Firearms Friday: Free Fire Zones

Two weeks after the false alarm at the Washington Naval Yard, another unthinkable tragedy unfolded in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Another deranged individual targeted innocent military personnel left unable to defend themselves in a ‘Gun Free Zone’. Having defended their own lives and defending our way of life, they were left without a means to defend themselves against an active shooter in their own country. We can’t continue to allow those who have sacrificed so much already to be defenseless when they return home. Today, while flags may not be at half mast, we remember those who lost their lives yesterday because of this country’s nonsensical prohibitions.

This is just the latest in a string of horrors that were made possible, at least in part, by the inane limitations placed on those to protect themselves and other innocent lives. We cannot stop unstable people from committing heinous crimes but we can’t look at stripping an individual’s ability to protect themselves or others as a solution to the problem. What continues to be coined by many under the misleading term of “gun free zone” has proven to be anything but and should be seen for what they are “free fire zones”.

Whether it is trained individuals protecting innocent children or trained individuals defending their own lives, innocent people should be given every opportunity to live rather than be left to become victims in these lawless areas. Will eliminating these ‘zones’ prevent tragedy? There is no way that will happen but it is conceivable that such an elimination would have a positive outcome. After all, you would be removing the ‘targets of opportunity’ label from the backs of thousands upon thousands of innocent people on a daily basis.

However, let us go back to the events of yesterday. It is disturbing to think that those who risked their lives to defend our freedom and our rights are stripped of some of those rights as soon as they return home. How the heck does that make sense? Why are they expected to defend others abroad but not allowed to defend themselves and other Americans at home? Someone really needs to find a reasonable explanation for this nonsense.

And let us not forget that these tragedies are inflicted upon people by other people. The means by which these acts are committed should be a non-factor. In fact, those with the means to defend themselves and others, could potentially stop these mass murders before they happen. If anything, firearms are a solution not the cause of the problem that we are now facing. In the end, it comes down to people. There are good people and there are evil people. Rather than giving greater opportunity for evil to have their way, let’s make sure that good people have every means available to stop evil people from having their way.