El Paso Mass Shooting - My Response

The tragic events of yesterday in my beloved El Paso are a stark reminder that the world we live in is not now and has never been, a safe place. As a society, we have agreed to create and abide by laws that are intended to keep us safe. This system of laws works, but only for those who abide by those laws. It's easy to forget that evil doers, the criminally insane and lawless thugs care nothing for these laws written on paper and they certainly don't care if innocent victims are harmed in the carrying out of their evil acts. It matters not if the motives are political, racist, greed or simply a consequence of insanity. What matters is that the law abiding majority in this great country, have the right to bear arms. A right which our founding fathers thought enough of to add the statement "shall not be infringed". I put it to you, that it is naive and irresponsible, to leave the safety and security of you and your loved ones to the government (i.e. the police). Your safety and security is YOUR responsibility. We are not far removed from the days before our system of laws, when the only law was survival of the fittest. Good people of the world, arm yourselves. Chances are, you will never have the need to draw your weapon, but to go through life putting your safety in the hands of responders who are minutes away, is patently ignorant. You are not sheep to the slaughter, you are empowered by the Constitution to provide for your own safety. Throughout history, evil has reared its ugly head and throughout history, good men, with guns, have come to the defense of the innocent and helpless. An evil doer with a gun is only stopped when someone else with a gun arrives on scene to confront the evil doer. I wish we lived in a peaceful utopia, but human kind is fallible, and because human kind is fallible, there will always be evil. I hope I NEVER have to draw my firearm in self defense. But if by unfortunate chance, I ever find myself in a situation like the one in El Paso yesterday, I pray I have the courage to confront evil and do what I must to protect the innocent, as well as my loved ones.