Shooting Straight with John Lott

by
posted on May 3, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Dr. John R. Lott Jr., founder and CEO of the Crime Prevention Research Center, recently sat down with Frank Miniter, America's 1st Freedom Editor in Chief, to discuss his stint in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a senior adviser for research and statistics in the Office of Justice Programs, a department that doles out billions of dollars each year, some to academics who actively work against our Second Amendment rights.

Lott accepted the position at the DOJ last October. Specifically, he went to work as a senior adviser for research and statistics at the Office of Justice Programs, a DOJ division that quietly gives out $5 billion in grants annually, some to gun-control advocates. When these DOJ-funded studies come out, they give the mainstream-media “research” they can use to argue that good, old-fashioned American freedom is not such a good thing after all.

Lott, of course, is a researcher, author and the founder and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. Those hostile to the right to keep and bear arms hate Lott, as he not only tells the truth about guns in America, but also backs his words up with real data.

So, when word leaked out that Lott was working at the DOJ (he left the day before President Joe Biden was inaugurated), the Left demanded his job; in fact, nine U.S. Senators—including Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)—sent a letter to the attorney general demanding information on Lott’s hiring. The letter’s intent was clear: They wanted to know how easy it would be to fire him, so they could protect money going to anti-Second Amendment “research.”

Lott didn’t have the time to do much from inside the DOJ, but he did accomplish a few things, and his experience is a telling one. Lott tells this story in a new video series you can find at A1F.com called “Shooting Straight with A1F.com.” It can also be found on the NRA Publications’ YouTube channel.

Latest

William A. Bachenberg
William A. Bachenberg

President’s Column | What a Year It Has Been!

Wow! How fast a year has gone by since being elected president at the end of April last year! My first column was titled “It’s A New Day At The NRA,” and included the following:

Standing Guard | We Are the Good Citizens

I am a big believer in transparency. Each individual needs privacy from unconstitutional government intrusion—this especially includes what guns a law-abiding American citizen might own—but an association of freedom-loving citizens must be transparent.

U.S. v. Hemani Arguments

On March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in U.S. v. Hemani. The case involves a defendant who is fighting a federal indictment for possessing a firearm while being a marijuana user.

President’s Column | Getting You Up to Speed

A lot of things have occurred over the past month or so that not all members are completely aware of. I’ll use my column this month to update you on some important issues—transparency.

Standing Guard | The NRA Gathers to Celebrate Our Freedom

The momentum we’re seeing across the country is both encouraging and energizing. January opened with tremendous activity at the NRA booth during SHOT Show, where members, industry partners and supporters stopped by to connect, share ideas and reaffirm their commitment to freedom and the Second Amendment.

Port Authority Doubles Down on Constitution-Free Zone with High-Profile Arrest

As anyone who has passed a basic civics class knows, the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. All legislation and official government actions are subject to its limits.

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.