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 Armed
and Unharmed
by Michael Whitcraft
 Prof.
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira once wrote, that the modern
world suffers under the influence of those who wish "to
underestimate or deny the notions of good and evil, Original
Sin, and the Redemption."1
This accomplished, individual culpability and the very concept
of justice would fall by the wayside.
Today, the gun control debate offers
ironclad proof of this statement.
The gun-control lobby rallies in the
name of peace and safety. By distorting some facts, turning
a deaf ear to others or telling outright lies, they suggest
that unrestricted access of law-abiding citizens to guns would
lead to apocalyptic levels of carnage on the streets. Instead
they point to a utopian world of joy and peace in which gun
confiscation would solve all problems. Thus, they fill their
ranks with "useful innocents," ignorant of the underlying
agenda they promote.
Their reasoning is false because they
ascribe the evil of criminals to the instrument they use.
Thus, they believe that taking guns off the streets will eradicate
evil.
There is a sharp contrast between this
theory of disarmament and the teachings of Our Lord. Mindful
that evil exists in people and not inanimate objects, He exhorts
us to defend ourselves with the force of arms. "When
a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in
peace which he possesseth" (Luke 11:21).
In consonance with this teaching, it has been said that there
will always be wolves in the world and that disarming the
sheep will not make the wolves go away, but provide them with
an easier meal. The facts substantiate this:
- Violent
crime drops 4% for every 1% gun ownership increases
-
States enacting concealed carry laws experienced a 10% decrease
in murder and a 4.4% decrease in violent crime from 1977-1994
-
It is estimated that guns are used for defense in the U.S.
up to 3.6 million times each year 2
-
In 98% of reported cases, criminals flee the moment they
find out that their victim is armed3
These cold statistics are brought to
life by real-life stories of criminals who got an unexpected
surprise when their innocent victims fought back.
Sammie Foust, a 100-pound, 49-year-old
woman was alone, cleaning her house when a sadistic, 200-pound
man broke in and began cutting her face, in hopes of forcing
her to give up her valuables. Although she cooperated with
him, he persisted in his torture. Fortunately, she was able
to get hold of a pistol and shoot him four times, killing
him. After seeing the cruelty of her torture, paramedics cheered
upon hearing that her assailant was dead.
When Paul Brite of Coral Springs,
Florida was carjacked and forced into his trunk, luckily he
remembered that he had two pistols hidden there. After driving
him out of the city, the carjacker opened the trunk to find
Mr. Brite ready and waiting. After firing three warning shots
in the air and commanding him to lie down, the assailant reached
quickly for his right pocket, when the intended victim shot
him in the abdomen. Hearing the noise, an accomplice then
drove onto the scene, unrolled his window, presumably to shoot
Mr. Brite, and received a round in his car's passenger-side
door, causing him to flee. He was arrested later on that day.
In all of these cases, police protection,
even if successful, would have served only to apprehend the
criminals after the crime. "The police are a reactionary
force," said intended victim Gary Baker. "They only
react after a crime. So it's up to the individual to protect
himself or herself."4
Indeed, the police can only prevent
crime indirectly.
Their job consists, primarily, in
apprehending criminals after they have committed crimes. Thus
the right to keep and bear arms is inextricably linked to
the right of self-defense.
After Judy Davis broke up with her
boyfriend Robert Stella, he began stalking her. He would call
her incessantly, follow and threaten her. Miss Davis became
frightened and turned to the police. A restraining order was
immediately put on Mr. Stella, but he repeatedly disregarded
it. When he turned violent and beat Miss Davis, she decided
to take matters into her own hands. She bought a gun and learned
how to use it.
Predictably, Mr. Stella did not let
up. One evening when Miss Davis was out walking her dog, he
appeared and charged her. After running inside and locking
the door, she ran into her bedroom to get her gun just as
the door blew open with a loud crash.
She ran back to the door and pointed
the gun at Mr. Stella, ordering him to leave. Again he charged
her, but this time she did not flee. She emptied the revolver
into his chest causing him to flee. Hysterical, she called
911. Mr. Stella was apprehended and later sentenced to fifteen
years in prison.5
Influenced by a liberal agenda, the
media seldom report these stories. Only when guns are used
for evil do they feel a story newsworthy. Thus, an ocean of
negative press can often discourage gun-rights' activists.
These stories can be a source of encouragement
for them as well as anyone else who believes in the existence
of evil and the subsequent need for self-defense.
The Second Amendment is something
that every American should hold dear. These stories go beyond
cold statistics, and offer a more human side of the story
which gives life to an otherwise sterile debate. May Our Lady
help Americans reaffirm this basic right and thus leave them
the option to remain, like these intended victims, armed and
unharmed.
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