From John Stossel in Guns Save Lives:

How many shootings at schools or malls will it take before we understand that people who intend to kill are not deterred by gun laws? Last I checked, murder is against the law everywhere. No one intent on murder will be stopped by the prospect of committing a lesser crime like illegal possession of a firearm. The intellectuals and politicians who make pious declarations about controlling guns should explain how their gunless utopia is to be realized.

While they search for -- excuse me -- their magic bullet, innocent people are dying defenseless.

That's because laws that make it difficult or impossible to carry a concealed handgun do deter one group of people: law-abiding citizens who might have used a gun to stop crime. Gun laws are laws against self-defense.

Criminals have the initiative. They choose the time, place and manner of their crimes, and they tend to make choices that maximize their own, not their victims', success. So criminals don't attack people they know are armed, and anyone thinking of committing mass murder is likely to be attracted to a gun-free zone, such as schools and malls.

Why do liberals insist on creating gun-free zones? Do they not see that this creates an obvious place for criminals to go on mass murder sprees?

It's actually quite typical of the liberal mindset - focus on ideas that sound good. And implement them without any thought to the ramifications. "Ban all the guns! They're evil!" You know, if you could really ensure that all of the guns in the universe were destroyed, and that nobody could ever create another one, then sure, it'd be a good idea. But liberals neglect the fact that criminals will always have the ability to secure lethal weapons, including guns. And the most efficient way to stop a crazy gunman is with a law-abiding citizen carrying a gun.

Labels: politics