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NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT FANTASY THAT GUNS DETER CRIME AND STOP SHOOTING SPREES, Rachel Maddow, Jan. 13, 2011
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Arizona): “You know, I wish there had been one more gun there that day in the hands of a responsible person. That’s all I have to say.”
Rachel: In fact, there was a man on the scene at the shooting in Tucson, a witness to the shooting on Saturday, a responsible gun owner who had his legal weapon on him and loaded at the time of the shooting.
He was a guest on the Ed Schultz show this week.
“I almost shot the man holding the gun,” he said.
So, to be clear to everybody who said they wished there was someone other than the killer on the scene with gun—there was someone other than the killer on the scene with gun. And the person he almost shot was one of the heroes that disarmed the killer.
Rachel: In fact, there was a man on the scene at the shooting in Tucson, a witness to the shooting on Saturday, a responsible gun owner who had his legal weapon on him and loaded at the time of the shooting.
He was a guest on the Ed Schultz show this week.
“I almost shot the man holding the gun,” he said.
So, to be clear to everybody who said they wished there was someone other than the killer on the scene with gun—there was someone other than the killer on the scene with gun. And the person he almost shot was one of the heroes that disarmed the killer.
The Arizona Rep. and many other gun zealots want many more people to carry guns because they think guns equals less shooting.
There is another possibility--that more guns will lead to MORE shooting and more deaths of innocent people.
Last Saturday, one of the heroes who disarmed the bad guy came within a heartbeat of getting shot himself--by mistake.
Once that trigger is pressed you can't call the bullet back.