DON’T COMPOUND THE TRAGEDY OF MASS SHOOTINGS

Only a few days ago a 28-year-old woman identified by police as Audrey Hale entered a Nashville, Tennessee Presbyterian school, where she herself was once a student, and shot and killed six people including three 9-year-olds and three adults.

This incident, of course, ignited the familiar cycle of condolences, recriminations and blame shifting, including a few screechy choruses from the gun-control choir who seem ever ready to exploit human suffering and tragedy as an opportunity to advance their agenda of disarming law-abiding Americans.

I mention this because regardless of how many tragic shootings may take place and no matter how they may be spun to garner support for the elimination of private firearms ownership, these arguments are not logical nor are they lawful.

To the first point, many studies have demonstrated that more guns in the hands of citizens results in a more polite and peaceful society. In his book “More Guns, Less Crime”, John Lott presents a great deal of empirical evidence of this fact.

Secondly, and importantly, the right of the people to keep and bear arms cannot lawfully be infringed in any of these united States. Despite the efforts of many gun control zealots throughout the years, the wording and effect of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution is as sweeping as it is clear.

So, when these tragic shootings take place, we should pray for and lend assistance to those who have suffered, but we should never allow ourselves to be fooled into compounding the tragedy by acceding to the enemies of liberty.

The right to keep and bear arms makes it possible to enjoy all other constitutionally protected rights.

It makes liberty possible.