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Most Americans were so grateful for the intercession of Jack Wilson, the volunteer security guard who took down the shooter at the West Freeway Church of Christ, saving more people from being killed after the man opened fire.
What was also amazing, reassuring and prompted a lot of “God bless Texas!” comments was that at least six other people also were also armed, pulled their weapons, and also responded, all seeming to practice restraint as they moved in to surround the gunman who had been taken out.
Leaked footage from the Fort Worth church shooting: seven of the congregation members were armed including one elderly lady. #Texas pic.twitter.com/86ZYurmLuv
— Ken Webster (@KenWebsterII) December 30, 2019
But that scene was just too much for some. The Arizona Republic and USA Today ran an op-ed from Elvia Diaz who called the sight “terrifying.” While she acknowledged Wilson was a hero, she tried to separate him from the others in the church.
Opinion: Jack Wilson is exactly the type of person you want around with a gun because he's a firearms instructor. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns. And that's terrifying. https://t.co/od0vfGftjU
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 1, 2020
Unfortunately, that kind of split-second heroism has been turned into a PR tool by gun advocates.
The reality of Wilson’s heroism is a lot more complex. He wasn’t just an ordinary parishioner, as gun advocates may want you to believe. The church’s volunteer security team member is a firearms instructor, gun range owner and former reserve deputy with a local sheriff’s department, according to a New York Times detailed account.
In other words, he’s exactly the kind of man you want around with a firearm. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas.
And that’s terrifying.
“Unfortunately?” Why is that unfortunate except for the dealing a blow to the left’s claims about “good guys” with guns? It’s certainly not “unfortunate” for all the other people in the church.
“We know nothing” about the other parishioners? Yes, that’s right, you don’t. You have no idea how well they are trained or not, yet you seek to somehow demonize these good people as a threat, and suggest that somehow being able to defend themselves and others is wrong. Just an FYI, according to reports, Wilson trained some fellow parishioners including members of his security team.
Would it be more “terrifying” for them to have their guns or the shooter shot them? I know which I pick as more “terrifying.” As everyone saw from the video, it happened in about six seconds, there wasn’t time to wait for police to show up or they’d be dead.
The op-ed contends this shows that part of the problem is that “firearms are readily available to anyone who wants one” and they ask how he got a gun with his criminal record. They’re wrong that guns are readily available to “anyone who wants one,” they obviously don’t know the process many have to go through to get them. But the problem isn’t the laws, which is what they appear to suggest or ordinary citizens like the folks in the church having the guns. The problem is the people like the shooter who don’t care how many laws they break. So how does setting new laws help? But that’s always where gun control folks go. Such laws would only have inhibited the good folks in the church.
What we know about the Texas gun owners who drew their weapons:
1. None of them fired after the shooter was down.
2. None of them fired erratically.
3. None of them shot another person by accident.That’s why this is terrifying.
The only thing they killed was a 12yr narritive.
— The Red-Headed Libertarian ™ (@TRHLofficial) January 1, 2020
“This incident is terrifying because it proves our narrative is wrong about gun owners and their ability to stop shootings before police arrive.”
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 1, 2020
What would you suggest be done about these “terrifying” citizens who were also licensed to conceal carry?
— Aldous Huxley’s Ghost™ (@AF632) January 1, 2020
Those people were vetted and they’re concealed carry holders. We know more about them than most people. We have their fingerprints, we know their background, we know they’re trustworthy and reliable. I don’t know any of that about USA Today.
— Uncle Tom (@UncleTom2019) January 1, 2020
“We have no idea who these reporters are who exercise their 1st Amendment rights. And that’s terrifying.”
— Shane Styles (@shaner5000) January 1, 2020
Let me get this straight. There’s a lunatic trying to kill people and the fact that people are ready and willing to stop him is what you find terrifying.
There’s probably a better example of confused, but I can’t think of it right now.
— Anthony Greene (@TonyGreene05) January 2, 2020
Just a reminder of what USA Today thinks about guns from a prior church shooting which was also stopped by a “good guy” with a gun.
According to USA Today, a chainsaw bayonet is a possible AR platform modification. (Lol what?)
It’s impossible to have a rational gun control conversation when USA Today is standing in corner, eating paste, screaming “chainsaw bayonet!!!” pic.twitter.com/KG3zHVPWrQ
— Lord Single Malt (@Singlemaltfiend) November 8, 2017
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