Well, we’re here once again, about a week since the terrorist attack in Nice. Now, the target of terror was a mall in Munich. Nine people are dead, and over two dozen were injured. So, let’s review the old lessons, and also take in the new lessons as well. While officials in the area have not officially revealed the motive, reports from eyewitnesses indicated that the shooter yelled “I’m German” and “Allahu ackbar” as he opened fire.
Germany, like most of Europe, has very strict gun laws. To own a gun, you have to demonstrate a “genuine reason” for it – hunting, collecting, target shooting. One has to get a license for each gun one seeks to own. There is also registration provisions as well.
As we saw in Paris, San Bernardino, Tel Aviv, and even Orlando, such strict gun laws don’t stop those who are bent on committing murder from acquiring guns to do so if they are of a mind to do so. The attack in Nice proved that a terrorist doesn’t need guns to rack up a huge body count. This won’t stop the gun-grabbers from calling for more gun laws here, but the fact is one well worth noting.
The next lesson, one driven home from Orlando, is that gun-free zones don’t work, either. Once someone’s decided to carry out an attack, those signs prohibiting firearms are worse than useless, leaving the real first responders far less able to respond effectively. Put it this way, at mall in Clackamas, Oregon, days before the Sandy Hook shooting, Nick Meli, a concealed carry permit holder stopped a shooter just by displaying his gun. Total casualties: Two dead, one wounded.
The next lesson is one that should be kept in mind. With all due respect to policemen, firefighters, and paramedics among others, when the shooting starts, the people on the scene at that moment are the first responders. There may be cops among that number, but more likely than not, the first responders will be citizens on the scene. If you have a CCW permit, make it a habit to carry wherever you can and to practice with your firearm.
It should be noted that this time, the shooter used a post from a hacked Facebook account to lure people into the mall where he launched the attack. Two things to learn from this are, first, keep your accounts secure. Don’t give out passwords to anyone, and don’t click on links from anyone you do not know. Second, if there is an offer that doesn’t seem right, check it out. The time you take to check out something could very well save your life – or others.
The short version – the Munich attack, like so many others, has lessons. Properly absorbing them at the personal level can save your life. The proper absorption of those lessons by policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels, though, could prevent these attacks from becoming mass-casualty situations in the first place.
