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PRESS
RELEASE
Americans Taking Personal Protection More
Seriously Than Ever:
Terrorist Attacks Spark Renewed Interest
In Carrying Handguns
The debate over
legislative control of guns continues to
rage. This summer, the National
Rifle Association, the NRA, pulled its
2007 convention out of Columbus, Ohio
after that city passed an ordinance
prohibiting the sale or possession of
semiautomatic rifles with pistol grips and
detachable magazines. The city is the
first major city to pass such a ban after
similar federal legislation expired last
fall. According to the NRA, the ban
is unnecessary and
ineffective.
Columbus city
officials complain that the NRA knew they
were considering the ban and chose the
city as a host site for their convention
simply to make a point. The point
being that many Americans want guns for
recreation and safety, and such
legislation can be too limiting and even
unconstitutional.
Indeed, according to
at least one weapons expert, Americans are
feeling the need for gun ownership in
order to protect themselves like never
before. This trend started with the
terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001. "For decades, Americans have
been brainwashed into taking a passive
role in their own survival," says Chris
Bird, a journalist and handgun
expert. "On September 11th, we
learned that the government and the
professionals could not protect us."
Bird is so convinced
of the need for people to take their
protection seriously that he wrote a book
entitled, "The Concealed Handgun
Manual: How to Choose, Carry, and
Shoot a Gun in Self-defense." Bird
was a commissioned officer in the Royal
Military Police of the British Army in the
1960s where he served as company
weapon-training officer. Since then, he
has moved to the U.S. and has taken an
active role in educating others about the
safe and wise use of
weapons.
His book provides
current or prospective gun-owners with
insight about owning and using a
handgun. With so many people
interested in owning and carrying a
concealed weapon, there is a need for
definitive information for prospective
gun-owners. In fact, forty-six
states allow people to carry a concealed
handgun, and it is estimated that there
are more than 3.3 million people who have
licenses to carry concealed
handguns.
Bird cites numerous
cases where people were able to protect
themselves because they carried a
handgun&emdash;cases where they would not
have survived had they not been
"packing." Bird says handguns may be
a smart choice for all kinds of people
especially women. "Some of the
people most at-risk of becoming victims of
violence are women who are being stalked,"
says Bird. "They do not need to be
told that the police cannot protect
them&emdash;they know." Bird
explains how to carry and conceal a
handgun, when and how to use it, and the
implications of using
it.
Like many in the
"pro-gun" community, Bird says he doesn't
necessarily want everyone to run out and
buy a handgun. But he says
law-abiding citizens need to realize their
own safety is largely up to them.
Taking the responsibility, he
believes, is an important part of being an
American.
The NRA
agrees. Commenting on the NRA
pull-out of Columbus, NRA Executive
Vice-President Wayne LaPierre implied that
gun ownership is very American when he
said, "When freedom comes back to
Columbus, we will come back to
Columbus."
For a review copy of
the book or to set up an interview
with Chris Bird for a story,
please contact
Sarah Van Blaricum
at 727-443-7115, ext. 207 or at
sarah@event-management.com
Thanks very much for
your time,
Sarah Van
Blaricum
Event Management
Services
1127 Grove
Street
Clearwater, FL
33755
727-443-7115 ext.
207
727-443-0835 fax
http://www.event-management.com
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