On August 6, Star Trek star George Takei waded into the debate between gun rights’ supporters and gun control proponents by mocking the idea that armed citizens make a country safer.
Takei appeared to specifically be targeting those who argue that an increase in the number of law-abiding armed citizens is part of the solution to random shootings and public acts of violence. This argument has been made by GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry and other gun rights supporters in the wake of the Lafayette theater shooting, all of whom point out that the Lafayette theater shooting–like the Aurora theater shooing in 2012–took place in a gun free zone. Their position is simple–if criminals are going to ignore “No Guns Allowed” signs and bring in weapons with which to prey on innocents, then law-abiding citizens with concealed permits should be able to carry in theaters in order to place a check on criminal behavior.
Takei countered gun rights supporters with a Facebook post that showed the image of submachine gun emblazoned with the following caption: “If everyone had a gun, we wouldn’t have to worry about gun violence. This is why war zones are noted for their safety.”
In his strained attempt to make a point, Takei fails to note that the war zone moniker is most fitting to describe the aftermath of an attack where a gunman faces no opposition. In those kinds of attacks, bodies are strewn about the place and the blood of innocents runs deep.
At places like Virginia Tech, where 32 were massacred in April 2007, or Sandy Hook Elementary, where 26 were gunned down in December 2012, or the DC Navy Yard, where 12 were slaughtered in September 2013, or the Chattanooga military offices, where four Marines and one Sailor were fatally shot on July 16. In these and other places where law-abiding citizens are rendered defenseless via gun free policies, war zone-like images greet officers and medical personnel who respond to attacks.
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