Europeans should assert the right to bear arms

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms, disarm only those who are neither inclined, nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants. They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man. – Thomas Jefferson

On Friday, 13^th November Paris witnessed the worst terror attacks in its modern history. As if on cue, President Hollande led the western establishment’s predictable knee-jerk reaction in calling for greater security, more intrusive surveillance and diminished civil liberties. Within a few days the European Commission (EC) adopted a package of measures including stricter controls on sale and registration of firearms and a “ban on certain semi-automatic firearms which will not, under any circumstance be allowed to be held by private persons…”

Ostensibly, these rules are meant to bolster security, and many unsuspecting Europeans will accept them as such. However, these measures will probably achieve exactly the opposite effect. As the Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble recently explained, there are really only two choices for protecting open societies from terrorism: either create secure perimeters around all potential targets or allow civilians to carry their own guns to protect themselves. Securing the soft targets would include making everyone coming and going have to pass through extraordinary security. As Noble remarked, “You can’t have armed police forces everywhere.” Indeed.

Let’s examine a plausible scenario today. On 26^th November, Italian police intercepted an arms shipment from Turkey bound for Belgium. It consisted of some 800 pump-action Winchester shotguns. Although barely mentioned in the Western media, this is a chilling bit of news. Who are the intended recipients of these guns? And what are they for? As we now understand, Turkish deep state has long been supportive of ISIS and other Islamic extremists fighting in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Many of these extremists likely penetrated Europe with the recent migrant floods. Many, as we know, are based in Belgium.

A clandestine flow of arms destined to these extremists is probably not intended for hunting or biathlon training. If they are intended for more terror attacks, European cities are completely vulnerable. Among a disarmed population, who could stop an armed shooter? Official security forces may take a while to get to the scene, giving the shooters plenty of time to kill dozens. But if there were armed individuals in the crowd, skilled and able to use their weapons, many lives could be saved.

Now, if you imagine one of your loved ones in a crowd being attacked by terrorists, the choice between depending on professional security forces and allowing citizens to bear arms is rather obvious. Perhaps it is time for Europeans to demand that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution be copy-pasted into European Constitution (or treaty, or whatever document(s) the EU is based upon). Terrorists don’t mind breaking laws so gun laws don’t impress them. They only stifle the law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves and their communities.

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