Not Enough Guns In Good Hands

Every tragic mass murder such as the recent tragic one in Oakland, California, in which 10 people were shot, seven of them fatally, brings forth a renewal of the mantra that "there are too many guns out there on our streets" and mindless chanting wails to curb the private possession of firearms.

That reaction ignores that the motivating massacre more often than not has occurred in a legally ordained 'gun free' venue, also known as a free fire killing zone, because there any shooter can safely assume his law abiding targets will be unarmed and therefore unabled to defend themselves or anyone else. Also ignored is the fact that the above-mentioned specific rampage occurred in California, which has the nation's most restrictive and burdensome firearms laws, thanks to the state's fantasizing citizenry and morally-posturing opportunistic legislators..

It is true that there are too many guns out there in the wrong hands. However, it also is true that there are too few guns out there in the right hands . . . the hands of good and responsible citizens. 

Inconvenient and unpleasant as it may be to the gun banners, the fact is that violent crime rates have been slashed by the carrying of concealed weapons by numerous law abiding citizens in the states that in recent years have made that legally permissible. Such citizens are capable of defending themselves and others, and would be miscreants are deterred by never being able to determine whether any of their potential targets are armed against the possibility of being victimized.

It is clear that efforts to keep guns out of the hands of evil doers by making it difficult or impossible for anyone to acquire and carry them have failed, and have done so spectacularly and miserably.  The nation's most violent jurisdictions -- including California, New York, Ilinois, the District of Columbia -- have the most restrictive firearms laws.  They would be well advised to change their approach by facilitating the placement of guns in good hands, which, despite dire and scary predications to the contrary, has worked out well almost every place that has done so. Were they to try it, they might like it.