As a rule, I don’t particularly enjoy talking about gun politics. It’s one of the (many!) reasons I’ve generally steered away from the subject on this blog. There have been some exceptions, of course, because sometimes it’s just about unavoidable. And as I explained some time ago, during a similar noisy period in American gun political conversations:

“Cornered Cat is about women learning how to defend themselves. Period, full stop.

“Sometimes that means I must mention the political scene, because when a law is passed that makes it harder for women to defend themselves, that hurts all of us. This doesn’t just apply to ‘you can’t own this type of gun anymore’ laws, either. It also applies to laws that affect your legal situation before or after you shoot, and to laws that tell you where you can or can’t carry. All of these laws have a very strong impact on your ability to protect yourself, and that means you need to know about them.”

Not only this, but many of my readers are relatively new gun owners or people who work with new gun owners. And most people new to guns simply don’t realize how often we-in-the-gun-owning-community have had these conversations in the past. Or how very quickly things can change.

Anyway. Resources.

Dealing with Social Bullies. Trying to figure out what to do about a friend or acquaintance saying rude things to you on social media? Read this first.

It’s About Love. This might be one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. It was certainly one of the hardest. And it’s maybe the most important thing to say to an anti-gun friend while emotions are running high after an ugly news story.

The Longest and Most Thorough Pro-Gun Article Ever. This “Opinion on Gun Control, Repost” was written by my friend Larry Correia. Larry has authored many bestselling books. He also happens to be somewhat of an expert on firearms topics. Not only has he been an avid shooter, firearms instructor, and competitor in years past, he also owned a gun store in Utah that was licensed to sell NFA items. What I’m saying is, he knows what he’s talking about. The article is very long and very thorough. It pretty much addresses every one of the objections the anti-rights people have brought up over the years, and discusses them with very calm logic. The post isn’t at all rant-like and there’s nothing in it your maiden aunt couldn’t read. I’d suggest reading it, linking it if you’re so inclined, and keeping it in your bookmarks as reference material — it is that good.

Why You Need to Know How Your Gun Works. This post (another one of my own) explains why and how you need to know how your gun functions mechanically — and how that can help you have usefully productive conversations with your friends about gun laws.

Why Not Renew the Assault Weapons Ban?  This older blog post, written by a political leftist for other leftists, provides a very fair and very clear argument against renewing the expired assault weapons ban. It explains what various gun features are and how they work, and also explains why progressives should not encourage this type of legislation. And it’s relevant again today, because what goes around comes around again.

13 Charts to Put America’s Gun Issues in Perspective. Nicely visual information from 2016. Worth keeping on hand when you need a quick and easy to understand chart.

I Used to Think Gun Control Was the Answer: My Research Told Me Otherwise. This one is a news/opinion piece from a person who thinks of herself as being anti-gun. It’s useful because she suggests some very narrowly-tailored changes that will likely help, and it’s also useful because it’s a quick tour of the things that have been repeatedly proven not to help. Handy information to keep around.

6 Reasons Your Right-Wing Friend Isn’t Coming To Your Side On Gun Control. This one is useful because it’s a good bulleted list of some factors you may need to explain to your friend — or that, if you’re new to the gun-politics conversation, that you may not yet have considered.

Finally, there’s one more resource I’d suggest. This one isn’t about conversations. It’s about doing one practical thing to help protect your ability to use modern tools in self-defense. It’s this:

 SAF (Second Amendment Foundation). SAF does an amazing job fighting for our rights in the courts. They are very strictly non-partisan and non-political. They focus only on protecting 2nd Amendment rights. That means they’re doing work that all gun owners can get behind, no matter what other political beliefs they hold. They don’t endorse political candidates and don’t generally get involved in elections. Instead, they work through the court system to clarify and expand freedom that way.