Our right to bear arms

Imagine that you are having dinner at a restaurant, when two Asian males suddenly enter the premises and begin to open fire with a pair of high-powered pistols, emptying several rounds into a man across the room, killing him instantly.

But to cover up their dastardly deed–to portray it as a senseless act of violence rather than a professional hit–they shoot a few innocent bystanders for good measure, merely to throw off the authorities. Suddenly, their gun barrels turn to you. Completely unarmed, what can you do?

Under such an increasingly plausible scenario, there is not much you or I could do. Resigned to our fate, we would just have to take the bullet(s) like a man, with dignity and stoicism, much like John Wayne in “The Cowboys.”

After all, the Department of Public Safety cannot be everywhere at all times. Private citizens are therefore almost completely exposed to gun violence. We are helpless and highly vulnerable. A gun-wielding criminal can walk into almost any public establishment and take a few lives with relative ease. We have confirmed this just recently.

Is it not time we finally empowered our private citizens to more robustly protect their lives and property?

In this connection, let me remind you that the CNMI has–by far–the most restrictive gun laws of all the 50 American states and territories. And yet–and yet–despite our highly restrictive gun laws, a pair of Asian nationals recently shot a man in cold blood.

This isn’t the first time an illegal handgun was used in a homicide either. Other such deaths have occurred in the past, and they may well happen again in the not too distant future.

Our unreasonable firearm restrictions clearly benefit criminals and lawbreakers, who somehow have access to these illegal handguns despite the stringent legal restrictions against them.
Law-abiding citizens like myself would not know where to purchase an illegal pistol. We are at the mercy of pistol-armed criminals who may strike us down at any time.

At some point, this has to change. The CNMI government must allow the private possession of concealed firearms for self-defense purposes.

Contrary to popular thinking, more guns lead to less crime. With higher gun sales, murder rates have actually declined in the United States.

If private law-abiding citizens are fully armed, potential criminals would certainly think twice and most likely reconsider their decision to act with malice aforethought.
Legalize concealed handguns in the CNMI today!