It could have been much worse

Monday, December 10, 2007 Filed in: Current Events, Techniques & Training
By now you've no doubt heard about the attempted massacre at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO.

To recap: man takes rifle into church parking lot, where he proceeds to shoot four people (two would later die) before making his way into the sanctuary. Luckily for the 7,000 people there, the church had a volunteer armed security staff, one of whom engaged and killed the attacker before he could get fully into that "target rich" environment.

It's no secret that many churches have, in the last decade, recruited armed volunteer security forces from their members. The media is doing it's level best to imply that the security person involved was an off-duty cop or paid security guard, but the fact is that she was a volunteer member of the church's security team. She was a concerned member who donated her time and skills to help protect her fellow congregates.

The outcome was, at least in my point of view, quite acceptable. I'm sure, however, that the more left-leaning religious organizations in this country will fail to learn from this example. (Were I a member of such an organization, I would reconsider my affiliation.)

Contrast this with last week's mall attack where eight people died - the mall was, like many others around the country, posted to be a gun-free zone. (Interesting tidbit: the mall management apparently removed all signage regarding their weapons policy shortly after the shooting occurred. Perhaps they're trying to cover their rears for the inevitable civil suits heading their way...) The result was the creation of a huge pool of potential victims, of which the gunman took full advantage.

Sadly, the lesson is lost on a surprisingly large percentage of the American public. The media certainly isn't on our sides, so it's up to us. When you find yourself in gatherings this holiday season, and the topic comes up, be sure to give a calm, rational, and factual response to those who fail to grasp the concepts ivolved. The more people whose minds we change, the fewer victims we'll have.

-=[ Grant ]=-

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