Approximately, six thousand, eight hundred forty-nine (6,849) times per day, a law-abiding citizen defends his home, family, or property with a firearm. No blood is shed in most cases. This is good news, but you won't hear about it in the media.

The media will hone-in on criminal mass shootings which occur infrequently but are reported with such fervor as to make one think that this sort of thing happens every day. The coverage is enough to make the uninformed believe that no one is safe anywhere and that a madman with a gun could unleash a spray of bullets at any moment. The reporting is intended to scare people into supporting gun bans. They want you to believe that the gun is the single common denominator.

If guns really do cause crime, why is it that mass shootings only occur at places where people are presumed to be unarmed? Schools, churches, and shopping malls seem to be among the favored targets for mass killers. If guns are to blame, why don't we ever hear about mass shootings at gun ranges? On hunting trips? At police stations or military bases? Everybody's got a gun at these places, yet no mass shootings. Why not?

Gun-banners seem to be approaching the issue as though they are the parent and criminals are the children. They seem to think that if they confiscate all guns, crime will cease to occur. But, if you really want to improve the crime rate, you need first to understand the criminal and second, to outsmart him. This works on both a broad scale and at the personal level in a life-threatening situation.

First of all, forget the idea that you will ever eliminate firearms. Even if, in some fantasy world, guns were banned, they would not cease to exist. In fact, a gun ban would create a new and lucrative market for illegal guns. Criminals would make homemade guns in their garages that would sell at a premium and would exist in such large numbers that nothing short of a total police state could deter. Remember, we are not dealing with children here. We are dealing with adults who do not abide by what you say or what the government says.

Getting back to reality, we know that mass shooters want to inflict pain on innocent people and they are most likely seeking attention on a massive scale. The cause of such behavior is best left to psychologists and spiritual advisors. But, in the reality of the moment, the only realistic way to prevent such a crime is for a lawful armed person to protect yourself and others. To act in the absence of law enforcement in a manner consistent with law enforcement. In other words, do what a cop would do.

Anti-gunners cringe at the thought of "everyone having a gun." In reality, only a percentage of people in shall-issue concealed carry states actually apply for permits. It is doubtful that everyone with a CCW permit carries everywere, all the time. Furthermore, background and safety checks are required for anyone requesting a concealed carry permit. Despite the extreme fantasies of the fearful, everyone will not be walking around with a gun. But if they were, society would probably be a lot safer. One needs look no further than the local gun range, military base, or police station to know that this is true.

Jennifer Freeman is Executive Director and co-founder of Liberty Belles, a grass-roots organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the Second Amendment.
http://www.libertybelles.org
jennifer@libertybelles.org