Citizen could have helped officers

I wish to offer an observation concerning the letter, “Being armed didn’t help police,” which referenced the recent murder of four police officers as an example of the foolishness of the public resisting attacks by assailants when trained professionals cannot defend themselves.

The officers were ambushed. The attack was unprovoked, totally unexpected and therefore, the officers could not have been prepared for such an assault. In a peacetime situation, no one can predict when a “nut case” will resort to violence.

If an armed citizen had been present, who had the presence of mind to act, the situation might have been far different. It is true the average person is slow to act if they don’t understand what is happening. However, there are numerous cases where an offender is caught and held for the police. It is unfortunate that an armed citizen was not present who possibly could have intervened.

Beware those who advocate the ban of firearms for the general public. When citizens are forbidden to carry firearms, only police and criminals will have guns.

The American people are a blend of all other nationalities and therefore the attitude is different from any other nation. We are a violent and warlike people who love peace because our nation was founded in the fiery crucible of numerous wars early on in our comparatively short history as a country. We were not molded into a single race by thousands of years such as other nations of the world. Our people are from all other nations and therefore unique to ourselves.

To intimate that Americans are helpless or unresponsive in the face of danger is a gross falsehood.

Richard M. Brauer

Langley

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