Can the solution to gun violence against the individual be found in an old “Cold War” policy?

It has been 12 days since the terrible shooting event in Aurora Colorado and I can’t help but think if there was just one armed citizen in that theater the injuries and deaths may have been greatly reduced.  One well-placed shot by a law abiding citizen exercising their 2nd amendment rights may have made a huge difference.  I have always believed the more guns in the hands of responsible citizens the less chance of violent gun crimes.  It follows the same principle of the old cold war policy of “Mutually Assured Destruction” (MAD).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this policy it’s the theory that in regards to nuclear powers neither side would launch an attack against the other if both sides are guaranteed to be totally destroyed.  It’s one of the main reasons why there has not been a third World War or why the Chinese haven’t tried to overwhelm us with superior numbers.  Nuclear weapons are a deterrent force and it was a military policy that the United States embraced for much of the cold war.  When one nation is fearful that an attack can lead to a massive equal in force retaliation, that nation is deterred from attacking because of the potential consequences.  If this theory was good enough for our nation during the cold war then why isn’t good enough for individual citizen?

The fact is in communities where individual gun ownership is high, gun crimes committed against individuals is greatly reduced.  When a large number of citizens are concealed carrying they are safer and when the individual is safer the entire community is safer.  Whether or not they realize it they are practicing of form of MAD.  They are creating an environment where it becomes less attractive for the criminal to commit a violent crime with a gun against an individual because in the end they know it may lead to their own destruction.  Now our friends on the left will never buy into this notion even though the facts contradict their narrative.  Instead they claim that people running around with guns will create a Wild West environment that will lead to more violence.  They embrace the flawed notion that by reducing the number of weapons they will reduce the chances of gun related crimes even though the statistics don’t support this.  It’s like asking all the nations of the world to eliminate their nuclear weapons stockpile in the hopes that it will make the world a safer place.  Rogue nations like Iran or North Korea who have a track record of disregarding international law and treaties will continue to develop and deploy nuclear weapons.  This is how it is with the criminal element in our society.

They do not respect the law so to them a gun band is only applies to law abiding citizens.  They have no intentions of abiding by the law because they are criminals and criminals break the law.  This opens the door to more gun crimes against those who are no longer in a position to defend themselves.  The threat of mutually assured destruction is no longer a factor and with that the fear the criminal once had of attacking greatly diminishes.  I for one believe the solution to gun violence against another can be found in the cold war policy of MAD.  After all if it was once good enough for America why wouldn’t it be just as effective for its citizens?  All citizens should be allowed to carry concealed anywhere and anytime.  I remember a sign posted outside of my friend’s home.  The sign read, “This house is guarded by Smith & Wesson three nights a week…you guess which three.“  Now that’s what I call deterrence and you know what…it works.

Liberty forever, freedom for all!