No Controlling Authority

Understand something first. I do not own a gun and never have. But I was born with the right to own one, and if the notion ever strikes me to go buy one, I plan to do just that, without government interference. Of course the only reason anybody is talking about gun control at this time is due to the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 plus the shooter. And just like every other tragedy of this type, the first thing that comes up is gun control. I suppose that’s because one of the first things that people think is, “If he had tried to do this with, say a baseball bat, he’d either get too tired or sick after killing two or three people. And that makes perfect sense as long as you stop right there and never have another occasion to employ logic again in your life. “Mad man can’t get gun, tragedy is averted. End of story.” See, it all works out very nice and neat. Next issue, please.

But as soon as you start to ask the obvious questions, don’t be surprised when things turn ugly. Next time you hear this sort of thing, try making the following point: Start out by establishing what many experts in the field will confirm, namely that it is very near impossible to stop a committed, suicidal terrorist. That includes the Chos of the world along with Islamic terrorists everywhere seeking out their little slice of heaven, complete with 72 virgins. They cannot be deterred, even by their own destruction. You can seldom identify them or their plans ahead of time. That’s right; there is not a single thing in this world that can stop somebody like Cho. Except, perhaps somebody else who happens to be there and also has a gun.

Be sure to step back after you say this because even if the person you are talking to does not leap for your throat with both hands, there is still the danger that they will spontaneously combust and explode. You do not need to supply the follow up logic concerning police response time, concealed carry laws or the reassurance that criminals get from knowing their victims are unarmed. They already know those things, which is why they stand a good chance of detonating on the spot. In fact, when they leap to the obvious conclusion about where you are heading with this, deny it.

“I’m not advocating anything! I never said we should all go around packing heat did I? I’m not for turning it into the old west again. All I said was, there is one, and only one way that a guy like that could be stopped. I just stated a fact. Draw your own conclusions.” And step back, again.

“Everybody armed? That’s crazy,” they’ll say.

You should reply, “No, what Cho did was crazy, I’m just trying to deal with it.”