The ‘good guy with a gun’ narrative doesn’t prevent violence

Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling: these are the names of the four students killed in the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School. After every mass shooting and school shooting – after innocent people die – the debate over gun control comes back to life.

After the tragic event, the National Rifle Association’s Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre stated, “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Despite having countless statistics in favor of background checks or banning semi-automatic weaponry. How do you argue with a point that, at face value, seems so theoretical? A “good guy with a gun” could have stopped the shooting – if only they were allowed to bring their gun. This phrase became prominent among pro-gun activists after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

But does the good guy with the weapon really prevent violence? Let's deconstruct an anti-gun control talking point: the good guy with the gun.

Read full article by Cas Waigand