No matter how long gun rights activists have told the liberals that the only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun and that gun-free zones just provide for soft targets, they just won’t believe it. They also wouldn’t believe that more restrictions on law-abiding citizens only puts them at greater risk of harm from those who ignore the law.
Compliments of a shooter in a gun-free zone Indiana mall, the points have been proven for them and they are irrefutable. The Good Samaritan, as police called him was just 22, and armed with a handgun, despite the mall’s code of conduct policy making it into a gun-free zone. Per Indiana state law, he was licensed to be carrying his handgun, and per recent law changes, he was lawful to do so.
Owned by The Simon Property Group, the mall has been a hotbed of criminal activity in recent years. Prior to the shooting, they had two store associates robbed at gunpoint in the mall parking lot and other unnamed incidents. With recent plans for security upgrades including license plate readers at the entrances to the mall parking lot, they are demonstrating concerns with the situation, but are unwilling to accept the reality of the situation.
In a statement, the Greenwood Park Mall’s representative gave a tongue-in-cheek way of admitting the Good Samaritan was in the right. “We grieve for the victims of yesterday’s horrific tragedy in Greenwood. Violence has no place in this or any other community. We are grateful for the strong response of the first responders, including the heroic actions of the Good Samaritan who stopped the suspect.”
These kinds of statements don’t serve to change their minds on their code of conduct, nor do they take steps to fix the situation for mall employees and patrons. While the plate readers are a fine addition, they will help provide a record of sorts when something goes wrong, but they won’t do a damn thing to help prevent the crime from happening.
Liberals love the idea of thoughts and prayers; of doing something after the damage has already been done and the threat is over. They don’t want to take preventative measures to stop it from happening in the first place. They fail at stopping it as soon as possible or making sure the threat of an equal or greater response to someone looking to do the wrong thing is available. They instead rely on cameras that are rarely monitored properly, and rules that are only noticed by those looking to be good citizens.
This Good Samaritan, on the other hand, looked at their rules and compared them to the risk being posed by people who already weren’t obeying the law, or mall policy, as it is. He made a conscious decision that the state law that said he was lawful to carry a weapon trumped the mall’s policy, and he was right. His carrying concealed saved lives.
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers also made note of the good that came from this decision. “Someone we are calling the ‘Good Samaritan’ was able to shoot the assailant and stop further bloodshed. This person saved lives tonight. On behalf of the City of Greenwood, I am grateful for his quick action and heroism in this situation.”
This heroism is simply doing the right thing for his fellow man. This 22-year-old from Bartholomew County has earned himself a tremendous debt of gratitude from his city as well as from the state. He is living proof that a good guy with a gun can and does stop a bad guy with a gun.
