An Armed Population Is Not Enough To Guarantee Safety Or Freedom.

It's a given of gun-rights supporters in the United States that a well-armed population is a guarantor of freedom and is safer from crime than an unarmed population. Middle Eastern societies prove that more is needed. Gaza is the latest example.

"In Khan Yunis, a gritty southern Gaza city that features a thriving gunrunning trade, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Wafi's police force struggles to keep up. 'People have a lot of weapons, and the slightest things set them off,' he said. Thefts, burglaries and violent neighborhood arguments in Gaza City have risen 70% in recent months, one police officer estimated. Many of the new offenders are teenagers whose families can no longer provide spending money. Their favorite targets: car stereos, generators and especially cellphones. 'It used to be one or two cases a day in our area. Now it's at least four or five,' said the officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. 'It started once the salaries stopped being paid.'" (Here.)

America's population is well-armed and relatively safe. Our society remains free after 200 years of republican self-government. The second amendment's right to bear arms guarantees that individuals will have the means to protect themselves. However, that is not enough to guarantee safety from crime and freedom from tyranny. One man alone, even armed with the latest firearms, is no match for an out of control mob, for equally-armed criminals, or a tyrant's police force.

-tdr

Technorati: Firearms, Freedom, Second Amendment.