Today our nation mourns the loss of 13 warriors, and prays that the dozens in hospital will recover fully, although the sad reality is that many will be damaged for life, both physically and mentally.
We have not yet heard renewed calls for tighter gun laws, although with the inevitable copycat shootings that are sure to follow, we probably will.
What most gun control advocates conveniently ignore is that the majority of mass shootings take place in “gun free zones” – shopping malls, schools, businesses, and in this case, a military base. Under most state laws, if a business clearly states that firearms are not allowed, it’s illegal to have a firearm there. It’s also illegal to discharge a firearm within city limits, it’s illegal to brandish a firearm, and it’s illegal to commit murder.
And yet we still have mass shootings. What is the answer?
Here is the fundamental difference between people such as myself and people who want tighter gun laws.
I believe that the answer is more personal responsibility – more people looking out for themselves. Gun control advocates want the government to take care of us as much as possible. They want more laws and more regulations. I want fewer laws and fewer regulations. I want more trained citizens to be able to carry, more of the time.
Lawful concealed carry in the United States has not resulted in the streets “running red with blood” as anti-gun folks predicted. Citizens who take the time to go through the concealed carry permit process are not a threat to civilized society.
The simple fact is that you could never remove all firearms from the United States, and no matter what smokescreens are put forth about preserving the “American hunting tradition”, this is the ultimate goal of gun control advocates. Some people will never give up their guns, and some people will always be able to find them. In the UK, police officers didn’t have to be armed until after practically all firearms were banned – now, London police officers are arming themselves with submachine guns.
The hard lesson of these incidents is that active shooters will not stop until they are neutralized with gunfire. We will keep learning that even brave and well-trained police officers such as Officer Kimberly Munley cannot be everywhere, and by the time they are able to respond, dozens may be dead or dying.
In an event such as this, a law will not protect you. A ban on “high capacity” magazines won’t protect you. Police officers may be unable to protect you. The only person who you will always be able to rely on for protection is yourself.
The police do not have a duty to protect the individual, only the society as a whole and courts around the country have ruled as such. The best way to ensure your and your family’s safety is to protect yourself and them with the the great equalizer. Harsh words and verbal threats won’t cut it if someone is intent on doing you harm. My friends Gaston, Eugene and John Browning have made sure that I and my loved ones can be safe to the best of my ability.
God created Man. Sam Colt made them equal.
Lawful concealed carry in the United States has not resulted in the streets ârunning red with bloodâ as anti-gun folks predicted. Citizens who take the time to go through the concealed carry permit process are not a threat to civilized society.