The slaughter of theater, restaurant and nightclub patrons in Paris Nov. 13 would have been much less if France did not have strict gun laws and some of the patrons were armed, Donald Trump and others are saying.

donald trumpIf Parisians had been allowed to carry arms “It would have been a much, much different situation,” Trump said to cheers at a political rally in Texas Nov. 14.

Cities such as Chicago, that has the “toughest gun laws in the U.S.,” also have “the highest violence, the highest problem with guns and shootings and killings,” he said.

The carnage in Paris, accompanied by threats from ISIS that the attacks will continue in France and elsewhere, will focus attention on whether strict gun control laws are a danger to the general population, preventing citizens from defending themselves.

More than a few people with guns would have been needed to repel the gunmen who opened fire on the more than 1,000 at the Bataclan music hall where the Eagles of Death Metal were playing. Six of the seven attackers at the hall and elsewhere blew themselves up after carrying out their missions.

Religion + Arms Is Deadly Combination

Attackers, motivated by religious beliefs and nationalist fervor, present a difficult problem to normal law enforcement.

Among those arguing that the “obsession” with gun control in the U.S. must be re-examined is New York PR counselor Mario Almonte of Herman & Almonte PR who has had his views published in the HuffPost.

There are arguments on both sides, he admits. While guns are dangerous, so are cars. The number of deaths each year from auto accidents and guns is about equal at 34,000. But no one thinks of banning cars because they are seen as a necessity, he says.

A far more dangerous but permitted activity is smoking which kills an estimated 480,000 Americans yearly. About 42 million or 17.2% of the population still smokes. Some 16 million current or former smokers have lung disease.

40 Shootings, 310 Deaths Tracked by L.A. Times

Worth studying is a record of 40 mass shootings resulting in 310 deaths by the Los Angeles Times dating back to July 18, 1984 when unemployed security guard James Huberty killed 21 and wounded 19 others at a McDonald’s in San Ysidro, Calif.

guns save lifeOther high death tolls were the 32 victims at Virginia Tech, April 16, 2007; 27 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, 2012; 22 at Luby’s Cafeteria, Killeen, Texas, Oct. 16, 1991, and 13 at Columbine high school, Colo., April 20, 1999.

Schools, churches, offices and cafeterias were among the most targeted locations.

Gun Advocacy Groups Campaign

Gun advocacy groups, including the National Rifle Assn. and the Second Amendment Foundation sponsored “Guns Save Lives Day” on Dec. 15, 2014, one day after the anniversary of the attack on the Newtown school.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, referring to the Newtown shooting at a televised press event Dec. 21, 2012 at Washington's Willard Hotel near the White House, connected gun violence with "gun-free zones," violent films and video games, the media, weak databases on mental illness, and lax security.

He called for armed officers at schools. Asa Hutchinson, former Arkansas congressman and Drug Enforcement Administration chief, was named to head the NRA's effort to develop a "school shield program.”

Backers of the Dec. 15 rally, including the Citizens Committee for the Right to Bear Arms, said that post-Newtown gun control legislation has victimized guns rights advocates.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said that “To hold a gun-glorifying event on Dec. 14, [original date of “Guns Save Lives Day”] a day when America will remember the slaughter of 26 innocent Americans, including teachers and first-grade students, can be deemed nothing less than abject evil.”

Muslim Terror Coming Says Gun Group

A posting Nov. 14 by executive director John Boch of Guns Save Life said that France has experienced “horrendous, coordinated Muslim terror attacks” for the second time in a year,” the first being at the Charlie Hedbo offices, and that “It’s just a matter of time before radical Muslims launch similar, multi-pronged attacks in America.”

The website portrays Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America as two women with their heads buried in the sand. Another graphic on the site has the theme, “Muslim Terror Is Coming: Get Ready.”

“Bigger, bolder terror attacks are coming to America,” says the posting. “America’s law enforcement people do great work thwarting Muslim terror attacks. They aren’t perfect, though. If we are ready, we can shoot them down and let them die in a gutter like the dogs they are.

“It happened earlier this year when two Muslims drove up to an event intent on slaughtering innocents inside. A single, observant beat cop armed with a pistol shot both of the rifle-packing, body-armor clad, would-be-mass murderers dead within seconds.”

Boch Advises Americans to 'Be ready'

Wayne LaPierre
LaPierre

Attackers are likely to pick targets of religious and social significance such as religious institutions, Jewish-owned businesses, or public facilities such as schools, day cares or even hospitals, he says. “They will go to locations where gun possession for law-abiding civilians is generally prohibited.”

For those able to carry sidearms, he advises something stronger than a .38 pistol. They don’t work too well at stopping attackers especially if they are wearing body armor. Aim for the head or groin, he says.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” advises Boch. “Pay attention to those around you and what they are doing. Know where your exits are and where cover and/or concealment is when you’re in public. Situational awareness is the single best thing you can do to keep yourself safe, be it from domestic hoodlums or foreign Muslims looking to kill in the name of their ‘Allah.’”