Just the Elites
Probably the most strident activists fall into this category, and are the most dangerous. These people think that only a few (more often than not, themselves) should be allowed access to guns. Such notables include:
- Jim Carey, who venomously castigates people who oppose gun control, while hiring armed bodyguards for himself.
- North Carolina State Senator R. C. Soles, who doesn't believe the general public should have guns, but used a gun of his own to shoot an intruder in his home in 2011.
- Mayor James Schiliro, of Marcus Hook, Pa., a member of Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Mayor Schiliro made the news by allegedly using a gun to bully an underage boy into performing sex acts.
The Police
What about those that contend that guns should only be in the hands of the police and other government agencies, such as the FBI, IRS, and the Department of Education?
There are two reasons why law enforcement personnel need guns:
- Self defense, or the protection of others. For example, the Secret Service uses guns to protect the president and his family. So do many members of Congress. And Jim Carey. Why? Because guns are effective defensive tools. So why should the sovereign U.S. citizen be barred from using such an effective tool—especially if 83% of us will be the target of a violent crime?
- Because a gun makes it easy to kill someone who is non-compliant. This may sound a bit harsh, but think about it: if an officer points a gun at you and asks you to do something (very politely, of course) isn't that effective because you're pretty convinced he might actually shoot you? If that wasn't the case, people would not comply. Certainly, oppressive regimes throughout history and around the world today are perfectly willing to kill people who aren't quick enough to do what they're told. Sure, that's not supposed to happen in this country, but does anyone remember our own history?
