Last week's tragic shootings in Canada and Washington state are certain to
lead to new calls for gun control. The media-generated fear over "lone wolf
terrorists" will enable the gun control lobby to smear Second Amendment supporters
as "pro-terrorist." Marketing gun control as an anti-terrorist measure will
also enable gun control supporters to ally with those who support any infringement
on liberty done in the name of "homeland security."
As with most infringements on liberty, gun control will not only make us less
free, it will make us less safe. Respecting the right of the people to keep
and bear arms is the original and best homeland security policy. Restricting
the right of people to arm themselves leaves them with no effective defense
against violent criminals or a tyrannical government.
Every year, thousands of Americans use firearms to stop violent criminals.
One notable example occurred in September, when Oklahoman Mark Vaughan used
a rifle to stop a knife-wielding co-worker who had already killed one person
and wounded another. Unfortunately, most of the media coverage focused on speculation
that the assailant was motivated by "radical Islam" rather than on Vaughan's
use of a firearm to protect innocent lives.
It is no coincidence that states that pass "concealed carry" laws experience
a drop in crime. Since passing concealed carry in Texas in 1995, murder in
the state has declined by 52 percent. In comparison, the national murder rate
declined by only 33 percent.
Perhaps the best illustration of the dangers of gun control is federal regulations
forbidding pilots from having guns in their cockpits. Ironically, this rule
went into effect shortly before September 11, 2001. If pilots had the ability
to carry guns on 9/11, the hijackers may well have been stopped from attacking
the World Trade Center and Pentagon or persuaded to not even try.
Shortly after 9/11, I introduced legislation allowing pilots to carry firearms
in the cockpits. Congress eventually passed a bill allowing pilots to carry
firearms if they obtain federal certification and obey federal regulations.
Aside from the philosophical objection that no one should have to ask government
permission before exercising a right, the rules and expensive approval process
discourage many pilots from participating in the armed pilots program.
It should not be surprising that the anti-gun Obama Administration wants to
eliminate the armed pilots program. I actually agree that the program should
be eliminated, so long as pilots who can legally carry a firearm in their states
of residence can carry a firearm on the planes they fly. Allowing pilots to
carry guns is certainly a more effective way of protecting our security than
forcing all airline passengers to endure the TSA.
Both gun control and foreign interventionism disregard the wisdom of the country's
founders.
An interventionist foreign policy, like gun control, threatens our safety.
A hyper-interventionist foreign policy invites blowback from those who resent
our government meddling in their countries while gun control leaves people
defenseless against violent criminals. Returning to a foreign policy of peace
and free trade and repealing all federal infringements on the Second Amendment
will help guarantee both liberty and security.
