Reflections on a Terrible Day
by Charles Heller, Executive Director, JPFO
© Copyright Jews For The Preservation of
Firearms Ownership (www.JPFO.org) 2012
January 8th, 2011, was a day that will live in the mind of every Tucsonan. For some, it will always be a day of sorrow, and regret. For those paying attention, it was a day of lessons learned at the expense of life.
There are well-meaning people who will ask, "How do we stop evil and crazy people from getting guns?" There are those who will ask "How can we limit the destructive power of guns to only 10 rounds?"
Both are based in what Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (author of "On Killing" and "On Combat") calls "the insanity of denial." It is based on the delusional idea that there is some way to keep criminals or lunatics from furthering the object of their desires by barring from them the means to do it. A simple look at history shows there has never been a time in the world when such efforts were effective.
We must look at what people who commit these acts are truly seeking. For many, it’s having their name known; for others, to act out their rage. In either case, they are seeking to have themselves indelibly written in history.
Look at some of the larger massacres in recent American history. Media glorification means that we all know the names of the perpetrators. The only cases where that is not true are the ones which were foiled by armed citizens, such as at the Appalachian Law School in 2002, and Pearl, Mississippi in 1997. In both of those cases, armed civilians stopped what would have been a larger massacre.
What these killers fear, according to Col. Grossman, (whose books are required reading at U.S. Service Academies) is failure. That bears reiteration – they do not fear death, as these killers, when confronted with deadly force, frequently kill themselves. That’s what happened in Arvada, Colorado, at the New Life Church in 2007. There private citizen Jeanne Assam, neutralized a rifle-wielding murderer, with four well-placed rounds from her 9-millimeter sidearm. The criminal then finished himself off with the rifle.
The idea that you will ever divest nuts of guns, is nuts. No matter what happens, criminals and the insane will get guns. The rational thing to do is to ask, can there be a such thing as a "gun free zone?"
Establishing Gun Free Zones: Can it work?
Let us be clear – throughout the world, there is no such thing as a "gun-free zone." There are certainly "disarmed victim zones," but no a "gun-free zones." Governments have mostly responded to violence by disarming the victims. (Book review for "Lethal Laws.")
Look critically at what happened on January 8th, 2011, in Tucson: At an outdoor meet and greet with Congresswoman Giffords, a lunatic shot her and 18 other people, 6 of whom died. Although no law prohibited a person from being armed there, no one but the criminal was. The end result was the same as in a disarmed victim zone.
There are people in this country who think that by erecting a sign saying, "No Guns Here" that criminals and lunatics will be deterred.
In response to recent changes in Wisconsin law, there are even some very misguided members of the Jewish Community on synagogue boards, who think that they will make their shul safer by "banning" guns. Not only is this wrong, it’s dangerous.
It’s a placebo in place of a life-saving action. What is needed are armed, trained, lawful defenders!
Even Judge Roll, one of those murdered that January 8th, (an accomplished .45 caliber pistol shooter) was not armed. He was coming from church, where he chose not to carry.
Let us not mince words here: the people using the horrible January 8th, 2011 Tucson shooting to preach victim disarmament, are creating target rich environments for the next mass shootings. Is dancing in the blood of the victims OK if it furthers the disarmament agenda?
The anti-freedom bigots suggest that the availability of the gun caused or helped cause the shooter to do it. What dreck! (Rubbish) Lunatics are lunatics.
Could it be that defending people with deadly force might dry up the anti-freedom bigots’ supply of victims?
If you want a more peaceful society, get a gun and training. Go armed, for the peace and defense of yourself, your family, and the community. More guns in good hands mean fewer murder victims. Oh, and less mishuganahs (crazy people) telling you you’re crazy for wanting a gun with which to do so.
Respectfully,
Charles Heller
Executive Director, JPFO
charlesheller@jpfo.org
© Copyright Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership 2012.
