"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed," reads the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. According to the National Rifle Association (NRA), this means that gun controls are unconstitutional. Anti-gun lobbyists like Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI), claim it means only that the states can keep militias.

In this book, Weir goes back into European history to discuss the militia concept, and then moves forward through American history and into the pro and con distortions of the gun debate, all the while clarifying and providing the missing (or misconstrued) information. He delves into crime statistics, state and federal law, weapons capabilities and culpabilities, and the responses of police, criminologists, politicians, criminals, civilians, and others to make his points.

In conclusion, Weir shows how one of the most detrimental effects of the debate is that neither side is addressing the underlying causes of American violence, which go much deeper than gun ownership. He explains how our society - by concentrating on snake oil and Band Aids to address the crime problem - ironically fosters a national policy that promotes a violent underclass.

The current situation, Weir warns, is undermining the power of the Constitution and will have serious short- and long-range repercussions for America.