In all the anti-self defense stuff that comes up in the ensuing days I hope that the anti's will remember that removing a person's ability to carry a gun will affect that person's ability to protect themself when a potential assassin decides he has more targets than just a high profile person.
Problem is, I doubt they can remember that because they never realized it to begin with.
Some things which I suppose elude the antis:
1) One can not ban guns.
That is to say no matter how hard ones tries, one cannot un-invent the gun, remove them from the possession of everyone in the US, and prevent further purchases. To do so would be unconstitutional but let's forget that and suppose one tries. Law abiding citizens would turn in their guns (ok, so not really for the most part. ATF registration anyone?) and few if any would still carry them. That leaves the thug types and criminals with all the firearms. Best of luck to you if you actually use one to defend yourself.
Think for a second about currently illegal drugs such as Marijuana. Cocaine (Heroin, Ecstasy, pick one) is perhaps a better example as there is no way to legally possess or use it as far as I know. There is no legitimate reason for anyone to ever have cocaine. I've never used the stuff in my life and know of 2 places less than 5 minutes away where I have a very good chance at finding some.
The Drug War is a failure and a total ban on firearms would produce similar results.
2) We fought and killed before we had firearms
Suppose all commercially produced guns are removed from the possession of everyone but the police types. (naive)
We'll still have homemade guns, crossbows,
penknives, clubs, rocks, explosives, poison, and fists. The brain is the weapon, the firearm is a tool.
3) When seconds count, the police are minutes away...
It looks like an unarmed guy tackled the guy shooting everybody, and a citizen with a gun from across the street helped hold him 'till the police arrived. This was a congresswoman. Where were the cops?
Would armed security (or attendees) have stopped the shooting of 20 people? Probably.
5 people? Maybe.
3, 2, 1? Probably not.