Books and Journal Articles

Books

Aiming for Liberty (Merril Press, 2009, forthcoming).

The Heller Case: Gun Rights Affirmed! (Bloomfield Press, 2008). With Alan Korwin

Supreme Court Gun Cases (Bloomfield Press, 2003). With Alan Korwin and Stephen Halbrook.

Gun Control and Gun Rights: A Reader and Guide (New York University Press, 2002). With Andrew McClurg and Brannon Denning.

Antitrust After Microsoft. (Chicago: Heartland Institute, 2001). Summary of the book. Review. Polski/Polish.

E se avessimo preso la Columbine seriamente? in Io sparo che me la cavo: Quando essere armati è un diritto. di David Kopel & Carlo Stagnaro. (Leonardo Facco Editore, 2000). Argomenti a favore della libertà di portare armi. ebook edition (2007).

RCRA Demystified: The Professional's Guide to Hazardous Waste Law (Washington: Environmental Law Institute, 1996)(An annotated guide to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, with Linda Rockwood and Kimberly Temple.

No More Wacos: What's Wrong with Federal Law Enforcement, and How to Fix It (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1997), with Paul Blackman. The book has been named the winner of the 1997 Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties, presented by the Center for Independent Thought.

Guns: Who Should Have Them? (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1995).

The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy: Should America Adopt the Gun Controls of Other Democracies? (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1992). Named 1992 Book of the Year by the  American Society of Criminology Division of International. Review by Nicholas Johnson, Public Interest Law Review. Review by the Foreign Military Studies Office, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

Gun Control in Great Britain: Saving Lives or Constricting Liberty? (Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago, Office of International Criminal Justice, 1992).

More Things You Can Do to Protect Your Gun Rights (Merril Press, 1995), with Alan Gottlieb.

Things You Can Do to Protect Your Gun Rights (Merril Press, 1993), with Alan Gottlieb.

The Highbrow in American Politics: Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. and the Role of the Intellectual in Politics, Honors Thesis in History, Brown University, May 1982. Awarded Highest Honors, and National Geographic Society Prize.

And Justice for Some: The Reagan Administration and the Rule of Law in America, co-author of report issued by the National Organization of Law Students and Professors for Responsible Government, Oct. 1984.

Chapters/Entries in Books

"Restoring the Right to Bear Arms" in the Cato Handbook on Policy (2008). With Robert A. Levy.

"Gun Control and the Right to Arms after 9/11," in volume 3 (The Impact of 9/11 and the New Legal Landscape) of The Day that Changed Everything? An Interdisciplinary Series of Edited Volumes on the Impact of 9/11. Looking at the Impact of 9-11 at the End of the Decade. Editor, Matthew J. Morgan, (Palgrave MacMillan, forthcoming March 2009). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen.

Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man, by David Hardy & Jason Clarke. The new paperback edition contains a chapter by Kopel, an abbreviated examination of Michael Moore's deceits in "Fahrenheit 9/11."

"A Foreign Policy Disaster," in The New Prohibition: Voices of Dissent Challenge the Drug War (Accurate Press, 2004). With Mike Krause. Alternate version in HTML.

Philip J. Cook & Jens Ludwig, editors. "Guns and Burglars" in Guns, Crime, and Punishment in America. (NYU Press, 2003). Bernard Harcourt, editor.

Foreword to Gary Marbut, Gun Laws of Montana (2003).

"The Expanding Federal Police Power" and "Gun Control," in Cato Handbook for Congress—107^th Congress (2001).

La libertà, l'esercito e la legge in Waco: Una strage di stato Americana (Stampa Alternativa 2001).

"Law Enforcement Militarization: The Drug War's Deadly Fruit," in After Prohibition: An Adult Approach to Drug Policies in the 21st Century (Cato Institute, 2000).

"America's Only Realistic Option: Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership," in Guns in America: A Reader (edited by Jan E. Dizard, Robert Merril Muth, and Stephen P. Andrews, Jr.)(N.Y.: New York University Press, 1999).

"The Brady Litigation: The Supreme Court Saves Federalism," in Commentaries on Law and Public Policy: 1997 Yearbook (Dumont Institute: 1999).

"The Expanding Federal Police Power"  in Cato Handbook for Congress—106th Congress (1999).

"The Federal Government Should Set a Better Example," in Terrorism in the United States (N.Y.: H.W. Wilson Co., 1997). Part of the "Reference Shelf" series.

Two articles on concealed carry and one on foreign gun control in Marjolijn Bijlefeld, The Gun Control Debate: A Documentary History (Greenwood Press, 1997).

"Government Practice" chapter in Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer? (Peterson's Guides & the American Bar Association, 1989 and 1992).

"Media Bias in Coverage of Gun Control: The Press Evaluates the Popular Culture," in Prof. William Tonso, ed., The Gun Culture and Its Enemies (Bellevue: Merril Press, 1990).

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Entries on "Samuel Colt", "Richard Gatling" and "Hudson Maxim" in Great Lives from History: Inventors and Inventions (Salem Press, 2009).

Entries on "Ballistic Fingerprinting", "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms", "Gunshot Wounds" & "Silencers, gun" in Forensic Science (Salem Press, 2008).

Entries on "Hennard, George", "Huberty, James Oliver," and "Lepine, Marc," in Notorious Lives from History (Salem Press, 2007).

Entries on: "Branch Davidians, raid on," "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms", "Right to Bear Arms”, “Vigilantism," and "Firearms, Legal and Illegal" in Criminal Justice, a three-volume library encyclopedia (Salem Press, 2005).

Entry on "Gun Control," in Dictionary of American History (N.Y.: Scribners, revised edition, 2003).

Editorial Board and author of 41 entries for Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law (ABC/Clio: 2002). Named an "Editors Choice," as one of the best new reference books of 2003 by Booklist, the magazine of the American Library Association.
 

“Police Violence” in Ronald Gottesman and Mauricio Mazón, editors, Encyclopedia of Violence in the United States (N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1999).

Excerpts in Secondary School and College Books

"Uganda: We're from the Government and We're Here to Help You" in The Arms Trade. Current Controversies series. Noel Marino editor (Cenage Learning, Gale, 2d quarter 2009).

"Virtue in Equivocation" in Inquiry Argument and Change: A Rhetoric with Readings. By Barbara Jo Krieger (Kendall/Hunt Pub. 2009).

"Anti-Gun Lobbyists Take the Supreme Court's Decision Out of Context" (analysis of Presser v. Illinois) in Issues on Trial: Gun Control (Greenhaven Press, Thomson Gale, 2007).

"Florida's New Self-defense Law," in Gun Control. Opposing Viewpoints. Tami Roleff, ed. (Greenhaven Press, Thomson Gale, 2007).

"Gun Bans and Genocide: The Disarming Facts," Genocide. Opposing Viewpoints (Thomson Gale, 2007).

Testimony on the Brady Bill. U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Aug. 2, 1988. Reprinted in History of Issues: Gun Control (Gale, 2006).

“Owning Guns is Rooted in America’s Cultural Past,” in Kelly Doyle, ed. Is Gun Ownership a Right?  At Issue (Greenhaven Pr., 2005).

"Facial Recognition Technology Threatens Individual Privacy," in James D. Toor, ed. Homeland Security. At Issue (Greenhaven Pr., 2004).

"Strong Gun Control Laws Will Not Reduce Crime," in James D. Toor, ed., Guns and Crime. At Issue (Greenhaven Pr., 2004).

"Welfare Causes an Increase in Out-of-Wedlock Births," in James Haley, ed. Welfare. Opposing Viewpoints (Greenhaven, 2003). With Michael Tanner.

"Guns have been Wrongly Blamed for School Shootings," in School Shootings. At Issue (Greenhaven Press, 2002). With Ari Armstrong.

"Benefits of Handguns," in Jerry Cederblom & David W. Paulson, Critical Reasoning (Wadsworth, 2001).

"Guns in Right Hands Make Society Safer,” in Tami Roleff, ed., Gun Control and Crime. At Issue  (San Diego: Greenhaven Pr., 1999).

"Why Good People Own Guns: Better Safe than Sorry," in John Ramage and John Bean, eds., Writing Arguments (Allyn & Bacon, 4th ed. 1997).

"Children are not at Risk from Handgun Violence" & "Legalizing Concealed Weapons Makes Society Safer", in Tamara L. Roleff, ed.  Gun Control. Opposing Viewpoints (Greenhaven Pr., 1997).

"Militias, White Supremacy and Violence," in Gary E. McCuen, ed., The Militia Movement and Hate Groups in America. Ideas in Conflict (GEM Publications, 1996)

"Privately Owned Guns Increase Security," in Paul A. Winters, ed. Crime and Criminals. Opposing Viewpoints (Greenhaven Pr., 1995).

"Japanese Gun Laws Are Oppressive" in Charles Cozic, ed., Gun Control (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1992).

"Guns are Necessary for Self-Defense", in William Dudley, ed., Crime and Criminals. Opposing Viewpoints (San Diego: Greenhaven Pr. 1989).

Note: The chapter titles in the above series are written by the editors, and almost never are the original title of the reprinted article. In some cases, the editor-written title may not accurately express the precise meaning of the chapter.

Scholarly Articles

The Second Amendment in the Tenth Circuit: A Quarter Century of (Mostly) Harmless Error. Denver University Law Review. Annual 10th Circuit symposium. With Hugo Teufel.

To Heller and Back. Assessing the constitutionality of particular gun controls post-Heller. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice (Feb. 2009, forthcoming). With Paul Blackman.

The Natural Right of Self-defense: Heller's Lesson for the World. Symposium issue on the Heller case. 59 Syracuse Law Review (2009, no. 2, forthcoming).

Christian Pacifism Before Constantine. Working paper. June 12, 2008. Much recent scholarship on early Christianity has emphasized the diversity of early Christian thought. This Paper presents evidence of diversity on early Christian belief and practice on the issue of pacifism. Notably, the diversity is found within orthodox Christianity itself. The claims of some modern writers that pre-Constantinian orthodox Christians were virtually unanimously pacifist are not correct. In fact, some but not all of the early Patristic writers were pacifists. A significant number of Christians, including saints, served in the Roman army. The Paper discusses the following writers: Justin Martyr, Marcion, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Julius Africanus, Origen, Cyprian, Arnobius, and Lactantius, and also examines other sources of information about the early church.

Pacifist-Aggressives vs. the Second Amendment: An Analysis of Modern Philosophies of Compulsory Non-violence. 3 Charleston Law Review (no. 1, 2008, forthcoming).

Is There a Relationship between Guns and Freedom? Comparative Results from 59 Nations. 13 Texas Review of Law & Politics (no. 1, 2008, forthcoming). With Carl Moody & Howard Nemerov. There are 59 nations for which data about per capita gun ownership are available. This Working Paper examines the relationship between gun density and several measures of freedom and prosperity: the Freedom House ratings of political rights and civil liberty, the Transparency International Perceived Corruption Index, the World Bank Purchasing Power Parity ratings, and the Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom. The data suggest that the relationships between gun ownership rates and these other measures are complex. The data show that (although exceptions can be found) the nations with the highest rates of gun ownership tend to have greater political and civil freedom, greater economic freedom and prosperity, and much less corruption than other nations. The relationship only exists in for high-ownership countries. Countries with medium rates of gun density generally scored no better or worse than countries with the lowest levels of gun rates.

"Evolving Christian attitudes towards personal and national self-defense." Working paper. Nov. 12, 2008. Analyzes changes in Christian thought about the use of force, from the 19th to the 21st century. PDF.

"Human Rights and Gun Confiscation." 26 Quinnipiac Law Review 383 (2008). PDF. With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. Examines human rights abuses in gun confiscation programs in Kenya and Uganda, and in South Africa's quasi-confiscatory licensing law. Also provides the most complete collection ever presented of international survey data about why people in various countries own guns.

"Dhimmitude and Disarmament." 18 George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal 305 (2008). PDF.

"The Human Right of Self-Defense." 22 BYU Journal of Public Law 43 (2008). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. PDF.

Self-defense in Asian Religions, 2 Liberty Law Review 79 (2007).

"Armed Resistance to the Holocaust." 19 Journal of Firearms & Public Policy 144 (2007). Final version in PDF. Earlier version in HTML. Earlier version in Polish/Polski.

"The Gold Standard of Gun Control," 2 Journal of Law, Economics & Policy 417 (2006). Book review of Joyce Malcolm's "Guns and Violence: The English Experience." In PDF. In HTML. With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen.

"The Catholic Second Amendment," 29 Hamline Law Review 519 (2006). Alternate version in HTML.

"Is Resisting Genocide a Human Right?" 81 Notre Dame Law Review 1275 (2006). Conducting an in-depth study of the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and also discussing other genocides, this article details the inadequacy of many of the international community's response to genocides, such as "targeted sanctions" or international peacekeeping forces. Examining international legal authorities such as the Genocide Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Court of Justice, the article demonstrates that groups which are being subjected to genocide have a legal right of self-defense. International treaties, Security Council arms embargoes, or national gun control laws cannot lawfully be enforced in a manner which prevents self-defense resistance to a genocide in progress, because under international law, the prohibition against any form of complicity in genocide takes legal precedence over lesser laws. With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. In PDF.

"The Scottish and English Religious Roots of the American Right to Arms: Buchanan, Rutherford, Locke, Sidney, and the Duty to Overthrow Tyranny" 12 Bridges 291 (nos. 3/4, Fall/Winter 2005). Alternate version in HTML.

"The Religious Roots of the American Revolution and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms," 17 Journal on Firearms and Public Policy 167 (2005).

"Does the Right to Bear Arms Impede or Promote Economic Development?" 6 Engage 85 (2005, issue 1)(journal of The Federalist Society). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. Using case studies from Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, this article refutes the claim of gun prohibition advocates that the presence of "small arms" is a cause of economic underdevelopment. The article also details the  harmful effects of UN policy regarding malaria and AIDS in the Third World. In PDF. Alternate version in HTML.

"Microdisarmament: The Consequences for Public Safety and Human Rights."  73 UMKC Law Review 969 (2005). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. Examines UN-sponsored programs to disarm people in Cambodia, Bougainville, Albania, Panama, Guatemala, and Mali. In PDF. Alternate version in HTML.

"The Licensing of Concealed Handguns for Lawful Protection: Support from Five State Supreme Courts," 68 Albany Law Review 305 (2005). Analyzes recent decisions in New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island. PDF. Cited in Wisconsin v. Fischer, 714 N.W.2d 495 , 511 n. 6 (Wisc., May 17, 2006). Dissenting opinion of Justice N. Patrick Crooks

"The Torah and Self-Defense." 109 Penn State Law Review 17 (2004). In PDF. Alternate version in HTML.

"Firearms Possession by 'Non-State Actors': the Question of Sovereignty," 8 Texas Review of Law and Politics 373 (2004). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. In PDF.

"When Must the Government Disclose Gun Owners' Names and Addresses?" Preview of U.S. Supreme Court case Department of the Treasury v. City of Chicago. American Bar Association Preview of Supreme Court Cases, March 2003, pp. 289-93. Alternate version in HTML.

"Guns Ownership and Human Rights," Brown Journal of World Affairs (Winter/Spring 2003, vol. IX, no. 2). With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen. PDF. Alternate version in HTML.

"What State Constitutions Teach about the Second Amendment," 29 Northern Kentucky Law Review 845 (2002). Cited in Mosby v. Devine, 851 A.2d 1031, 1040 (R.I. 2004). Majority opinion by Chief Justice Williams. State v. Hamdan, 264 Wis.2d 433, 467 n. 23, 665 N.W.2d 785, 802 n. 23 (Wisc. 2003). Majority opinion by Justice David T. Prosser

"Smart Guns/Foolish Legislators,"  34 Connecticut Law Review 157 (2001). With Cynthia Leonardatos and Paul Blackman. 

"Lawyers, Guns, and Burglars" 43 Arizona Law Review 345 (2001). Symposium issue.

"Miller versus Texas: Police Violence, Race Relations, Capital Punishment, and Gun-toting in Texas in the Nineteenth Century—and Today." 9 Journal of Law and Policy 737 (2001). With Cynthia Leonardatos and Stephen P. Halbrook.

"The Self-Defense Cases: How the Supreme Court Confronted a Hanging Judge in the Nineteenth Century," 27 American Journal of Criminal Law 294 (2000). Cited in United States v. McElhiney, 275 F.3d 928, 935 n.2 (10th Cir. 2001).

"The Evolving Police Power: Some Observations for a New Century," with Glenn Harlan Reynolds. 27 Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 511  (2000). Analyzes recent state court decisions striking down anti-sodomy laws, and suggests that courts in the 21st century—like courts in the 19th century—may increasingly recognize that the police power is not infinite. Also available in Word format.

"Firearms Tracing Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms: An Occasionally Useful Law Enforcement Tool, but a Poor Research Tool," 11 Criminal Justice Policy Review 44 (Mar 2000). With Paul Blackman.

"Treating Guns Like Consumer Products." 148 University of Pennsylvania Law Review 1701 (2000).

"Self-Defense: The Equalizer." 15 Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy 92 (No. 4, Winter 2000). Survey of gun control polices and results in Japan, Britain, Canada, and Australia. With Linda Gorman. PDF version.  Alternate version in HTML.

"Guns, Gangs, and Preschools: Moving Beyond Conventional Solutions to Confront Juvenile Violence," 1 Barry Law Review 63 (2000).

"The Supreme Court's Thirty-five Other Second Amendment Cases." 18 St. Louis University Public Law Review 99 (1999).

"The Sounds of the Supremes: A Reply to Professor Yassky," 18 St. Louis U. Pub. L. Rev. 203 (1999).

"Comprehensive Bibliography of the Second Amendment in Law Reviews."  11 Journal on Firearms and Public Policy 1 (1999). Includes hypertext links to many articles.

"All the Way Down the Slippery Slope: Gun Prohibition in England, and Some Lessons for America." 22 Hamline Law Review 399 (1999). With Joseph Olson. Alternative html layout, for easier reading.

"The Brady Bill Comes Due: The Supreme Court Saves Federalism," 9 George Mason Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Journal 189 (1999).

"Tench Coxe and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in the Early Republic," 7 William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal 347 (1999). With Stephen Halbrook.

"Clueless: The Misuse of BATF Firearms Tracing Data," 1999 Michigan State University Detroit College of Law Review 171. In PDF.

"The Second Amendment in the Nineteenth Century," 1998 BYU Law Review 1359. Cited in Silveira v. Lockyer, 328 F.3d 567, 585 n. 92 (9th Cir. 2003). Opinion by Judge Kleinfeld, joined by Judges Kozinski, O'Scannlain, and T.G. Nelson, dissenting from denial of petition for rehearing en banc.

"Taking Federalism Seriously: Lopez and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban." 30 Connecticut Law Review 59 (1997), with Glenn Harlan Reynolds.

"Can Soldiers be Peace Officers? The Waco Disaster and the Militarization of Law Enforcement," Akron Law Review (1997), with Paul Blackman. Reprinted in Italian in Carlo Stagnaro, editor, Waco: Una Strage di Stato Americano (Stampa Alternativa 2001).

"The Unwarranted Warrant: The Waco Search Warrant and the Decline of the Fourth Amendment," 18 Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy 1 (1996), with Paul Blackman.

"Communitarians, Neorepublicans, and Guns: Assessing the Case for Firearms Prohibition," 56 Maryland Law Review 438 (1997), with Chris Little. Cited in Kasler v. Lockyer, 23 Cal.4th 472, 510, 97 Cal.Rptr.2d 334, 360 (Cal. 2000). Concurring opinion by Justice Janice Rogers Brown.

"Preventing a Reign of Terror: Civil Liberties Implications of Terrorism Legislation," 21 Oklahoma City Law Review 247 (1996), with Joseph Olson.

"Guns, Germs, and Science: Public Health Approaches to Gun Control," 84 Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia 269 (June 1995).

"The Ideology of Guns and Gun Control in the United States," 18 Quarterly Journal of Ideology 3 (1995).

"Massaging the Medium: Reducing Media Violence without Infringing the First Amendment," 4 Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy 17 (1995).

"It isn't about Duck Hunting: The British Origins of the Right to Arms" (book review) 96 Michigan Law Review 1333 (1995). Cited in Oregon v. Hirsch, 338 Or. 622, 657, 114 P.3d 1104, 1123 (Ore. 2005). Section III.B.3.c. Unanimous opinion by Justice Durham.

Book review of Aaron Zelman, et al., Lethal Laws, 15 New York Law School Journal of International and Comparative Law 355 (1995).

"The Sullivan Principles: Protecting the Second Amendment from Civil Abuse," 19 Seton Hall Legislative Journal 737 (1995). With Richard Gardiner.

"Shall Issue: The New Wave of Concealed Handgun Laws," 63 Tennessee Law Review 679 (1995), with Clayton Cramer. Cited in Pagel v. Franscell, 57 P.3d 1226, 1234, 1 Media L. Rep. 1923 (Wyo. 2002). Supreme Court of Wyoming. Justice Golden, specially concurring.

"A Tale of Three Cities: The Right to Bear Arms in State Courts, " 68 Temple Law Review 1177 (1995), with Clayton Cramer and Scott Hattrup. Cited in

State v. Mendoza, 82 Hawai'i 143, 146 n.4, 920 P.2d 357, 360 n.4 (Haw. 1996). Majority opinion by Justice Klein. State v. Schelin, 147 Wash.2d 562, 588, 5 P.3d 632, 645 (Wash. 2002). Justice Sanders, dissenting.

"Rational Basis Analysis of 'Assault Weapon' Prohibition," 20 Journal of Contemporary Law 381 (1994). Cited in Kasler v. Lungren, 72 Cal.Rptr.2d 260, 265 (Cal. App. 1998).  Majority opinion by Associate Justice Morrison.

"The Allure of Foreign Gun Laws," 83 Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia 153 (Mar. 1994).

"Burning Mad: The Controversy over Treatment of Hazardous Waste in Incinerators, Boilers, and Industrial Furnaces," 23 Environmental Law Reporter 10216 (Feb. 1993).

"The Anti-Deficiency Act: A Deficient Excuse for Federal Violations of Environmental Laws," 23 Environmental Law Reporter 10481 (Aug. 1993).

"Japanese Gun Control," 2 Asia-Pacific Law Review 26 (1993). Español.

"Peril or Protection? The Risks and Benefits of Handgun Prohibition," 12 Saint Louis University Public Law Review 285 (1993).

"Sorry, Wrong Number: Why Media Polls on Gun Control are so Often Unreliable," 9 Political Communication and Persuasion 69-91 (no. 2, April-June 1992). With Gary A. Mauser.

"Canadian Gun Control: Should America Look North for a Solution to its Firearms Problem?" 5 Temple Journal of International and Comparative Law 1 (1991).

Monographs and Conference Papers

Poisoned Milk and the Poisoning of Democracy: Some Cautions about China Trade and Taiwan Sovereignty. Paper presented at the symposium “Taiwan’s New Approach: Opportunities and Challenges for President Ma Ying-jeou’s Government.” International House, University of Chicago, October 24, 2008. The program’s sponsors were the University of Chicago’s Center for East Asian Studies and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago (駐芝加哥台北經濟文化辦事處). PDF.

Taiwan's Presidential Elections: An Analysis of What Happened, and What May Happen Next. Independence Institute Issue Paper. April 2008. PDF. Examining how KMT candidate Ma Ying-Jeou won the election in part because of his strong defense of Taiwan's sovereignty and his appeal to Taiwan's growing national consciousness. The Issue Paper also analyzes the two referenda on UN membership.

Media Errors in Coverage of Boulder High School: Falsehoods, Distortions, and Omissions by Bill O’Reilly and “Caplis & Silverman”. Independence Institute Issue Paper. June 13, 2007. [PDF]

Human Rights Atrocities: The Consequences of United Nations Gun Confiscation in East Africa. By Dave Kopel, Paul Gallant, and Joanne Eisen. How U.N.-backed gun confiscation programs in Kenya and Uganda have led to murder, torture, and arson, and have turned tens of thousands of pastoral tribespeople into starving refugees. Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder no. 2006-F. June 2006. In PDF. In HTML.

Dark Sky Ordinances: Separating the Light from the Darkness. Independence Institute Issue Paper 4-2006. April 18, 2006. With Michael Loatman. In PDF.

"H.R. 1528: A Threat to Gun Owners, Family, and Privacy." Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder, no. 2005-C. July 2005. New Congressional bill to increase mandatory sentences would be a disaster for the Second Amendment and other civil liberties. With Mike Krause.

"The New McCarthyism: Restricting Constitutional Rights Based on Mere Suspicion." Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder, no. 2005-B. June 2005. Analysis of proposals to use the "no-fly list" or other suspicion-based lists as a basis for prohibiting the exercise of Second Amendment rights. Alternate version in HTML.

"The Drug War on Human Rights and Civil Liberties." Occasional Paper # 8 from the Liberal Institute of the Friederich Naumann Foundation in Potsdam, Germany. English full-text draft in PDF. Alternate version in HTML. Synposis, in German. Summary and e-mail link for full-text German print order. September 2004 Symposium and pictures, in German.

Fifty-nine Deceits in Fahrenheit 911. July 2004.

Ballistic Imaging: Not Ready for Prime Time. National Center for Policy Analysis. Policy backgrounder. April 30, 2003. With Sterling Burnett.

"Limited Preemption of Firearms Laws: A Good Step for Civil Rights." Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder no. 03-B. Mar. 11, 2003.

"Denver's New Welfare Hotel: Why the Convention Center Hotel is a Mistake." Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 2-2003. Jan. 15, 2003.

"Hate Crime Laws: Dangerous and Divisive." Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 1-2003. Jan. 13, 2003. Alternate version in HTML.

"Asset Forfeiture Reform is Overdue." Independence InstituteIssue Backgrounder no 2002-D. Apr. 18, 2002. Discusses Colorado and Denver confiscation laws.

"Should Gun Shows Be Outlawed? McCain Bill Does Much More than Impose Background Checks." Independence Institute, Issue Paper no. 1-2002. Jan. 23, 2002. With Alan Korwin.

"Access to the Internet: Regulation or Markets?" Heartland Policy Study No. 92. Heartland Institute. Sept. 1, 1999. Analyzes "Open Access" proposals to force cable television companies to let other companies use the the cable companies' Internet connections. (Note: The Independence Institute has no position on this issue; the paper is for the Heartland Institute, in Chicago.)

"Firearms Deaths in Colorado." By Diane Nicholl and Dave Kopel. Issue Backgrounder 2001-D.  February 20, 2001.

Strengthening Due Process and Accountability, by Limiting Public Contingent Fee Arrangements. Issue Backgrounder 2000-N, April 19, 2000.

Abusive Lawsuits against the Second Amendment. Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder  no. 2000-C . Jan. 24, 2000.

"How Strict are U.S., Colorado, and Local Gun Control Laws?" Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 12-1999.  Aug. 20, 1999. Details how pervasive and severe existing gun control laws already are. The paper examines the 20 weapons law violations perpetrated by Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, and their gun suppliers. The Paper also examines current laws regarding gun shows, and explains that there is no "loophole" in  current laws regarding gun shows. 

"Unfair and Unconstitutional: The New Federal Gun Control and Juvenile Crime Proposals." Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 3-99. June 3, 1999. With James Winchester. Covers the heavily-discussed issues from Senate Bill 254 (gun shows, juvenile gun possession) and many unknown provisions (including wiretapping expansion, forfeiture expansion, and others).

Denver's Property Confiscation Ordinances: Good Targets for HB 1305. Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder 1999-N. Feb. 10, 1999.

Visiting Nurse Programs: A Good Idea but not with Tobacco Loot. Independence Institute Issue Backgrounder 1999-D. Feb. 10, 1999.

Agenda for a Better Colorado: The ABC Guide for Colorado Candidates. Independence Institute Issue Paper 8-1998. Oct. 1, 1998. With John Andrews.

"Privileged Polluters: The Case against Exempting Municipalities from Superfund." Competitive Enterprise Institute. Mar. 1998. PDF.

"Refining Colorado's Criminal Code."  Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 10-1997. Dec. 12, 1997. Fixing Colorado's criminal code to remove unconstitutional or oppressive provisions.

Unneeded Laws 1997. Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 2-1997. Jan. 14, 1997. Obsolete or harmful laws in the Colorado Revised Statutes. With Jerry Kopel.

"Prison Blues: How America's Foolish Sentencing Policies Endanger Public Safety." Cato Institute, April 1994. Cited in United States v. Vargas, 885 F.Supp. 504, 505 n. 1 (S.D.N.Y. 1995), Vincent Broderick, District Judge.

"Squirt Gun Bans Won't Stop Violent Crime: Denver's "Mr. Wilson laws" are Empty Shells." Independence Institute Issue Paper  no. 25-1993. Nov. 1993. Analyzes 1993 Denver laws against weapons possession by juveniles.

"Children and Guns: Sensible Solutions." Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 11-93, Apr. 25, 1993.

"Extreme Drug Law Tramples Bill of Rights: Flaws Seen in Uniform Controlled Substances Act." Independence Institute  Issue Paper no. 1-1992. January 22, 1992.

Marijuana Jail Terms: Costly and Hasty. Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 5-1991. April 24, 1991.

"Drug Testing: Shaky Science May Nullify Good Intentions." Independence Institute Issue Paper no. 4-90. April 3, 1990.

"Trust the People: The Case Against Gun Control." Cato Institute, July 11, 1988, Policy Analysis no. 109 (monograph). Reprinted in 3 Journal on Firearms and Public Policy 77 (1990).  German translation (Deutsche Übersetzung, Vertraue der Bevölkerung: Die Causa gegen Waffenverbote.)

Miscellaneous

Saints' biographies: Thomas Aquinas, Bertilla Boscardin, Blase, Catherine Laboure (and the Miraculous Medal), Cecelia, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hildegund, Perpetua & Felicity (optional course reading for "Women Writers of the Middle Ages," Medieval Studies 3351/Women's Studies 3001, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1997), Maria Goretti, the Assumption of Mary, Nicholas Owen, Wenceslaus.

MaryLinks. The web's best collection of hand-picked, categorized links relating to the Virgin Mary.

Honors and Awards

Who's Who in the World; Who's Who in America; Who's Who in the West; Who's Who in Emerging Leaders in America; Who's Who in American Law.

Journalist of the Year, 2006, 2002, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Gun Rights Defender of the Year, 1999, Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Thomas S. Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties, 1997, conferred by the Center for Independent Thought, for the book No More Wacos.

Bill of Rights Award, 1997, Second Amendment Foundation.

James Madison Award, 1995 and 1989, Second Amendment Foundation.

Book of the Year, 1992, American Society of Criminology, Division of International Criminology, for The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy.