Description
Book SynopsisThe push for federal gun reform is foundering. Ian Ayres and Fredrick Vars look instead to libertarian ideas that can survive judicial review. Individuals can renounce gun-ownership rights, which prevents suicide. Citizens should be able to petition for confiscation from unlawful possessors. While Congress and the courts argue, lives can be saved.
Trade ReviewFive stars! A truly innovative book that does not simply advocate the same old litany of mandatory gun laws. Whatever your political persuasion, you will find that their ideas could help alleviate some of the public health problems caused by firearms that we all want to see reduced. -- David Hemenway, author of
Private Guns, Public HealthGun violence is one of America’s most pressing problems. We have very few solutions, or even new ideas. This important book provides some genuinely new ideas that also, by respecting the deeply-held but conflicting values people have around guns, seem feasible and hence helpful for the widely-shared goal of saving lives. -- Jens Ludwig, coauthor of
Gun Violence: The Real CostsGun violence remains a nationwide crisis, and comprehensive, innovative legislation is needed to save lives. Ayres and Vars are opening an important new discussion about how state government can take an active role in preventing gun violence. -- Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
Ayres and Vars craft an innovative new legal tool people can use to defend themselves against gun violence—including self-harm. The book is packed with conceptual insights about the nature of freedom and self-restriction, as well as creative and promising new policy alternatives. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the gun debate. -- Joseph Blocher, coauthor of
The Positive Second AmendmentThis bold yet disarming prescription for new and promising gun policies seeks to empower and protect the citizenry while expanding and protecting individual rights. Ayres and Vars illustrate that government can reduce suicides and diminish the risk of gun violence without triggering the opposition of even the most ardent Second Amendment enthusiasts. -- John J. Donohue III, author of
Law and Economics of DiscriminationWhile the authors tend to favor more regulation, they write with an understanding of and respect for the tens of millions of Americans who cherish the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This understanding and respect can foster the trust necessary to evaluate their proposals free from the rancor that makes critical analysis difficult in discussions about sound gun policy. -- Brannon P. Denning, coauthor of
Guns and the Law
