Gun control and liberals

The liberal call for “gun control” is back in the news because of recent shooting events. When I encounter someone calling for gun control, my response is now “You must be sexist.”

After the dead silence from the politically correct crowd, followed by either a sneer or feigned outrage, I might attempt to explain. This, of course, depends solely on my perception of the willingness of the other side to listen.

Here is the explanation. Women are statistically far more vulnerable on average to assault or violent acts than men. The best equalizer in these circumstances is a firearm in properly trained hands.

I am treading on thin ice here, but some facts are indisputable. It is inherent in human DNA that, dealing with averages, women are smaller in stature than men. It logically follows that women on average do not possess the muscular bulk that men do. Don’t blame me, blame the human genome. Despite supposed gender confusion, DNA does not lie.

Firearms are annually used far more to avert a crime or assault than to commit a crime. That is according to statistics from the FBI, which show 2.5 million crimes prevented annually. That is far more than those murdered with firearms.

Keep in mind that those numbers include only those averted attempts that are reported. Who knows how many occurrences are not reported, or that the mere knowledge that someone may be armed has discouraged an attack? FBI statistics also show that crime rates are lower in areas where gun ownership is less restricted.

I find it odd that most liberals think everyone should be equal. Yet they promulgate firearms policies that strive to limit or eliminate availability of firearms to those that need them most. That group includes inner city minorities, who more often live in high crime areas, and women.

One of my requirements for my children was that before they could get a driver’s license, they had to be able to do certain things. One of those was to be proficient with firearms. One daughter attended college out of state. Traveling there meant a long drive across open spaces. On one stretch of road there might on a good day be five or six other cars on the road. Although, she never had occasion to use a firearm, it gave me comfort to know that she had one and knew how to use it.

The liberal call for gun control is being fueled by the seemingly everyday shootings being on the news. I don’t doubt that much of the news coverage is being hyped by the left, although there have been shootings with multiple victims. I also think liberals would rather have mass shootings than enforce the law. Following the law does not help their agenda.

In the two most recent shootings, near a California school and a Texas church, the shooters should not have legally been able to own or possess firearms. That is not a breakdown of too little law, it is an inability to enforce existing law. In the Las Vegas shooting, the Clark County Sheriff stated that no law would have prevented that one.

Mass shooters have some things in common. One, they nearly always have psychological issues or have been radicalized. Two, they typically choose a “gun-free zone” or an area they perceive as being relatively safe for them. And finally, none are NRA members. Oh, one more thing, a large percentage are either non-political or are Democrats.

People want to feel safe. It is telling that after a mass shooting incident, gun sales spike. That may seem counter-intuitive to some but actually makes perfect sense. You generally feel more vulnerable when such an incident brings your mortality to the forefront.

The choice to own a firearm for protection or not is a personal one. If firearms scare you or you have been brainwashed into believing that gun will jump out of the closet and shoot you, don’t own one. Likewise, if you believe firearms are dangerous in untrained hands and don’t want to learn or train, don’t own one. If having a firearm in your purse or on your person makes you feel safer, by all means ignore the liberals, call them sexist, and get your concealed carry permit. The statistics are on your side.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving. I also hope you survive Black Friday. By the way, I am surprised that Black Friday has not been banned as racist. Just saying.

Tom Riggins’ column appears every other Friday. He may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.