This short piece of text, this natural right documented in our Constitution, is something that only we Americans enjoy:

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.

The United States is unique among the family of nations for many reasons, but the Second Amendment is certainly one of the biggest ones. In Georgia, Jewish people are increasingly becoming patrons of gun stores, for reasons that may be obvious.

Sam Landesman never thought he’d buy a gun.

"That’s the last thing I’d want to own is a firearm," Landesman said. 

But Landesman, like others he knows, fears antisemitism abroad and at home in Georgia. 

"I feel like I need to be ready to protect myself and protect my family," Landesman explained to FOX 5.

If I could advise Mr. Landesman, I would also advise him to find a good course in self-defense shooting and to obtain a concealed-carry permit and carry regularly — as in, always. The people of Israel have no Second Amendment, and the massacre of unarmed citizens in the Hamas attacks on Oct 7th serves as a very effective lesson on why any free people, if they want to stay free, should arm themselves.

And that's what Jewish people in Georgia (and, presumably, elsewhere) are doing.

Tood Whiddon, assistant manager with Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna, said he's witnessing the trend firsthand.

"We are seeing Jewish customers buying their first guns," Whiddon said. "Overall, we’re seeing about a 30-percent increase in business." 

 State Rep. Esther Panitch, (D) 51, says antisemitism has been rising in recent years on the right and the left and has spiked since the Hamas terror attack a few weeks ago.

 "It’s a dark and dangerous time for Jews right now," Panitch, who is the only Jewish American lawmaker in the Georgia legislature, said.

 "I’ve heard from people in the community who are afraid who have talked about other types of self-defense, including firearms," Panitch said. "I have upgraded my weapons training as a result of what’s going on."

To say this is a "dark and dangerous time for Jews" is not only sadly true, it may well be the understatement of the month — and it's only the first day of November.

It's heartening to see the Jewish members of the community taking steps to ensure their own security. It's not only possible but likely that attacks from Islamist terrorists will come to the United States, and the Jewish community is well-advised to prepare for that; arming themselves is one of several ways to prepare for such an eventuality, but there is ample evidence that armed citizens are capable of deterring attackers of all sorts. 

It's a horrendous thing to consider, but we can expect attacks on Jews to continue not only in the Middle East, not only in Europe, but here in the United States. But one unintended consequence seems to be a red-pilling of at least some of the American Jewish people. One would hope they continue to take charge, to take responsibility for their own defense, to disregard the ignorance of the American media on the topic of guns, and to practice, to train, and to be prepared.

To American Jews — and, indeed, to all Americans in these uncertain times — I can only say this: Arm yourselves. Buy ammo. Practice, practice, practice. If there are good shooting academies near you, take classes. Learn from experts. Find a good sidearm for concealed carry and do so, all the time. And be aware of your surroundings at all times. 

We live in interesting times, friends. It's prudent to be prepared for anything.