Friday, November 2, 2012

Guns as Equalizers

Pistols, in the 19th Century, were called “equalizers” because they made the tiniest woman equal to the biggest man. I’m not even going to say I’m a believer, because I don’t “believe” it’s true, no more than I believe 2+2=4. It just is true.

I have known three women who were murdered. I did not know them personally. One was strangled by a serial killer a few weeks after I left my job and she was hired. She was a small young woman, and for that matter, the guy who killed her wasn’t that big. I could have taken him, which is why these guys kill the weaker, such as women.

It turned out the guy who murdered her was a serial killer, and over 12 years or so he killed half-a-dozen women before he was caught and got life in prison.

The other two were sisters, and I did meet their mother. They were raped and thrown off of a bridge by four teenagers.

In each case, if these women would have had a pistol, or even a knife, they would have survived. Even a two-shot, .22 derringer would have saved their lives, just with the threat of it, if nothing else.

I once wrote an article about the two sisters, and made a silent bet with myself that at least one imbecile would tell me young people should not carry guns. I responded, “So you’re saying it’s okay that these women were raped and murdered, then?” and got no response.

I am reminded of the classical definition of a liberal: someone who would rather see a woman raped and strangled with her own panty-house rather than defend herself with a handgun.

I think it should be a law that everyone has to carry a concealed handgun. Sure, there would be an adjustment period in which those genetically and character-deficient were eliminated, but in the long-run (meaning a few weeks) society would be much more peaceful.

1 comment:

Kent McManigal said...

I knew one girl who was murdered. I knew her pretty well. And, as much as I like seeing armed women who are ready to defend themselves, I can honestly say I don't think it would have helped her to be armed. For all I know she might have been armed.

She knew her ex (a mental patient) was stalking her- he left plenty of evidence. When he killed her, he did it by pulling up beside her as she sat in her car at a stop light, and shooting her in the head. She never knew he was there.

Still, just like sometimes you'll get killed in a car wreck with even the best driving skills, the fact that a gun sometimes fails to save a person is no excuse to not take advantage of the best tool ever invented for helping a smaller, weaker person survive unharmed an attack by a larger, stronger, and meaner person.