A Treatise on 2nd Amendment Rights in the 21st Century: Containing an inquiry into the current legislation, perceptions and necessity of the 2nd Amendment right Paperback – July 4, 2016

Excellent well researched book. The author does a nice job of giving logical unbiased historical research presented in an easy to read without falling into in depth legal Mumbo-jumbo that sometimes makes you lose interest

Two points of fairness to begin with; 1. I have not finished this book and probably will not. 2. Mr. Hawk is much much much smarter than I (maybe 1 more much would be appropriate.)The things I have liked so far; 1. the history tying the second amendment to English law 2.the history of the various laws and acts, pertaining to guns, that I have never even heard of 3. At times Mr. Hawk is very funnyThe things I have not liked 1. Mr Hawk relies heavily on the precept that humans have a inherent right to bear arms. I'm not saying this isn't true, but if it is then the 2nd amendment would be redundant. 2. Mr. Hawks humor is often nothing more than being a smart ass (as a lifelong smart ass I recognize it in others) 3. The thing that ended my reading for the time being is the section on Israel and Zionism (and no, I'm not Jewish). I read this section a couple of times and can find no valid reason for its inclusion .While our support of Israel has been responsible for some of our problems with Arab nations, its inclusion in this treatise seems to be entirely off subject. (to be fair, it could just be liberal knee jerking on my part)To be fair, this is one of the better pro gun ownership books I have picked up, but so far it has not changed my view that the second amendment gives you the right and maybe the duty to serve in a State's well regulated militia and nothing more, but I could be wrong (I often am).OK I went back and finished the book. Mr Hawk is a good writer and may sway some, but not me. I do think he is more factual than any pro or anti gun writer that I have read. I do wish he had addressed muzzle velocity of the AR-15 in relation to damage done. I skimmed a couple of trauma journals and they referenced the major tissue and organ damage done by the AR versus handguns. I also wished he had spent a little more time on the NRA's shady tactics. He said they were well known so he didn't need to. I think it would have been informative. I was surprised that we were in agreement on many issues, including background checks, firearm education ( I believe everyone, not just gun owners should receive it). I upgraded my review from 3 to 4 stars as I found while I did not agree with all of his conclusions, ( once again bleeding heart liberal here, albeit a pragmatic one) I did enjoy his arguments. I also enjoyed making my long, long list of fact checking homework.

I was born in 1959, so I've experienced much of the argument over the 2nd amendment first hand. Far too much reverence has been granted to "the founding fathers", which to my way of thinking, carries a good bit of absurdity into the argument. Certainly these were well educated men of their time, but (come on man) the 2nd amendment is ambiguous in it's wording, so much so that it smacks of politics and wrestling for an agreement to move things forward. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (logically) includes the right to protect yourself, your family, and your neighbors if need be; in that regard the 2nd amendment seems rather foolish. When it comes to the encroachment of tyranny, the best tool we have is citizen involvement in the political process, but if you think it can't happen here...think again. It's my opinion that "big government" is the precursor (one man's opinion)...wait...wait...wait...I'm getting long winded...I'll stop here (to spare you) and get back to the review:This a well reasoned look on the history of the 2nd amendment. The author points out much of the disinformation that gets thrown around from both sides (I was an NRA member, but that was the reason for removing my support years ago). The author ultimately reaches some different conclusions about moving forward than I do, but it's not an apples to oranges difference...more of oranges to tangerines.

This is an excellent book that thoroughly covers the history of the second amendment and looks at both sides of the debate over gun control and the right to bear arms. The author does not have a personal agenda and or bias towards this issue which so many other writers unfortunately do regarding this topic. As a result, the reader gets a scholarly analysis of this critical constitutional debate in a way that is presented logically and easy to understand. In addition, it is fascinating to see the evolution historically of how and why the second amendment was created.This is a must read for anyone who wants to have a clear understanding of the second amendment or is simply interested in learning how legislation can change over time to have a dramatic impact on our personal civil liberties. I highly recommend this book!

Great read. Thoroughly backed with real facts. No matter what your opinion is on the 2nd amendment, this book is a valuable true source of information.