What follows is a list containing examples of everyday Americans doing exactly what the left decries as a fabrication of the mind — namely, using firearms to defend their own lives and the lives of others.

In January 2015, Politico magazine described the whole idea behind “defensive gun ownership” as a “tragic myth.” And in October 2015, The New York Times said the idea of average citizens drawing their guns to keep themselves safe is a “foolhardy notion.” More recently — on December 1, 2016 — the NYT suggested it is a “fantasy that citizens can stand up to gunmen by shooting it out.”

Do not tell that to the following 20 individuals who used guns defensively to defend their own lives and the lives of others during 2016:

It is important to note that this list of armed citizens using guns for self-defense could have been many, many times longer than 20 examples, but we chose to keep the list concise that it might serve as a convenient reminder that “self-defense gun ownership” is not a “tragic myth.” In fact, owning a gun for self-defense is part of American heritage and culture, and it allows the vulnerable to quickly level the playing field when under attack.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.