""The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.""
— Thomas Jefferson/Cesare Beccaria
Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774–1776
Historical Significance
Jefferson's endorsement of criminological argument against arms restrictions
Context
Enlightenment-era analysis of crime prevention through armed citizenry
Context
Enlightenment-era analysis of crime prevention through armed citizenry
Historical Significance
Jefferson’s endorsement of criminological argument against arms restrictions