The Gun Rabbi

The Gun Rabbi is in Shooting Illustrated again, this time in an article entitled "Safer Sanctuaries." An excerpt:

Throughout the world today, Jews and Jewish institutions are targets of terrorist and anti-Semitic violence. I ask my fellow Jews a simple and obvious question: Why should we rely on government and police to protect us? Is that realistic? Why not train to protect and defend ourselves?

Read more in the original...

(Due to copyright restrictions, I cannot post the original here.)

The Gun Rabbi was interviewed for Chanukah by Ed Friedman of Shooting Illustrated. Read the article on Shooting Illustrated...

It is said that every Jewish Holiday is the same: “they tried to destroy us; we won; let’s eat!” — and like all humor, there’s a certain amount of truth to this.

Like every Jewish Holiday, Chanukah has its heroes and villains. The villains of Chanukah — the Hellenists — sought the spiritual destruction of the Jewish people. They outlawed observance of Sabbath and Holidays, forbade circumcision, and placed an idol in the Holy Temple.

Throughout Jewish History, G-d has always intervened to save us — whether from our enemies or from ourselves. What makes Chanukah different?

In nearby Short Hills, NJ -- a lush local suburb -- a man was mugged and car-jacked at gun point at 6:20 AM on a commuter morning. The crime was outrageous -- not only because the area is a "nice, safe place to live" or because "such things don't happen here" but because of the brazenness of the criminals who struck in an area full of "good, decent working people" going about their daily commute -- exactly the kind of people who mistakenly believe they give each other "safety in numbers."

Ah, but this is NJ... where only the politically privileged have the right to carry a gun. So the criminals knew exactly how much resistance they would face (none) and exactly how many people would be carrying firearms to counter their deadly force (none).

But even more pathetic than that, read the whiny comments from the locals. "We demand that the police protect us!" "Call the mayor and tell him that we won't tolerate this!"

Anyone for self-protection?