No Law Should Threaten Gun Ownership

Gun enthusiasts are willing to discuss gun regulation laws as long as it is understood that no law will be considered acceptable if it threatens to undermine the Second Amendment. Guns have been an integral part of the development of this country, and the founding fathers understood how important it was to protect “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms…”

For every story of an accident or mishap, there is an equally compelling story of lives saved because a citizen owned and carried a weapon at a critical moment. These are just a few of the many dramatic stories.

The February 11, 2011 edition of The Sacramento Bee reported that a store employee shot into the air in an attempt to frighten off four men in ski masks. One of the men carried a gun. Contrary to those who characterize those who defend the Second Amendment as trigger happy, the store employee, clearly, only intended to end the situation as responsibly and peacefully as possible.

A Detroit pizza delivery man had an item not found on the menu for three individuals who tried to waylay and rob him at an abandoned house. Because the driver had a concealed weapons permit and a gun to match, the thieves ended up with more than they bargained for. The driver shot and killed one of the robbers while the other two were captured by the police a short distance away.

Things didn’t work out exactly as Anthony Lawrence Hauser, 17, planned on this particular Sunday evening in St. Petersburg, Florida. Instead of the robbery he probably envisioned, he ended up on the receiving end of four bullets. Raven Smith, his girlfriend Ashley Tanner, and his .380 caliber gun escaped unscathed after the attempted robbery by Hauser. Smith, who has a concealed weapons permit, reacted instinctively but stopped shooting when Hauser asked him to.

It might have ended differently for Mustapha Kassou if not for an unidentified armed man. Both Kassou and James Grooms, III owe their lives to this man. Grooms entered a Richmond, Virginia store and, in the commission of a robbery, shot Kassou twice. Another man in the store, also armed, shot Grooms and took his weapon from him. While others in the store suggested he kill Grooms, he did not. This is another example of an armed individual doing something positive and showing restraint even when holding the upper hand.

These are just a few of the many true stories about armed citizens saving lives that might, otherwise, have been lost. Until those advocating gun control fight fairly, those who support the Second Amendment will not succumb to attempts to infringe up on those rights. It is a safe bet the people whose lives were protected by responsible gun owners will be happy to share their opinions with you.

F. Gibbons is a writer for PoliMil and is interested in weapons of all kinds and constitutional issues.