AFA Responds to Insane Arguments Against Armed Guards at Tree of Life shooting

The American Family Association Responds to Insane Arguments Against Armed Guards by Dr. Michael Brown. President Trump had suggested that every house of worship should have armed guards, and the Huffington Post had written an article that attempted to counter the Presidents suggestion, while hilariously making the President's case. Note that I was pointed to this article by David Codrea at the War on Guns.

Before we get started though, you should probably go read the HuffPo article, written by Erin Schumaker here.

Ms. Schumaker brings up a number of points, but the most interesting is that armed guards don't stop mass shootings, they just move them. About this, Brown writes:

I mean no insult to Schumaker, but really now, you have got to be kidding me. How can this be taken seriously?

First, for the people at Disney Springs and EVE Orlando, the security guards apparently saved their lives. You better believe they’re glad those guards discouraged the killer from attacking there.

Second, if the Pulse had the same type of visible security, the killer might not have gone there either. (There was, in fact, a guard inside the Pulse who traded gunshots with the killer. But it would appear the security was not as outward and visible as at the other locations.)

Brown goes on to note that:

Schumaker also references a more recent event, when “security measures deterred a gunman who tried to enter a predominately black church last week, but he went on to kill two people at a nearby Kroger supermarket.”

Again, I’m sure the members of that predominantly black church are grateful for those security measures. As for the people tragically killed at Kroger’s, perhaps if that store had those same security measures in place, the murderer would have left that scene as well.

If one wants to explore further afield, the Aurora, Colorado shooter also apparently over looked two closer theaters in favor of the one that advertised the unarmed status of their attendees.

While I am sure that having more armed security guards will not stop all mass shooting, it is also true here as elsewhere in life, that the perfect should not be the enemy of the good.  That is, while more armed guards, more visibly placed, will help reduce mass shootings, there is no perfect solution.  Those seeking to kill large number of people will always seek out the softest targets.  In the end, each of us is held liable by our creator for our own lives.  We are each our own first responders.