The recent shooting of off-duty Philadelphia Police officer
Moses Walker, Jr. proves the point that possessing a gun and knowing how to use it does not prepare
one to defend oneself when you are surprised at gun point. On the early morning
of August 18 Officer Walker was heading home from his precinct when he was
robbed at gun point by two men. While the details of what happened next are
still being sorted out, Walker, who was armed, apparently tried to draw
his gun but was shot and killed before he could get a shot off. Later his two assailants
were caught and are currently being processed through the courts systems. Moses
Walker Jr. was one of over 230 gun violence victims in Philadelphia this year, and
one of over 32,000 nationwide.
Gun rights defenders – those who claim that having a gun
protects you from would be offenders – should take pause. Moses Walker was a
trained police officer, who as protocol requires, regularly practiced with his
gun. Yet, even he was not able to defend himself.
Now some might say that such an incident means we have to
have more guns in the hands of citizens and train people to defend themselves,
but logic and the data suggests otherwise. While the National Rifle Association
likes to regularly tell stories of gun owners defending themselves, the reality
is that more often than not the opposite occurs. Insight into why this is so
was made clear to me through a study done a few years ago with Muhlenberg
College students who were put through the Pennsylvania State Police Firearms
training. Some of the students were experienced gun users, others had no
previous training or experience, but all passed the course. Then they were put
in a situation where it appeared a gunman entered a classroom where they were
in class; each of the students had their guns on them but none of them were
able to get off a shot before they were “gunned down” with a paint ball. In
analyzing the reasons for their ineffectiveness, the trainers pointed out that
when accosted unexpectedly, our bodies go into a “fight or flight” mode,
adrenaline kicks up and our heart pumps blood like mad to the extremities. The excess
rush of blood hampered the trainees’ dexterity, and they were in some cases not
even able to get the gun out of their holster. The trainers explained that it
is only through regular sustained practice that trained officers are able to
control their reaction enough to be effective in a high stakes situation.
The other reality is that pulling a gun on someone who pulls
a gun on you, raises the stakes and creates a condition where injury is more
likely to occur. Had Officer Walker not drawn his gun, he might have lived –
minus his wallet. As a storeowner quoted by James Atwood (American and its Guns) said – "I don’t have a gun behind the counter
so that I can live to the next robbery." Unfortunately, our “wild west”
mentality is do deeply engrained and re-enforced by the media, it’s hard for us
to see the simple logic of lowering the threshold to prevent unnecessary death
While there are not simple answers to the factors
contributing to gun violence, reducing the flow of illegal guns to the street
would be a major step. The city of Philadelphia and other PA communities have been
blocked by the state legislature from enacting laws such as limiting the sale
of handguns to one per month; requiring guns lost or stolen to reported to
police; and putting a ban on assault style weapons. As a recent Philadelphia
Inquirer editorial (August 23, 2012) pointed out “lawmakers in Harrisburg ….have
steadfastly refused to pass legislation making it tougher to buy guns”, “have
refused to clamp down on straw purchasers”, "have failed to close the 'Florida
loophole’ which allows a person to carry a concealed gun in Pennsylvania even
if his only permit is from another state.” Then it reports that Pennsylvania is
in direct violation of the law when it says: “And despite a 2007 federal
requirement, Pennsylvania has yet to give the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System the records of 5000,000 people with mental illnesses
who are barred from buying a handgun.”
The recent high profile shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin,
and New York City coupled with the daily less-publicized violence that occurs in
local communities must compel us to pressure our leaders and raise our voices
against this madness. Polls show that most Americans agree with the sentiments
expressed in this blog, but the concern has not risen to the level of acting
and voting on those convictions. Until that happens and we get moving, the
madness will continue.
(While this incident is several weeks old, I did not post this blog until now out of respect for Officer Walker's memory. By all accounts he was deeply loved and caring man, with a strong Christian faith. His "homegoing service" was a tribute to the character of a man who loved his community and lived his values every day.)
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