--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The majority falls prey to the…" description: "\"The majority falls prey to the delusion–popular in some circles–that ordinary people are too careless and stupid to own guns, and we would be far bette..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/alex-kozinski-26609_amendment_the-majority-falls-prey-to-the-delusion_465980.jpg" --- # The majority falls prey to the delusion–popular in some… ![“The majority falls prey to the delusion–popular in some circles–that ordinary people are too careless and stupid to own guns, and we would be far better off leaving all weapons in the hands of professionals on the government payroll. But the simple truth–born of experience–is that tyranny thrives…” quote by Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/alex-kozinski-26609_amendment_the-majority-falls-prey-to-the-delusion_465980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/alex-kozinski-26609_amendment_the-majority-falls-prey-to-the-delusion_465980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/alex-kozinski-26609_amendment_the-majority-falls-prey-to-the-delusion_465980.jpg) > “The majority falls prey to the delusion–popular in some circles–that ordinary people are too careless and stupid to own guns, and we would be far better off leaving all weapons in the hands of professionals on the government payroll. But the simple truth–born of experience–is that tyranny thrives best where government need not fear the wrath of an armed people.” [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that ordinary people are capable of responsible gun ownership and that an armed populace deters governmental tyranny. **In simple terms:** Ordinary people can own guns responsibly; an armed people curtails tyranny. Key Takeaway Support responsible gun rights. Themes responsibility politics freedom Mood cautious defensive Type political controversial When to use this quote - voting - community safety - self‑defense - policy debate Key Concepts civil liberty government power citizen rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance gun rights with public safety? - What safeguards prevent misuse? A Different Perspective An armed populace can also increase violence and instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendment/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Guns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guns/) [Ordinary people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Simple truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-truth/) [Simple truths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-truths/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Wrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrath/) ## Related quotes > [Armed people are free. No state can control those who have the machinery and the will to resist, no mob can take their liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/armed-people-are-free-no-state-can-control-those-who-have-the/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [I enjoy performing for heavily armed people. It's easier than going to Georgia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-enjoy-performing-for-heavily-armed-people-it-s-easier-than-going-to/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Only an armed people can be the real bulwark of popular liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/only-an-armed-people-can-be-the-real-bulwark-of-popular-liberty/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [Only an armed people can be truly free. Only an unarmed people can ever be enslaved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/only-an-armed-people-can-be-truly-free-only-an-unarmed-people-can/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > […there is no end to observations on the difference between the measures likely to be pursued by a minister backed by a standing army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-burgh/there-is-no-end-to-observations-on-the-difference-between-the/) [James Burgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-burgh/) > [Those who have the command of the arms in a country are masters of the state, and have it in their power to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/those-who-have-the-command-of-the-arms-in-a-country-are-masters-of/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [And this is the simple truth - that to live is to feel oneself lost. 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Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [“If you follow these simple truths, you will gain control over your financial future, and probably be able to accumulate millions and millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celso-cukierkorn/if-you-follow-these-simple-truths-you-will-gain-control-over-your/) [Celso Cukierkorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celso-cukierkorn/) > [Theorems often tell us complex truths about the simple things, but only rarely tell us simple truths about the complex ones. To believe otherwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/theorems-often-tell-us-complex-truths-about-the-simple-things-but/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Alex Kozinski > [I think the use of lethal injection is the way of lying to ourselves, to make it look like executions are peaceful, are benign,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/i-think-the-use-of-lethal-injection-is-the-way-of-lying-to-ourselves/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [My advice would be to whoever is going after judges by name, whether it's the president or anybody else, I think it's a terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/my-advice-would-be-to-whoever-is-going-after-judges-by-name-whether/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [The more heavily the government regulates the market, the more competition is impeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/the-more-heavily-the-government-regulates-the-market-the-more/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [When the president, Donald Trump, is a litigant I think it's wise for him not to comment on the judges. 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So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/the-first-amendment-is-really-at-the-very-core-of-political-speech/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [This is really a pretty good system you have here. What do you call it? "Due process". We're very proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/this-is-really-a-pretty-good-system-you-have-here-what-do-you-call-it/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [For better or worse, we are the Court of Appeals for the Hollywood Circuit. Millions of people toil in the shadow of the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/for-better-or-worse-we-are-the-court-of-appeals-for-the-hollywood/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [If we as a society are willing to take away human life, we should be willing to watch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/if-we-as-a-society-are-willing-to-take-away-human-life-we-should-be/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [It's not that unusual for presidents to take strong positions on cases decided by the court. But you know, Lesley, that's why the Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/it-s-not-that-unusual-for-presidents-to-take-strong-positions-on/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) > [Overprotecting intellectual property is as harmful as underprotecting it. Creativity is impossible without a rich public domain. 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Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kozinski/i-was-born-under-communism-i-know-what-it-s-like-to-live-in-a-system/) [Alex Kozinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) [Explore all 21 Alex Kozinski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kozinski/) ## More Amendment quotes > [There are a lot of people who want to retain the Eighth Amendment - I don't agree with that view myself - there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-want-to-retain-the-eighth-amendment-i/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [“Let's just make this easy. 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