Over two years ago, even the Secretary General at Interpol, an outfit one might expect to be unreceptive to individiuals' right to self-defense, said that one approach to the problem that terrorist groups are more frequently choosing to attack any place that people may congregate is "to say we want an armed citizenry."
By contrast, Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky clearly isn't interested in giving potential terrorist victims a chance to defend themselves. She's more interested in using the Paris attacks as a springboard for advocating stricter gun laws. The press is failing to report what opportunists like Schakowsky are saying, likely because they realize that most of the American people are strongly opposed to such efforts.
In an interview on Sirius XM Radio (HT NewsAlert via Gateway Pundit), Schakowsky said that the attacks were a “chilling reminder” that the U.S. needs more restrictions on the availability of guns:
Transcript (starting at the 0:09 mark):
SCHAKOWKSY: ... Obviously it is frightening for every Western country. But I do want to remind you that before we killed a jihadist named Alaki (possibly not spelled correctly — Ed.), he did a video which said to Americans, he said, "Join the jihad and get guns," because it's so easy in the United States of America to get a weapon. And that ought to be a chilling reminder, because aside from blowing themselves up, which is of course not about small weapons, these people use the kinds of weapons that are still available in the United States of America. And I think it ought to cause us to have another consideration of sensible gun safety laws.
HOST: Well, evidently the weapons were also available in France, I guess.
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, y'know, we traffic small weapons around the world. And so it's not clear exactly where those came from. But you're right, that they are, that people get them. But they're so available here in the United States was the message that was sent to possible recruits for the terrorist organizations.
Limiting the availability of guns to citizens who may be in a position at a critical time to defend themselves and others will do almost nothing to prevent jihadists and jihadist wannabes from getting guns. The outcome of the Paris attacks might have far less deadly if just a few of those in the vicitimized crowds had guns and knew how to use them.
Shakowsky's district is largely in Chicago, which does as much as almost any other city besides New York to restrict gun ownership. There have been 419 murders in the Windy City so far this year, the vast majority resulting from criminals' use of guns. Clearly restricted availability hasn't had much of an effect.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
