The Second Amendment is one of the most important parts of the Constitution. It gives people the ability the protect themselves from dangerous criminals. Despite this, many on the left want to make it more difficult to purchase a gun. However, if they succeed, it will also be much more difficult for people to protect themselves from dangerous criminals.

For example, earlier this week, three teens allegedly approached a man walking along the sidewalk and attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Unbeknownst to them, the person they were holding at gunpoint was an armed off-duty law enforcement officer. Fearing for his life, the officer pulled out his gun and shot at them. One of the teens was killed, another was injured, and the third escaped unharmed. Without a gun, it’s likely he would’ve been killed.

According to reports, the unidentified Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was attacked from behind by three teenage boys while walking on the sidewalk in Los Angeles. The officer claimed that one of the assailants repeatedly hit him on the head while another aimed a handgun at him and demanded his property.

This made the officer fear for his life and because of this, he pulled out his own CBP-issued pistol, which he was carrying at the time, and shot at the attackers. His main target was the person aiming the gun at him, which happened to be Darius Smith, a 15-year-old boy. Smith was hit several times by the officer’s bullets and died a short time later at the hospital. His gun was recovered at the scene.

An unnamed 14-year-old boy was also shot by the officer but his injuries are not life-threatening. Once he’s released from the hospital, he’s expected to go to juvenile hall. The third teen, also 14-years-old, managed to escape unharmed but was arrested shortly after and charged with attempted robbery. Thankfully, the officer only sustained minor bruising on his face and head and did not need medical attention.

Smith’s mom, Reshawna Myricks, claimed she refuses to believe that her son was a criminal. “I know my child, that’s not my child,” she argued, adding, “it’s not right. And I want to know what happened because the story you said ain’t the truth.” She’s convinced that the police department is being dishonest about what really happened and thinks the officer should face criminal charges.

As a result, she filed a lawsuit against him. Her attorney, Lee Merritt, denied that a robbery occurred and accused the officer of “executing” the 15-year-old boy. Specifically, he told reporters, “Darius Smith was executed. He was not in the midst of a robbery. He was shot twice in the legs first. [He fell] and his shooter got over him and shot him three times in the chest. That’s murder. That’s not subduing the robbery.”

Clearly, this is absurd. The officer has no reason to lie about what happened. Despite this, Myricks won’t hold her dead son accountable for his actions. This may explain why he was up to no good in the first place. If she had been more willing to admit when he did wrong, rather than try to deny it, it’s likely he would still be alive today. This is why taking personal responsibility is so important. It helps prevent situations like this from happening.

Unfortunately, many liberals fail to understand this. They’d rather claim everyone is a victim and shift the blame elsewhere. Some argue that the police officer is to blame. Others blame society, which they think is systemically racist. Regardless of which specific scapegoat they choose, if the criminal is a minority, the left will reliably fail to hold them responsible for their actions.

Additionally, situations like this underscore the importance of the Second Amendment. If he didn’t have his gun, the teens would’ve easily robbed and possibly killed him. If an off-duty officer finds it necessary to use a gun to protect himself from criminals, then the average citizen should be allowed to do the same.

Gun ownership is one of the best ways people can protect themselves from dangerous criminals. Because of this, the authoritarian left must not be allowed to make it more difficult to acquire a gun. Those who try need to be voted out of office by conservatives. Failing to do so will get innocent people killed.