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Additional Titles

PRAISE THE LORD & PASS THE AMMUNITION

By Mary Starrett
December 17, 2007
NewsWithViews.com

Americans should question the notion that stricter gun laws save lives. New Life Church member Jeanne Assam protected the lives of members of her church last Sunday by using a firearm.

An armed civilian acting swiftly and deliberately saved lives because she had a gun and used it appropriately, thereby stopping a mad man who was on a murderous rampage. Instead of four dead bodies, there would have been scores more if not for the fact that a law-abiding citizen ended the carnage by using a gun.

Just note the horrific consequences of having so-called 'gun-free zones' in light of the bloody scenes at Virginia Tech and the Omaha Mall. It should be apparent that guns in the hands of law-abiding people save lives.

The media have downplayed the most important aspect of this tragic story.

News stories have focused on the past law enforcement experience of the woman who stopped the killer. Calling her a "security guard", reports made it appear Jeanne Assam was part of an elite group with special abilities and opportunities most people lack; this could not be further from the truth. Able- bodied people of both genders across a wide spectrum of age have the capacity and should have the un-infringed, God-given right to defend innocent life.

Reports mentioned she was "trained, licensed, and background-checked." That is true of millions of Americans with concealed weapons permits. The media spin suggested this heroic woman was not simply an armed citizen exercising basic 2nd amendment rights.

Others interested in defending their lives against ever-increasing rampage shootings would do well to ignore the implication that they could never do what she did, that they should never dare to consider defending their lives and the lives of others.

I would encourage all Americans to look critically at the example of this tragedy that could have been worse, and note the effort to disarm Americans with more gun laws has not resulted in fewer shootings. On the contrary, schools and other places where people are prevented from or are less likely to be carrying self- defense weapons have become veritable shooting galleries for deranged gunmen. It's time Americans stop and think about where all these shootings are taking place�certainly not at police stations or other locations where there would be armed resistance.

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I would suggest voters fed up with the political duopoly that regularly works to further disarm us and now controls our government, look for another option. Polls show folks are largely dissatisfied with both "Big Box" parties and are considering the "third" option. The Constitution Party, the largest third party based on voter registration (Ballot Access News) calls on all Americans to acknowledge that guns don't kill people, criminals do�and in so doing stand up for the 2nd Amendment.

� 2007 Mary Starrett - All Rights Reserved