I just started reading “America Fights Back, Armed Self-Defense In A Violent Age“, by Alan Gottlieb & Dave Workman. This title is Amazon.com’s highest selling book pertaining to gunrights and rightfully so. Gottlieb and Workman present real stories of how unarmed victims fare and why legislatures all over the U.S. are enabling citizens to take back our communities by reasonable application of armed force. The narrative starts with Cheshire, Connecticut. Connecticut, once the epitome of American free-enterprise and decency, is still the home of Colt, Marlin, Mossberg and Savage but is also a state where armed self-reliance is in retreat. The whole United States has become jaded and hamstrung by complacency and misinformation.

We have also heard so many reports of predators pouring out of state-sponsored catch and release programs, that the possibility of being the next victim is just a dull feeling of denial mixed with anxiety. Nevertheless, Cheshire and the nation, was shocked when two recently released repeat-felons, savagely beat Dr. William Petit, Jr. during a home invasion and then tortured and murdered his family.

RCW 9A.16.050
Homicide — By other person — When justifiable.

Homicide is also justifiable when committed either:

(1) In the lawful defense of the slayer, or his or her husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister, or of any other person in his presence or company, when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design on the part of the person slain to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury to the slayer or to any such person, and there is imminent danger of such design being accomplished; or

(2) In the actual resistance of an attempt to commit a felony upon the slayer, in his presence, or upon or in a dwelling, or other place of abode, in which he is.

The good news presented by the authors is documentation of the rest of the story (the story that the media seems to want to keep under cover). The story is about honest people that take those extra steps to get a concealed weapons permit, train regularly and then take the extra pain to take a weapon with them when they go about their business. Not because of fear or some other negative attitude but because of the old-fashioned idea that citizens need to be prepared to protect their loved ones rather than waiting for the police to show up. It is not so much about “rights“. Its all about duty and love and the Boy Scout Motto: “Be Prepared“. Scouts still earn merit badges for learning how to shoot. And for reverence towards God and country.

Many lawyers, including myself, look to “Washington State Gun Rights and Responsibilities,” by Dave Workman to get immediate answers to questions like should we shoot at a fleeing felon and is there a duty to retreat when threatened with deadly force in Washington State. Think of how you normally make decisions under stress and then imagine making life and death decisions right after someone threatens your life with deadly force. What about the possibility that the police may mistakenly get the idea that you are the “perp” when they see you holding a weapon with a man down in a parking lot? What should you do after a firefight and are there some legal issues with which you need to be familiar in the aftermath of such a deadly confrontation?

Dave Workman co-authored with Alan Gottlieb.

Don’t play hero, call 911 and buy the book by Dave Workman at out Recommended Books link (scroll down the page to Links). Dave also makes holsters and does many other good things to assist gun owners in Washington State. He has co-authored several interesting looking books with Alan Gottlieb, also a leading light within the ranks of Second Amendment advocates.