Gun-free Zone: An Idea Whose Time Has Come......To Go

Regardless of how one feels about gun control or the 2nd Amendment, one thing is for certain - and all the evidence bears it out - gun-free zones are a bad idea. The massacre of four Marines at a Chattanooga recruiting station is just the latest result of this bad idea. The pictures in the newspapers from the crime scene of the "gun-free zone" sticker surrounded by bullet holes in the glass tragically and ironically demonstrate the point - criminals don't obey the law. Furthermore, those intent on killing lots of people look for the best opportunity to be successful. They avoid areas where they think there will be a high police presence or there is a high likelihood that they will meet armed resistance. The evidence is crystal clear.

According the Crime Prevention Research Center, 92% of the public mass shooting since 2009 have taken place in gun-free zones. [http://crimepreventionresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/CPRC-Mass-Shooting-Analysis-Bloomberg2.pdf] James Holmes, the recently convicted, Aurora, Colorado movie theater killer, chose the one cinema out of the seven theaters in his area showing the premiere of the new Batman movie that was a designated "gun-free" zone - not the closest or the biggest - the safest for him and the one where he would not face an armed defender or defenders. The murderers themselves often leave a written record of why they chose the target that they did and usually they specifically site that they seek to attack locations where they aren't going to face another armed person. Elliot Rodgers, the Santa Barbara killer, wrote in his crazy manifesto that he specifically wanted to avoid areas where there would be lots of police because he didn't want to be stopped before he was able to kill a lot of people. (By the way - key safety tip: If you ever hear someone talk about writing a manifesto or you stumble across one on the Internet, alert the authorities - you have identified a freaking nut job!) Sandy Hook, Ft Hood (shootings 1 and 2), the Washington Navy Yard - all gun-free zones.

While not a mass shooting, several years ago, airport rental car companies had to stop putting stickers on their cars because carjackers realized that if you were in a rental a car coming from the airport, you most likely just got off a plane and couldn't be armed. You were an easy target.

The point is criminals and mass murderers look for easy targets. It's time to stop making it easy for them. We should start by not patronizing businesses that are "gun-free" zones. It could save your life! Here is a list of gun-free zone businesses (potential death traps) to avoid:



Or at least write and tell them to stop advertising themselves as nice, soft targets to the bad guys. I'm not saying I want a bunch of armed people in these places. I just don't want crazies to know for sure that there aren't any there.

And for heaven sake, let out trained military men and women carry their side arms on base again! It is what they do.