Do Guns Save Lives?
by Dr. Michael S. Brown
July 6, 2002

“Guns Save Lives” is the fitting title of a book about citizens who
successfully defended themselves with guns. This is the second such book
by Robert A. Waters, whose first effort, “The Best Defense,” was wildly
popular with gun owners and political activists.

The heart of the book is a collection of stories that Waters developed
after studying police reports, reading news stories, and interviewing
actual participants. In spite of the thorough preparation, this is
anything but a reference book. It reads more like an action novel in
which each chapter contains a suspenseful climax.

Reading all 46 cases in quick succession allows the reader to see
profound patterns in these violent events. The most obvious common
thread is the unfortunate fact that the police can’t be there when you
need them and violent assailants often prefer surprise attacks to
prevent victims from calling for help. Even if you are able to call,
terrible events can transpire in the deadly interval after one dials
911.

Students of the gun will notice an interesting pattern in how many
people successfully defend themselves with tiny weapons, like .22, .25
and .32 caliber handguns that are often derided by the anti-gun lobby as
“junk guns” and “Saturday night specials.” In many cases however, the
marginal stopping power of these little guns prompt the citizen
survivors to purchase something bigger at the first opportunity.

One interesting example involving small handguns occurred in 1997. A
high-strung robber armed with a shotgun attempted to rob a crowded
restaurant. Two customers with permits to carry a concealed handgun were
watching events unfold, each unaware of the other. The robber became
incensed when the terrified waitress couldn’t open the till.

Both armed citizens, fearing the worst, fired simultaneously, each using
.22 magnum revolvers. The robber was hit once. His plan ruined, he ran
outside to the getaway car, breaking his shotgun on the doorframe as he
ran. This particular robber then demonstrated what appears to be a
common behavior for his species. It seems that many criminals flee after
receiving a minor wound and are later apprehended by police when they
seek treatment at a local hospital.

But don’t think the stories are all clean little tales of good over
evil. The most striking common theme is the extreme brutality that
criminals apply to their innocent victims. Lawbreakers willing to commit
a crime like a home invasion robbery are fully prepared to mete out
extreme physical violence or death. Their disregard for their victims is
chillingly inhuman.

Many of the victims in these stories suffered terrible wounds, but still
found the courage to fight back. Gunfights are desperate, life and death
affairs that almost always occur when the intended victim least expects
it.

A speaker at the original Million Mom March once said: “If someone comes
at you with a knife or gun, say, ‘I know you’re upset.’ We all want to
be valued as human beings.” The sheer lunacy of that statement will be
dreadfully apparent after reading “Guns Save Lives.”

One horrific case describes the ordeal of a woman who survived a vicious
knife attack by a convicted murderer/rapist in her home.
Severely wounded and bleeding, she struggled to remove a trigger lock
from her handgun while her 11-year old son fought heroically with the
intruder. Shooting the man did more than simply save two lives, it
prevented the untold pain and suffering of his future victims.

Almost all of the attackers in these stories were on parole, probation,
or were released early.
Criminologists tell us that a small minority of repeat offenders commits
the overwhelming majority of crimes. The average serial rapist, for
example, strikes twenty times before he is caught or killed. Many
future crimes are prevented when one of these predators is shot
by an intended victim.

When he is shot, there is little doubt about his guilt. If he survives,
there isn’t much chance that he will escape justice, no matter what
legal maneuvers are applied.

Waters reports that he has over 6,000 armed self-defense incidents in
his files and many are available online through “Operation Self
Defense.” They are primarily gleaned from local news reports, since the
national media maintains a de-facto blackout on self-defense stories.

Media decision-makers would have us believe that such stories are of no
interest to a national audience, but we are also told that the networks
are hungry for stories with emotion and human interest. The refusal to
acknowledge these dramatic events understandably draws charges of media
bias.

Thanks to Waters and his supporters, we may eventually see more armed
self-defense stories in the national media. Journalists, news-oriented
web sites, politicians, and scholars subscribe to his email list that
distributes reports of recent incidents.

How many lives could be saved if the national media reversed course and
began covering armed self-defense stories? Crime rates might plummet as
thousands of rapists and burglars sought safer careers. Network news
ratings would soar as viewers found something more inspiring than the
usual diet of celebrities and scandal.

“Guns Save Lives” should be available soon from Amazon.com or
immediately from the publisher listed below. After you and your friends
have enjoyed reading it, pass it on to a local television news producer
or newspaper editor.

Dr. Michael S. Brown is an optometrist and member of Doctors for
Sensible Gun Laws. Email the author at: [email protected]

“Guns Save Lives” by Robert A. Waters may be ordered directly from the
publisher:http://www.loompanics.com
/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/cgi-local/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+jztj1803ff139313+-p+
-c+scstore.cfg+25098
http://www.robertwaters.net