Contributed by: filbert Friday, March 07 2008 @ 08:36 AM CST
Instead of an increase in violence, adoption of Florida-style concealed carry policies has been followed by a decline in violence. The extent to which that decline can be attributed to more guns in the hands of law-abiding people in public places remains a matter of much controversy. But one thing seems pretty clear: The fears stoked by opponents of concealed carry liberalization were unjustified. Are there good reasons to think their dark predictions about guns on campus will be any more accurate?
The easy, knee-jerk reaction is to say “well, of course there shouldn’t be guns on college campuses.” But what we know know, much to our sorrow, is that easy reaction leaves an entire community virtually defenseless against those among us who get pushed over the edge.
The solution here isn’t to perpetuate the defenselessness of good people when the crazy ones attack. But that’s what gun bans essentially promote. Law enforcement can’t be everywhere, and can’t respond fast enough to deal with imminent, deadly threats to the community.
This country was built on the concept that political power comes from the people, and portions of that power are delegated to the government. Gun bans are an instance where, at a fundamental level, that delegation can not, will not ever keep us as safe as we would be if we allowed responsible members of our society to fill the gaps that law enforcement in a free society will inevitably have.
Gun bans are, in short, a good idea that simply doesn’t work in the real world–unless you’re willing to tolerate a level of police intrusion into our daily lives that, God willing, Americans will always reject.