First Right Is the Right to Defend Ourselves

As I write, 49 bodies have now been removed from the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

Fifty-three more patrons suffered wounds, in the deadliest shooting rampage perpetrated in modern American history. The gunman, Omar Mateen, took a timeout during his shooting spree to call 911 and profess allegiance to the Islamic State.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the shooter first opened fire outside the nightclub, exchanged fire with a uniformed Orlando police officer working security for the nightclub, and entered the club where he began his mass murder spree. By the time additional officers arrived, it was too late for 102 of his victims.


At the time of Mateen's entry, there were 300 unarmed patrons in the club.

The Pulse was a "gun free zone" under Florida law. A number of things are evident from the early news accounts:

1. Mateen ignored the "gun free zone" signs on the doors.

2. The Pulse's "gun free zone" status did not prevent gun violence or save lives. The fact that patrons were unarmed facilitated the slaughter.

3. The fact that an armed officer was working security outside the club did not protect the patrons. The armed terrorist was in the club before the officer could stop him.

4. The police officers responding to the call for help arrived too late to prevent 102 patrons from being shot.

5. Stricter gun laws would probably not have prevented the massacre. France had stricter gun laws, yet the Paris shooters still found a way to get guns.

If Mateen had been unable to acquire a semi-automatic rifle, could he not have achieved the same result using one or more semi-automatic pistols? Or a hand grenades? Is there no black market for these things?

6. Attorney General Loretta Lynch's dicta that the “most effective” weapon at America’s disposal against Islamic terrorism is “love” is absurd. Six million Jews found prayer inadequate against Hitler's Holocaust.

But what if some of the patrons at the Pulse had been armed? What if only 1 percent had been carrying concealed? What if one of them was behind Mateen as he started to shoot? What if one of them was off to his side? What if one was in another portion of the building, and had time to take cover and return fire?

Of course, it is all speculation. But I am guessing that while Mateen would have killed and wounded a number of those present, he would not have had enough time to kill and wound 102. And if 2 percent of the patrons were carrying concealed, he would have had to face six people able to defend themselves and others about them.

Admittedly, they could have hit other patrons by mistake. The police could have, too. Admitting that, I doubt that 49 people would be dead and 53 wounded had six patrons been carrying.

Experience teaches that gun free zones have proved to be superb killing fields for the Dylan Klebolds and radical Islamic terrorists who believe their religion justifies/mandates slaughter of unarmed civilians -- women, children, etc.

There is a partial list of Islamist terrorists attacks since 1980, lest you have forgotten, at                 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Islamist_terrorist_attacks.

The simple fact is, the terrorists are winning. There are not (and never can be) enough police in America to stop the San Bernardinos and Orlandos. There will never be enough police to protect every bar, nightclub, school, amusement park, airport, bus station, wedding, funeral, and every other soft target in the U.S. And when the government is unable (or unwilling) to protect us, we have the most basic of all rights -- the right to defend ourselves.

For many years, when I was a judge, I favored gun control. Wanton Islamic terror has caused me to reconsider. Experience (e.g., Ft. Hood, San Bernardino, Paris, Orlando) teaches that the only way to stop the terrorism is via concealed carry by screened and trained citizens.

So, do we have more to fear from citizens permitted to carry concealed than from terrorists? See my next op ed.


Posted July 1, 2016, QCOnline.com

Copyright 2016
John Donald O'Shea