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The terrible violence in Arizona last weekend prompted
much national discussion on many issues. All Americans are united in their sympathies
for the victims and their families. All wonder what could motivate such a
horrible act. However, some have attempted to use this tragedy to discredit
philosophical adversaries or score political points. This sort of opportunism
is simply despicable.
We are fortunate to live in a society where violence is
universally denounced. Not one public official or commentator has attempted
to justify this reprehensible act, yet the newspapers, internet, and airwaves
are full of people trying to claim it was somehow motivated by someone else's
political rhetoric. Most disturbing are the calls to use government power to
censor certain forms of speech, and even outlaw certain types of criticism of
public officials. This was the completely apolitical act of a violent and
disturbed man. How sad that the attempted murder of the Congresswoman who had
just read the First Amendment on the House floor
would be used in efforts to chill free speech! Perhaps some would feel safer
if the Alien and Sedition Acts were reinstated.
Also troubling are the renewed calls for stricter gun
control laws, and for government to "do something" to somehow
prevent similar incidents in the future. This always seems to be the knee
jerk reaction to any crime committed with a gun. Nonsensical proposals to
outlaw guns around federal officials and install bulletproof barriers in the
congressional gallery only reinforce the growing perception that politicians
view their own lives as far more important than the lives of ordinary
citizens. Politicians and a complicit media have conditioned many citizens to
view government as our protector, leading to more demands for government
action whenever tragedies occur. But this impulse is at odds with the best
American traditions of self-reliance and individualism, and it also leads to
bad laws and the loss of liberty.
Remember - liberty only has meaning if we still believe
in it when terrible things happen and more government security is demanded.
Government cannot make us safe by mandating security any more than it can
make us prosperous by decreeing an end to poverty.
We need to reaffirm the core American value of
individual responsibility. Consider the young man who had the courage to
tackle the shooter and prevent further carnage because he himself had a concealed
weapon. Without that gun, he could have been yet another sitting duck. When
peaceful citizens are armed, they at least have a chance against armed
criminals.
Advocates of gun control would urge us to leave our
safety to law enforcement, but eyewitness reports indicate it took police as
much as 20 minutes to arrive on the scene that day! Since police cannot be
everywhere all of the time, a large part of our personal safety depends on
our ability to defend ourselves.
Our constitutional right to bear arms does not create a
society without risks of violent crime, and neither would the strictest gun
control laws. Guns and violence are a fact of life. The question is whether
it is preferable to be defenseless while waiting for the police, or to have
the option to arm yourself. We certainly know
criminals prefer the former.
Ron Paul
www.house.gov/paul
Copyright Dr. Ron Paul
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