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Rather than deterring criminals, who will manage to have a gun in violation of the law, handgun bans will result in the unjust prosecution citizens who are defending themselves against criminals. Such an outcome is plainly contrary to the (misguided) intent of such bans, which is to protect law abiding citizens from criminals. A couple of example from the state of Illinois help illustrate the point:
Hale DeMar shoots a home invader - and is prosecuted for defending himself and his children
An Army deserter, who had just stolen a car as a means of getting money for illegal drugs, broke into the home of Hale DeMar and his children. Mr. DeMar fired his handgun in self defense, protecting his children and himself from the home invader. Sadly for Mr. DeMar, he lived in Wilmette, which is a suburb of Chicago that bans handguns. Rather than being commended for acting bravely to save his children and stop a criminal, Hale DeMar was prosecuted by Wilmette for violating the handgun ban.
An Oak Park gas station owner shoots an armed robber - and is prosecuted for defending himself
An Oak Park gas station owner was peacefully and lawfully going about his business when an armed robber broke in. The gas station owner drew his handgun and managed to save his own life, rather than become another armed robbery murder statistic. Unfortunatly for this gas station owner, his place of business was in Oak Park, Illinois, which has a handgun ban. The gas station owner was prosecuted by the village of Oak Park for defending himself.
The result of handgun bans: Injustice
Those are just two of the many example where handgun bans or other overly strict gun control laws resulted in innocent citizens being prosecuted for defending themselves. The citizens who, in dire situations, step up and defend themselves, their children, and the community as a whole should be heralded as heros, not prosecuted as criminals. Even the very politicans who support gun bans often wish to keep guns to defend themselves, such as Chicago’s Mayor Daley or Alderman Mel, while denying this right to their citizens. Combine this injustice with the abject failure of gun control to stop crime, and the fact that gun ownership is a fundimental right, and it should be clear that gun bans just aren’t the answer.
