New Book: A True Story of Gun Laws Gone Berserk

by
posted on October 9, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
aitkenresized.png

A new work that has just been named Conservative Book of the Month answers questions that nag many firearm owners: What if the government came after me just for owning a gun? Is it possible? Indeed, The Blue Tent Sky is a chilling exposé of the legal system gone berserk, the true story of Brian Aitken, a successful communications professional who was arrested while moving his belongings in the wake of a broken marriage. Aitken’s crime: possessing guns he legally owned in the state of New Jersey.

The arrest unleashed blind persecution based on criminalizing guns and a trial that concluded with a seven-year prison term for Aitken after a grandstanding judge refused to allow the jury to consider laws that almost certainly would have changed the outcome. If that sentence hadn’t ultimately been commuted by Governor Chris Christie after Aitken had served four months, very likely he’d still be behind bars. Upon release, however, Aitken had lost visitation rights with his young son and his freedom to own firearms.

At the book’s release on October 2, Aitken said, “… [I]t just felt like enough time had passed that I could really sit down and reflect on what happened and try to make sense out of it all. The real driving force though, was setting the record straight, especially for my son. Many people don't realize that a family court judge revoked my parenting time because he wasn't convinced I couldn't own guns if I wanted to. This was after I was indicted, but months before I even went to trial. In essence, the judge decided parents who own guns are unfit to be parents. It's been five years and I am still unable to see my boy. He turns seven this coming February and one day he's going to want to know the truth about major events that impacted his childhood and altered his relationship with his father for the years to come.

“We like to think ‘it can't happen to me,’ but that simply isn't true,” said Aitken. “What happened to me can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, what your ethnicity is, or what kind of job you have. It's impossible to fully describe what it's like to feel the prison gates close behind you, but the book will give readers a glimpse into what it's like to become a victim of indiscriminate and draconian gun control laws.”

To order, visit The Blue Tent Sky: How the Left’s War on Guns Cost Me My Son and My Freedom.

Latest

Bushmaster V-Radicator
Bushmaster V-Radicator

Review: Bushmaster V-Radicator

The business of dispatching unwanted critters requires a platform capable of a high degree of accuracy. Nuisance animals such as prairie dogs are both small and skittish in nature, meaning that they tend to keep their distance and scurry away upon the arrival of incoming fire.

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson FPC in 5.7x28 mm

The folding carbine line expands to include the 5.7 mm chambering.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 26, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

New For 2026: Vortex Optics AMG 1-10X 24 mm FFP Riflescope

The Vortex Optics AMG 1-10X 24 mm FFP riflescope is the shortest and lightest FFP 1-10X low-power variable optic made available to the U.S. commercial market.

New for 2026: Armasight Pro Series Thermal Platform

Armasight launches a professional-grade thermal-imaging platform designed to perform.

KelTec Launches KelTec Direct

KelTec begins its 35th anniversary celebration by launching KelTec Direct.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.