Our Right and Our Duty to be Armed—Everywhere

By Colonel Dan, SASS Life# 24025

I’ve written on the subject of gun rights many times but a stronger approach is in order given recent events. In his book, Guns, Freedom, and Terrorism, the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre advocates that a good way for Americans to protect themselves against terrorism is to be well armed.

"With the threat of more terror attacks… Americans are looking toward the protection of the Second Amendment. The most basic element of that right goes to the individual citizens' ability to protect themselves, their families, their homes, their communities, and, if need be, their nation."

I agree—Americans should arm themselves against terrorists. To me, that includes foreign terrorists that fly airplanes into buildings and domestic terrorists that take advantage of these idiotic “gun-free zones” as Cho did at Virginia Tech!

The war against all kinds of terrorists is one of the most unconventional conflicts in America’s history. Nineteen fanatics armed with box cutters, using four of our own aircraft, killed 3,000 people, cost our economic system billions and changed our way of life tremendously. One mentally unbalanced student took advantage of Virginia Tech’s gun-free zones and killed 32 defenseless people without encountering any armed opposition. Since we can’t fight such an enemy with conventional armies and the police can’t be in all places at all times, it’s obviously up to us to defend ourselves everywhere…including “gun-free zones” and it will take everyone to fight this war everywhere.

Self defense is a God given right; an instinct instilled in every living thing to survive and protect their own. It’s an indisputable law of nature that cannot be repealed—even by the most left-leaning Washington politician or those ridiculous gun-free zones. We have an inalienable right to defend ourselves, as well as our families, and our constitution guarantees every American the right to keep and bear the instruments necessary to do that. On this, there is no argument or room for discussion in my view. Gun-Free zones, or killing zones as I call them, only provide shooting galleries for those like Cho. Did you notice that he wasn’t deterred at all by the school’s gun-free zone rules, yet who paid the price for that rule’s violation?

The Police or the armed forces can’t protect every American 24/7…but we can. What do you mean colonel? Simply this, although government agencies can’t be everywhere, guns in the holsters of Americans could be everywhere and provide effective protection against all types of aggression—including terrorists, thugs and the dangerously insane.

We can’t and shouldn’t depend on government as the only means of protection against crime and terror. I get back to the law of self-defense here. We have the God given right and the God given duty to protect our own regardless of what those on the anti-gun left try to force on us.

Fact: More guns = less crime. John Lott conclusively illustrated this in his book and I’ve written about it so many times, gotten into so many arguments with so many anti-gunners and anti-gun politicians more times than I can count. What if those on the planes of 9/11 or at Virginia Tech had been armed, could the terrorists have taken over or could Cho have killed 32? I doubt it. Look how effective the Americans were that took offensive action, rushed the terrorists and crashed the plane into a field saving thousands of lives that day. What if those passengers had been armed? Need anyone on the plane have died—other than a few worthless terrorists? What if those students had been armed? How far would Cho have gotten in his rampage? We can only speculate. The point here is our enemy’s success on 9/11 and in gun-free killing zones depends on encountering unarmed, vulnerable targets. Terrorists, foreign and domestic, are like street thugs in their approach. They seek out the softest/weakest targets with the highest payoff. Thugs would much rather attack a mark they know is unarmed than they would someone that might be packing. This is indisputable given the fact that in areas where concealed carry is permitted, there is much less crime than in areas where guns are prohibited.

The bottom line is simple: Terrorists and thugs prefer less carry by those they attack. Doesn’t it stand to reason therefore that the less well defended Americans are the greater the terrorists’ odds of waging a successful war against us? If you answered yes, doesn’t it also stand to reason that in these times of terrorism those who talk against expanded carry, advocate gun-free killing zones or expansion of gun control should be looked upon with incredible disbelief and very real anger? I think so because when it comes down to it, whether gun controllers realize this or not, their approach promotes that which America’s enemies, terrorists, thugs and whackos would like to see—more vulnerable Americans. So in light of our war for survival, what does this continued push for enhanced gun control say about die-hard anti-gunners? It says its time America stood up in unison under the combined leadership and coordinated efforts of GOA, NRA, SAF etc, go on total offense, putting the anti-gunners on defense for a change and push back hard against these gun control nuts whose behavior is seriously endangering America’s future. Americans should be mad as hell over gun control measures that leave us vulnerable and we should refuse to negotiate or even listen to any more of that rot! We’ve seen the deadly results of being unarmed and I for one don’t like what I’ve seen. Do you?

Just the view from my saddle…

Contact Colonel Dan: coloneldan@bellsouth.net