I couldn’t believe it. I heard a news story where a person said, “The police should protect me on campus. Self-defense isn’t my job.” While that is a fine attitude for a child, it seemed perversely immature from an adult. If you’re not sure where you stand on that issue, then let me bring up some obvious points.

Criminals are a fact of life. The first point is that there are bad people in our world. They are even on campus. These bad people don’t worry if they hurt us. In fact, we are as insignificant as an insect to them. They will simply take what they want. It could be our wallet, our body, or even our life. It is hard for us to understand their point of view. We don’t go around looking for innocent people to victimize. They do.

Ask the experts. I wish bad people were not with us, but they are. It can be hard to believe that bad people exist because we don’t see them every day. If you think that your town is immune, then please go ask an expert on crime in your area. Fortunately, these experts are available every hour of the day or night. They are happy to talk to you. Please walk into your local police station and ask the officer at the desk if there are bad people in your town.

Take your time. I’ll wait.

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You don’t stop evil by being defenseless.

It is your job to protect those you love. Our immature friend said the police were there to protect her. As much as I appreciate the police, it isn’t their job to protect you or me as individuals. Protecting us from an immediate threat isn’t even near the top of their job description. The police catch repeat criminals and collect evidence for prosecutors. That is their job.

The police don’t have magic powers. I don’t blame the police that they can’t keep me safe. Protecting me is an impossible job for any police department. In practical terms, it is only after we’ve been threatened, robbed, beaten or raped that an unarmed citizen even has a chance to call the police. You are already a victim by that time. The criminals are long gone before the police even get the call for help. That is why law enforcement officers ask us to protect ourselves until they arrive. Again, you can ask them if you don’t believe me. I’ll wait.

Self-defense should be left up to us. Self-defense advocates, like me, say you should carry a legally owned firearm, but only if you want one. Anti-rights advocates go further. They say we should not be allowed to protect ourselves even if we want to. They say, “I don’t want to protect myself, and you shouldn’t be allowed to either.” That attitude imposes their bigoted views on others. It is intolerant and dictatorial.

We can’t be allowed to have whatever they don’t want for themselves.

You know best. Most of us feel differently. We have a live-and-let-live attitude that says, “You know what you need better than I do.” Sure, I want you to protect yourself and your family, but I’d never force you to do so. I even want you to get a gun because I think firearms are useful tools for self-defense. I also want you to get training so you can do the right thing at the right time. I want lots of honest people to have guns so they can protect the innocent. That reduces violent crime and keeps us all safer… even anti-gun advocates. Yeah, that is what I want, but the choice is up to you.

Anti-rights advocates disagree. Anti-rights advocates think the police should come with guns and disarm honest gun owners. That sounds violent to me. I’m tolerant and “Pro-Choice” when it comes to self-defense. So are most of us.

Help me here. Tell me which one of us is violent, and which one of us is for peaceful co-existence?

photo credit: T.H. Images Police Light Moments via photopin (license)