firearms of ANY TYPE. Dennis Henigan literally "shoots holes" in the NRA's rationale at every turn, & shows how its' shameless use of scare tactics endangers all Americans every day.

39 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pot Calling the Kettle Black, June 25, 2009

By	EvoSci - See all my reviews

The problem with this book is that it isn't so much about research into real facts about gun control and its effectiveness (or lack thereof), it's simply an attack on a political strategy of using slogans to mobilize a political base. Which is funny, because all this book itself is, is a vacuous piece of political propaganda.

The author tries to convince the reader that these slogans are all the gun rights supporters have. But this isn't even remotely true. Even the American Academy of Sciences and the CDC, after comprehensive reviews of all research on the subject, came to the conclusion that there is no convincing research to support the premise that gun control reduces crime or violence. Comparative studies between the US, the UK, and Australia indicate that gun control may actually increase violent crime (there is a very strong correlation, at least). Even the Clinton Administration's own studies of their "Assault Weapons Ban" concluded that the law did absolutely nothing to reduce violence in the US. One of the other reviewers mentioned "scare tactics". But another thing the author doesn't address is that, while gun control laws have generally been loosened in the US over the last 20 years (especially in allowing private citizens to carry concealed weapons - 48 states now allow it, with 2 not even requiring a permit), violent crime overall, and gun crime specifically, have consistently dropped over the same period. So the gun control supporters who cry out about escalating gun violence (which is a lie in itself) are really the ones using scare tactics.

And yet he doesn't address any of this. Instead he sets up a straw man of a gun rights movement that has none of this factual evidence to support it, and which depends strictly on catchy slogans. Then he knocks it down with half-truths, making it seem like his side actually doesn't have a major credibility problem. It's not that the other side doesn't have any real evidence to back up their claims, it's just that he conveniently pretends it doesn't exist.

If you are an ardent gun control supporter and just want something to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, or if you are a gun-rights supporter and want to really get angry, by all means, buy the book. On the other hand, no matter what your position on the question of guns, if you want an intelligent and honest evaluation of facts on guns and gun control, steer clear of the author and this attempt of his to do nothing more than the same thing as the NRA's catchy slogans. Don't forget, he's the vice-president of a lobbying group with a major stake in the issue. This book reads more like a jealous rant simply because the opposition is doing a better job.