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January 16, 2007
Pigs Fly
Here's an amazing op-ed piece:
"It’s a phenomenon that gives the term 'gun control' a whole new meaning: community ordinances that encourage citizens to own guns.
Last month, Greenleaf, Idaho, adopted Ordinance 208, calling for its citizens to own guns and keep them ready in their homes in case of emergency. It’s not a response to high crime rates. As The Associated Press reported, 'Greenleaf doesn’t really have crime ... the most violent offense reported in the past two years was a fist fight.' Rather, it’s a statement about preparedness in the event of an emergency, and an effort to promote a culture of self-reliance.
And it may not be a bad idea. While pro-gun laws like the one in Greenleaf are mostly symbolic, to the extent that they actually make a difference, it is likely to be a positive one.
Greenleaf is following in the footsteps of Kennesaw, Ga., which in 1982 passed a mandatory gun ownership law in response to a handgun ban passed in Morton Grove, Ill. Kennesaw’s crime dropped sharply, while Morton Grove’s did not.
To some degree, this is rational. Criminals, unsurprisingly, would rather break into a house where they aren’t at risk of being shot...
Likewise, in the event of disasters that leave law enforcement overwhelmed, armed citizens can play an important role in stanching crime. Armed neighborhood watches deterred looting in parts of Houston and New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."
The article is amazing, not because it's accurate, or because it was written by Glenn Reynolds (who is known to be very pro-2nd Amendment), but because it was printed in the NY Times. Looks like someone was asleep at the editorial board.
Update: What timing. Today, Mary Katharine Ham at Michelle Malkin's site has posted a nice selection of gun defense stories that'll warm the cockles of your heart.
January 16, 2007 by Chris | Permalink
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Comments
As long as children are taught gun safety from a young age, I think every home should be armed. Just make sure you have a save place for your gun(s) when you leave the house because you don't want them ending up in the wrong hands if your house is broken into.
Posted by: Ryan | Jan 16, 2007 10:08:47 AM
That's why I got me one of these.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 16, 2007 2:54:22 PM
Chris, Ryan. One of those is a good idea. I hear horror stories about gun grabbers trying to discourage people from exercising their gun rights by introducing legislation that makes the owner of a stolen gun partly liable if the gun is used in a subsequent crime. They already have played this trick on gun manufacturers, with mixed results. I don't know how serious this legal threat is. But gee, why don't these a*holes go after, with the same gusto, the owners of cars that carjacked and used in a joyride where someone gets hurt?
Regarding Malkin's stories: Just like some people look forward to getting the New Yorker for the cartoons (for me, even these, the last saving grace of that magazine, have gone downhill), the first thing I read in each issue of the NRA's "American Rifleman" is "The Armed Citizen". If you ever want to kick back and read some stories about people who deserved what came to 'em, here's a nice archive of many back issues worth of Armed Citizen columns.
Posted by: Marty | Jan 16, 2007 3:53:19 PM
I think Ryan's point about keeping guns locked up when you're away is a good one. But one piece of advice that the public seems to have accepted as Gospel truth, but which very well may be wrong, is that you should keep guns locked up at all times, or keep the guns and ammo locked separately. I've seen studies that show that firearms have their greatest benefit in thwarting crime when they are easily accessible; unlocked, loaded, and preferably on your person. (This is over and above the overall positive effect guns have in lessening crime).
It's like the old adage "Give the attacker whatever he wants. Do whatever he says". On average, it's probably bad advice.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 16, 2007 4:12:02 PM
Chris -- I agree with you in theory. However, the main reason (apart from a jittery spouse, but I'm working on that) that I do not own or carry a gun is that I am extraordinarily clumsy. This is why I also do not play with knives unless I have to cook or something. Give long enough, I will, almost inevitably, mis-handle the firearm and cause harm to myself or someone I love -- not out of ignorance, mind you, but out of sheer antidexterity, if I may coin a word. You'd think all those years of Nintendo would have been good for something, but you'd be wrong.
So that is why I would not carry a loaded firearm with me.
Posted by: Ben | Jan 16, 2007 4:25:49 PM
Ben,
That's certainly your prerogative. My posts on this topic usually criticize people who might deny me my right to choose otherwise.
Just like with any tool (a table saw for instance) there's both danger and usefullness to consider. Every "gun person" I know puts a big emphasis on safety and training. These things don't just go off by themselves, and following a few basic rules will essentially eliminate accidents:
The Four Rules of Firearms Handling
by Jeff Cooper
Rule 1
ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
The only exception to this occurs when you have a firearm in your hands and you have personally unloaded it for checking. As soon as you put it down, Rule 1 applies again.
Rule 2
NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY
You may not wish to destroy it, but you must be clear in your mind that you are quite ready to if you let that muzzle cover the target. To allow a firearm to point at another human being is a deadly threat, and should always be treated as such.
Rule 3
KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
This we call the Golden Rule because its violation is responsible for about 80 percent of the firearms disasters we read about.
Rule 4
BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT
You never shoot at anything until you have positively identified it. You never fire at a shadow, or a sound, or a suspected presence. You shoot only when you know absolutely what you are shooting at and what is beyond it.
Posted by: Chris | Jan 16, 2007 5:05:42 PM
