What really keeps rioters at bay isn’t necessarily the police. Flaunting their anger, standing off against, and even attacking police is something many rioters enjoy doing. What they actually fear is the common American citizen in a position to defend themselves.

That’s why the governors of every state shouldn’t just put laws in place against rioting, they should lift restrictions on American citizens regarding what they can do in various situations they may find themselves in while a riot is occurring. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has taken a step in the right direction, for instance, by making it legal for a motorist to step on the gas if they find themselves being targeted by a rioting mob inside their vehicle.

Oftentimes, a motorist will take a wrong turn and find themselves swarmed by rioters who begin attempting to break windows and gain access to the interior of the vehicle specifically to harm the driver or passengers inside. In Florida, the driver doesn’t just have to sit there and wait to be assaulted, stolen from, or even killed. He or she may now floor it regardless of who is in front of them, or on top of them, and God will sort it out from there.

Now, if you’re a rioter in the state of Florida, you’re now going to think twice about mobbing vehicles knowing full well you’re having to weigh your actions with your life or, at the very least, a boat-load of pain.

Herein we see the key to stopping riots; make rioting painful or even fatal.

In any given situation, people have to make decisions based on what the cause and effect their actions might bring. Sometimes the effect is a consequence, and if the consequence is too high, then people will refrain from the action.

If you’re a rioter looking to break into someone’s private business in order to loot and burn, you’re going to strongly reconsider it if it means you’ll have to dodge the rifle bullets of the shop owner. To be sure, we’ve seen this work to deter rioters before.

The famous “rooftop Koreans” of the 1992 riots are proof that a handful of business owners armed with standard rifles is enough to make even the most zealous rioter a bit wary. During the LA riots, the Korean community was left to fend for themselves as the LAPD had reached its absolute limit on resources and manpower. Instead of allowing the rioting and looting to overrun their community and ruin their lives, the Korean citizens of LA took matters into their own hands, grabbed their rifles, and climbed onto their roofs where they stood guard.

It didn’t take rioters long to figure out that messing with these Korean business owners was a bad idea, and they moved on to softer targets. While not every Korean business was saved, many of them were.

Fast forward to today and many businesses still remain closed or burnt down. Many families have lost their livelihood and don’t look like they’ll be able to return. It leaves one asking the question of how much better things would have been if these business owners were armed and ready. How many cities wouldn’t be a smoldering ruin if a few pulls of a trigger by law-abiding American citizens had made it clear that rioting won’t be tolerated on their streets?

It’s a question worth asking because it’s an answer that could save lives.

Every state needs to begin lifting restrictions and punishments on citizens who defend themselves from rioters. Americans need to be able to send the message that if they’re messed with, it’ll result in punishments right then and there. When it starts to sink in that the area is defended, rioters will move on. When they find the next area is well defended too, they’ll begin to rethink the idea of rioting.

A few tire marks and bullet holes later, and you may find America a much more peaceful place, or at the very least, a lot less on fire.