A while back, I mentioned that running from a criminal is often a bad idea. A recent case from Yonkers reinforces this point:
As reported, five friends were standing on the 100 block of Linden Street in Yonkers, New York, when an armed criminal walked up to them. The criminal informed the five friends that he was going to rob them. Of the the friends took off running, at which point the criminal shot the man twice, hitting his leg. The criminal then proceeded to rob the five men, before fleeing. The injured victim was listed in stable condition at a local hospital, and the police do not have a useful description of the robber.
Not surprisingly, a human on foot just isn’t fast enough to outrun a bullet, which may travel at speeds well in excess of 800 mph. Nor will complying with a criminal’s demands necessarily prevent the criminal from harming the citizen, as this deli owner, this home invasion victim, and this family have all tragically learned. Relying upon the police for protection is also a choice that I find to be unwise, since police may fail to arrive for 14 hours or have a dispatcher who falls asleep on the job. Indeed, even if the police get there in just a couple of minutes, that may often be too late, since it takes just seconds to commit a murder.
The fact is that armed citizens are in the best possible position to defend themselves and their loved ones. This armed barber shot an armed criminal who threatened his young child, saving his son. This armed pet shop clerk shot an armed robber who threatened a fellow employee’s life, saving their lives. This armed pizza delivery man defended himself against a trio of robbers, saving himself. This armed citizen stopped a bank robber, while this armed Israeli stopped a terrorist. This armed woman shot a rapist, while this armed woman shot a stalker that broke into her home. Even citizens who are illegally carrying guns have stopped bat-wielding racists and armed robbers.
Gun control, on the other hand, fails to disarm criminals, and only ensures that their victims are defenseless.