In the fantasy world inhabited by progressives, passing laws to restrict gun ownership and the carrying of firearms prevents violence. The precise opposite is the truth, as demonstrated convincingly by John Lott, whose research led him to change his position on gun control once he discovered the facts. His book More Guns Less Crime is required reading for anyone who wants to be honest about preventing the death of innocent Americans.

Yet the two coastal states that regard themselves as smarter and more sophisticated than the denizens of flyover country refuse to acknowledge this truth and maintains laws the restrict or even prohibit gun ownership and the bearing of arms in public places.

Worshippers in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas heroically demonstrated the wisdom of our Founders and the superiority of Texas-style governance yesterday when an attempt was made to slaughter a large number of people at the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement (can you imagine a pair of names more likely to elicit scorn from elitists?). Armed parishioners fought back and shot the gunman dead before he was able to slaughter more than two of them. NBCDFW reports:

Two parishioners and the gunman are dead after a shooting at a White Settlement church Sunday, officials say.

The shooting was reported at about 11 a.m. at the West Freeway Church of Christ in the 1900 block of South Las Vegas Trail.

During the service, a man went in and fired a weapon. Two church members, who were members of the parish's security team, returned fire and killed the shooter, who was pronounced dead at the scene, White Settlement Police Chief J.P. Bevering said.

You can watch the attack take place and be quelled here:

John Hinderaker of Powerline provides a picture tracing the line of return fire that took downthe killer and prevented a mass murder:

I am so ashamed of my own state of California and so in awe of Texans – their governance and their personal courage – that I’d move there right away, were it not for various compelling family and personal considerations that prevent it. Call me a prisoner of progressives. I'll continue to advocate adherence to the Second Amendment,but such is the "invincible ignorance" (A Catholic expression that I love) that they will not change within my lifetime.