The Danger Of Gun-Free Zones

John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of More Guns, Less Crime, on the solution to crime in gun-free zones.

In November, Interpol’s secretary general, Ron Noble, noted there are two ways to protect people from such mass shootings: “One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves [should be] so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.”

Noble sees a real problem: “How do you protect soft targets? That’s really the challenge. You can’t have armed police forces everywhere.”

“It makes citizens question their views on gun control,” he noted. “You have to ask yourself, ‘Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past, with an evolving threat of terrorism?’”

An armed citizenry does indeed seem far preferable to a police state. Unless, of course, one rather likes the prospect of a police state. I have never understood why such people assume that 'their' faction will maintain control of the state. Nor has anyone explained how they would regain control of such a state once control had been lost.

His comments were made right after the terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where 68 people were killed. Kenya bans both open and concealed carrying of firearms by civilians.

That worked well for the shoppers and their children.