Gary North

Nov. 12, 2010

Aaron Zelman's organization, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, is well known in second amendment circles as an outfit that takes no ideological prisoners. The JPFO has released a video, No Guns for Jews, that states the case as well as anything I have seen.

The video makes it clear that Jews have been at the wrong end of the barrel for longer than there have been barrels. There is a long tradition of disarmed Jews -- so long, in fact, that Jews have mentally accepted it. Zelman is trying to change their minds.

The problem he faces is this: the documents that the video offers for support -- the Pentateuch, the Talmud, and their medieval commentators -- are out of favor in modern Jewish circles. The other document -- the United States Constitution -- has also been out of favor on this issue in many gentile circles.

The moral issue is self-defense. It is not revolution.

The legal issue is the right to keep and bear arms: a Jewish right and an American right. This right is under fire. The "assault weapon" of those who want to legislate away this right has been excessive trust in the government. The video makes this clear.

I wish every subgroup in the United States would fund and produce a video like this, targeting its own members. The second amendment is under assault. We need to keep and bear digital arms.

This is an almost flawless video from a persuasion standpoint. It targets a specific audience. It presents its case in terms of the concerns of this audience. It offers a specific ethical case, based on the official documents of this audience. It presents evidence of what has happened in the past to members of this audience because of their refusal to honor the ethical principle. It identifies specific members of the group who have openly called for the continuing violation of the original ethical principle. Then there is a call to action: join the organization.

All in all, it could serve as a case study of how to create an effective video.

For years, I have been what you might call a gentile free rider on Zelman's work. I have decided to stop my free riding. I made a donation. The video persuaded me!