By Amy Swearer
Contrary to the rhetoric of many gun control advocates, the
Second Amendment’s protection of the individual right to keep and bear arms is
not a malevolent, outdated barricade to peace that must be demolished or
diminished in the name of public safety. Rather, it is a fundamental part of
the nation’s scheme of ordered liberty.
Firearms are used far more often in self-defense than in
crime.
According to a 2013 report by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, which compiled and analyzed various studies involving
the defensive use of firearms, Americans use firearms in self-defense between 500,000
and 3 million times annually.
The agency’s own data indicates that approximately
1 million defensive gun uses likely occur every year, far outpacing the
number of times guns are used to illegally kill or injure others.
Nevertheless, gun control proponents regularly promote
policies such as limiting magazine capacity, banning commonly owned firearms,
and restricting the number of firearms a law-abiding citizen may purchase at
one time.
These policies not only fail to meaningfully address the underlying causes and mechanisms of gun-related violence, they also would hinder the ability of regular citizens to legally and effectively defend themselves and others. Every month this year, we’ve reported on Americans who were forced to rely on their Second Amendment rights to defend themselves or their fellow citizens.
Here are several examples from the month of May that shed light on the importance of allowing law-abiding citizens to exercise the right to keep and bear arms:
- May 1,
Detroit. A 59-year-old woman
defended herself and her home against three men who broke the security bars
on her window. The woman called the police. Then, fearing for her life in the
interim, she fired at the intruders. One intruder was wounded and all three fled. - May 5,
Memphis. A woman called the police twice after spotting a man on her home
security cameras who …read moreFrom:: Daily Signal – Feed