Robert J. Cottrol

[1] His research concentrates on race relations in U.S. legal history and criminal law contexts.

[3] He is also the editor of Gun Control and the Constitution: Sources and Explorations on the Second Amendment.

[1] Cottrol supports the use of background checks on firearms purchases, especially to prevent ownership by convicted felons.

However, he argues that law-abiding citizens should have ready access to guns for self-defense.

He says that minorities in particular need them to counter the threat of harsh treatment in racist cultures.