Self Help: an American Institution

As Colin Godard stepped up to the podium at the National Press Club I was immediately struck by his presence.  Colin is tall with classic all-American good looks. The potential for him to become a truly charismatic orator is there, and it will be interesting to see him grow in his new and quite public role with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Public speaking is not easy - less so when the crowd is not particularly sympathetic to the speaker’s message.

Colin Godard, a survivor of the deadliest shooting massacre in U.S. history at Virginia Tech, addressed the national convention of the 2nd Amendment Foundation (2AF) and Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC). He debated Professor Dr. John R. Lott. 

I have been keenly interested in the debate between the pro-self-defense vs. the anti-gun rights groups. So often there are only the same arguments repeated over and over ad nauseum. Colin had some of that in his speech as well.

“I generally don’t like looking at this whole situation, again, with hypothetical situational scenarios that try to deal with the situation at the last possible second," Colin said. "It’s dangerous to take a very complex situation and look at it very narrowly and say; a complex situation of a shooter on campus a disturbed student shooting other students and say ‘someone is going to come in the door and shoot you, do you want a gun or not?’ you miss a whole bunch of that scenario when you look at it from that very very narrow perspective. And I’m saying we need to broaden our perspective we need to look beyond the last second.”

Colin prescribed a few preventative measures:

Having locks on the campus classroom doors

Having two doors in a classroom

Having handles so the doors can’t get chained shut to stop the police from coming in

Understandably, the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign worked together on a bill to force states to report persons who are ineligible to purchase or possess a firearm and only time will tell if this will help prevent a person who is known to be mentally ill from perpetrating a massacre.

I listened to Colin’s new ideas and thought they where worth a try. I lock my doors to keep unwanted guests out of my living room. Two doors in a classroom? This might work but in existing buildings, would a new door lead to the same hallways that are being roamed by a gunman?

“People , criminals, don’t follow the rules," Colin said. "They shoot past the laws that only affect the law abiding people. You know I understand people will always run red lights, people will always drive recklessly, there will be some people who will always speed. So is your idea that we should not have traffic lights or stop signs or speed limits because people will break the rules and the only people who will be diverted will be the law abiding people?”

Nobody is calling for the idea that we should not have lights and signs and limits. More people die on our roads than any other place or any other activity. Driving is more dangerous than heart disease and cancer combined. This is not an argument for highway deregulation - it is an argument for seat belts.

Society exists as a mutual aid organization. From advancing tech to allowing for surplus and specialization, education and defense.

"Society in every state is a blessing," wrote Thomas Paine in Common Sense. One of the most effective ways for society to help save lives is to not get in the way of the individuals right to self help and to act in self defense.

I have smoke detectors and Lorton Has a great Volunteer Fire Department and I am just around the corner from them. I also practice fire drills with my family and have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and basement. Colin Godard might have a good idea or three about prevention of violence but there is no substitute for self help. There will always be accidents, fires, sickness, disease, violence and death. We strap on our seat belts, learn CPR, visit the doctor regularly, make sure the batteries are fresh in the smoke detectors. And some of us holster a gun.