Interpol official: Armed citizens may be the best way to deter terrorism

In the aftermath of the terrible terrorist attack at the Westgate shopping mall in Kenya, during which 67 people were killed, INTERPOL Secretary Ronald Noble is openly pondering the question of whether armed citizens are the best way to deter terrorism:

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Noble said there are really only two choices for protecting open societies from attacks like the one on Westgate mall where so-called “soft targets” are hit: either create secure perimeters around the locations or allow civilians to carry their own guns to protect themselves.

“Societies have to think about how they’re going to approach the problem,” Noble said. “One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves are so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.”
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In the interview with ABC News, Noble was more blunt and directed his comments to his home country.

“Ask yourself: If that was Denver, Col., if that was Texas, would those guys have been able to spend hours, days, shooting people randomly?” Noble said, referring to states with pro-gun traditions. “What I’m saying is it makes police around the world question their views on gun control. It makes citizens question their views on gun control. You have to ask yourself, ‘Is an armed citizenry more necessary now than it was in the past with an evolving threat of terrorism?’ This is something that has to be discussed.”

“For me it’s a profound question,” he continued. “People are quick to say ‘gun control, people shouldn’t be armed,’ etc., etc. I think they have to ask themselves: ‘Where would you have wanted to be? In a city where there was gun control and no citizens armed if you’re in a Westgate mall, or in a place like Denver or Texas?’”

Now, this doesn’t mean that a society in which an armed citizenry is promoted is going to be able to prevent every terrorist attack. Similarly, intelligence agencies exist to examine information which may prevent attacks and police investigate crimes after they’re occurred to bring perpetrators to justice.

Armed citizens are often the last line of defense when it comes to preventing a crime, and it happened more frequently than gun control advocates want to admit. A recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study confirmed that guns are the best way to deter crime.

It may not be a panacea to solve the underlying causes of terrorism and it may not stop every attack, but promoting gun ownership — rather than discouraging it, which is what President Obama does — could go a long way toward mitigating threats while Americans go about their lives.

Source http://www.unitedliberty.org/articles/15396-interpol-official-armed-citizens-may-be-the-best-way-to-deter-terrorism