Long ago, in the quiet depths of a shady pond, there lived a frog. One day, it found itself in a pot of cool, soothing water. "Ah, how pleasant!" thought the frog, blissfully unaware that a slow, sneaky heat was rising beneath it. Bit by bit, the warmth grew — comforting at first, then strangely hot, until... well, let’s just say that poor frog never hopped out in time. And so, the ancient tale of the Frogpot was born—a timeless warning: notice the small changes - the "new normals" - before it's too late!

You and I are that frog. Our liberties are slowly, incrementally, being eroded - but so slowly, so incrementally, that we often don't notice. Our lives are full, we are busy, and many of us take our liberties for granted.

So, slowly, incrementally, the erosion of liberty continues, as we keep getting new mandates, new regulations, new taxes and, overall, "new normals".

The metaphor of the frogpot points at an old saying: "You never know the worth of water until the well is dry". The time to fight for our liberty is while we still have enough liberty to speak up - before the government labels our protests as hate speech, labels us Enemies of the State, disseminators of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation (tyrant talk) and censors us,and/or jails us for speaking out against their many political lies.

Supporters of the Constitution's Second Amendment (2A) often lead with what is referred to as the "... shall not be infringed." argument from the wording of the Second Amendment. Tom Grieve, a pro2A attorney, suggests a better argument to lead with is that "guns save lives".

Guns DO save lives - here's some evidence for that:
1. Defensive Gun Use is Common:

According to a CDC-commissioned study (2013), defensive gun uses occur between 500,000 and 3 million times per year in the U.S.
A 1995 study by criminologist Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated that there are 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually, often without a shot being fired.
A 2017 National Firearms Survey by William English (Georgetown University) found that about 1.67 million people use firearms defensively each year.

2. Guns Save Lives and Prevent Crime:

A study published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1995) found that armed citizens kill more criminals than police do in self-defense situations.
The FBI's Uniform Crime Report (UCR) has documented numerous cases where legally armed citizens stopped mass shootings.
Research by John Lott (More Guns, Less Crime) shows that states with more permissive concealed carry laws see lower violent crime rates.

3. Law-Abiding Citizens Stop Mass Shootings

Good guys with guns have stopped multiple mass shootings:
2022, Indiana: Eli Dicken, a concealed carry holder, stopped a mall shooter in 15 seconds, saving lives.
2019, Texas: Jack Wilson, a church security volunteer, stopped an active shooter in White Settlement, TX.
2017, Texas: Stephen Willeford, an armed citizen, engaged and stopped a mass shooter at the Sutherland Springs church.

4. Gun Ownership Deters Crime

A 2020 RAND Corporation study found that right-to-carry laws correlate with reductions in certain violent crimes.
Criminals often admit they fear armed citizens more than police (Wright & Rossi study, 1986).

5. Gun-Free Zones Are Targets for Attackers

94% of mass shootings (1950-2019) occurred in gun-free zones (Crime Prevention Research Center).
Attackers seek soft targets where victims are defenseless.

6. Police Can't Always Respond in Time

The average police response time in the U.S. is 7-11 minutes (sometimes longer). In contrast, an armed citizen can respond immediately, often preventing further loss of life. (The bad guys know this and avoid citizens with guns.)

7. International Examples Show Disarming Citizens Leads to Increased Violence

Australia (1996 gun ban): While mass shootings dropped, overall violent crime increased for several years before declining.
UK (1997 handgun ban): Gun crime increased in the decade following the ban before peaking in 2003.
Mexico: Strict gun laws exist, yet cartel violence continues because criminals do not follow gun laws.

8. The Founding Fathers Intended an Armed Citizenry for Protection and Freedom

Australia (1996 gun ban): While mass shootings dropped, overall violent crime increased for several years before declining.
The Second Amendment was written not only for personal defense but also as a safeguard against tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson: "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
James Madison: "The advantage of being armed, which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation..."

Additions to this list are welcome. Send them to hotfrog@thefrogpot.net