Published on November 10, 2009
Although it has rarely been mentioned in the mainstream press, Ft. Hood, as with all military bases, has strict gun-control laws, including a prohibition on concealed carry. So just like a university (Virginia Tech), a high school (Columbine), and many other sites in this country, we add a military base to the list of places where mass shootings occurred and left defenseless people waiting in vain for law enforcement to arrive to end the horror. And since we all know that law enforcement cannot be everywhere at every time to protect us, it is way past time that the people of the United States realize that many of our gun-control laws (however well-meaning they might be) are not realistic and can have disastrous consequences.
The first gun-control law that needs to be reversed is the “gun-free zone.” This most recent massacre of innocents once again proves the mistaken notion that “gun-free zones” make an area safer for the public. On the contrary, “gun-free zones” only make it more dangerous. These zones practically guarantee that law-abiding citizens who are legally able to carry a concealed firearm will be unable to defend themselves and others from a violent shooter like Nidal Malik Hasan. To think that a law, or a sign on the front door that says you cannot enter with a firearm is going to stop someone intent on killing is ludicrous.
What will stop a potential shooter, however, is the knowledge that wherever he goes to commit his act of depravity he may run up against someone who is also carrying a firearm. This is the deterrent factor and it does work. Every state in the union that has legalized concealed carry has seen its violent crime rate significantly drop. There have even been studies in these states in which criminals have admitted that they feared their victim might be armed and therefore did not follow through on the attack.
But what happens when a would-be shooter knows that his potential victims will not be armed? His confidence is greatly enhanced knowing he can accomplish his goal. Unfortunately, Hasan was able to carry out much of his goal, until the actions of a brave police officer prevented the shooting from being even more deadly.
Therefore, since the right to life (and the right to defend one’s life) is an unalienable right given to all of us by God, these “gun-free zones” forced upon us by our legislatures are not only wrong, but also immoral. We all have one shot at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and for the government to create laws that jeopardize our freedom and safety is both irresponsible and un-American.