Just a couple of days ago, a terrorist attack in Israel looked an awful lot like an American mass shooting. You know, that "uniquely American" atrocity that doesn't happen anywhere else until it does.
But there are some facts about that attack, and what ended it, that illustrate a big thing about gun rights in the U.S.
First, let's understand that Israel has a lot of gun control. It doesn’t seem to have quite as much as it did a year ago and it has far more than we'd find tolerable here in the US.
That said, the laws are on the books are clearly not used to keep regular folks disarmed. They seem to almost be pro forma rules put in place to make it seem like Israel has strict measures but are only somewhat applied.
And that may have saved some lives (emphasis added):
Seven people were killed and at least eight others wounded in a shooting and stabbing terror attack in Jaffa on Tuesday evening, according to Israel Police, in one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent years.
Two terrorists, one of whom was armed with a rifle and the other with a knife, attacked civilians on the Tel Aviv light rail before getting off and continuing on foot and shooting and stabbing people on Jerusalem Street in the city.
A municipal security officer and armed civilians shot and “neutralized” the two terrorists, police added.
Armed citizens pulled out their weapons and killed the terrorist scumbags who wanted to kill as many innocent people as possible.
This echoes the shooting at Greenwood Park Mall in Greenwood, Indiana, in July 2022, when a mass shooter walked in and opened fire with an AR-15. Unbeknownst to him, there was an armed citizen there who drew his lawfully carried firearm and killed the dirtball before he could hurt anyone else.
There's a lesson here, but it's not one you're going to hear from Kamala Harris or Tim Walz, nor any other Democrat at the federal level. The lesson is that good guys with guns stop violent attacks.
The police may want to protect you. I was raised by a cop, so I have every reason to believe that most would love to keep you safe and sound.
The problem is that there are only so many police officers on duty at any given time. They simply can't be everywhere they need to be. That's part of why the courts have ruled that the police have no duty to protect you.
But because they can't be everywhere, that means the bad guys get to pick when they start to get violent.
The best way to end it is with someone they don't expect to be a problem. Armed citizens end a lot of violent acts, often without firing a single shot. Most predators like these are cowards. They don't want their prey to have teeth of their own, so they run.
Terrorists are willing to die, so don't expect them to run, but if they want 72 virgins, the least we can do is arrange the date for them. Knowing they'll instead learn about the errors of their ways just makes it easier to pull the trigger should it be warranted.
The right to keep and bear arms is a bulwark against tyranny. Terrorism is nothing but a way to be a tyrant without having all the power. It's Tyranny of the Thug with automatic weapons and a deep sense of righteousness because you're disturbed ideology justifies it all.
Carrying a gun and being able to do so lawfully means we can end these threats quickly. If more people carried, we'd have fewer threats. It's just that simple.