Get a Gun!
It’s all (sadly) very predictable. Anytime there is a mass shooting in the US, with the possible exception being Chicago, the left of the political spectrum calls for more gun control. Some on the right call for new laws as well. Just yesterday, Arizona Republican Senator, Jeff Flake, said he was introducing legislation that would ban anyone convicted of a domestic violence attack from owning a gun. His statement shows that, while his heart may be in the right place, he has a gross lack of knowledge of current law. I understand when the average Joe or Jane America doesn’t know about current gun laws, but a sitting US Senator should know that such a law already exists. On the other hand, he may well know about the law, but is merely posturing for political reasons. That seems to happen a lot after a mass murder involving a firearm, however, a unique idea has surfaced in Florida.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has encouraged his constituents to “get a gun” in the wake of the most recent mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Texas. Sheriff Judd has made this same recommendation on at least one other occasion, and believes that, in a mass shooting situation, the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. I agree with that statement, but I also agree that we would see less violent crime in our country if more people were legally armed.
There was a landmark survey in 2013 regarding the issue of an armed citizenry. The survey, conducted by PoliceOne, asked 15.000 police officers in the US their thoughts on gun control in the US. The results run counter to the suggestions of tighter gun control often screamed about by some. Please keep in mind that PoliceOne surveyed 15,000 active police officers – men and women who put their lives on the line every single day. Here are some interesting results from that survey:
1. Approximately 91% of respondents said that an “assault weapons” ban was a bad idea, and that it might do more harm than good
2. Approximately 90% of respondents believed that an armed citizenry is an asset to police, and support citizens carrying a concealed weapon
3. Approximately 86% of respondents believed that legally armed citizens would drastically reduce, or eliminate casualties in a mass shooting event. 80% believed that casualties would be reduced, 60% believed that casualties could be avoided altogether
4. 95% of respondents believed that a ban on magazines that hold more than ten rounds would have no impact on violent crime
In my home state of Georgia, the city of Kennesaw took a unique approach to crime. In 1982, the city passed a law that required every head of household to own a gun. At the time, many in the media predicted that there would be shootouts in the street. The opposite happened. According to Kennesaw police, there was a significant reduction in crime. To this day, the city of Kennesaw has one of the lowest crime rates of any city in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Kennesaw Historical Society points out that after the gun law was passed, the crime rate dropped by 89%. The average drop in Georgia at the time was 10%. In the past six years, there has been only one murder. In the last fifteen years there have only been four murders. Year to date (2017), the crime rate in Kennesaw is 55% lower than the rest of the US. For the last three years, the violent crime rate in Kennesaw gas been as much as 60% less than the US average. The crime rate is currently 50% to 78% less than that of surrounding cities. Although the gun law is rarely enforced, it is believed that 60% of all Kennesaw homes have at least one gun. I am certain that the overall drop in crime, and the lower violent crime rate cannot be fully attributed to gun ownership, but studies do show that criminals prefer a “soft target”, or one they assume is soft. Perhaps criminals think twice about committing a violent crime in an area that is known to have a higher percentage of gun owners. Obviously, at least in the case of Kennesaw, more guns do not equal more crime.
There are, of course, people that dispute the above numbers, but national crime statistics do not lie. There are also those who question the validity of owning a gun, and doubt whether guns really deter crime. There are statistics that support crime deterrence by private citizens with guns, although the numbers have a little age on them. In 2013, the last year for which I could find hard data, the US DOJ said that guns are used approximately 1,500,000 times a year to protect good people from bad people. Newer estimates put that number at 2,500,000. Estimates also show that as many as 200,000 women use guns every year to protect themselves from sexual abuse. Clearly, guns in the right hands do save lives and deter violent crime.
I agree with Sheriff Judd. Arm yourself if you can legally do so, and are comfortable with the responsibility of doing so. Responsible gun owners are not wild west cowboys looking for a shootout. The overwhelming majority of us hope we never have the need to pull our weapon. Unfortunately, there are times when it is necessary. Arm yourself if you are able. Get training. Get a concealed carry permit. Train more. Train again. Be prepared. Be aware. Take a stand.
thereluctantpreppers 