Well, it seems that perhaps the US is waking up. Terrorism is not just an overseas battle; rather, it's a domestic issue, and unfortunately it is likely to become increasingly difficult to secure ourselves from those out to do us harm.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned that "Al-Qaeda followers are inside the United States and would like to attack targets here and in other countries." So now we must ask: how do we secure ourselves against our own citizens? What will prevent an active shooter in a crowded bus station? A bomb in a supermarket? For a determined terrorist, America -- with all our freedoms to move about unfettered by security checks -- represents one huge soft target. Is there anything we can do?
Yes, I think that there very much is something we can do.
A legal gun owner in the US is a more trustworthy person than a person chosen at random on the street. To buy a gun, you have to clear a background check that includes fingerprints, an FBI criminal records search, and -- depending on your state -- a mental health records search, character references, certifications that you are not an alcoholic, and even a check to ensure that you have never been the subject of a domestic violence complaint.
That's just to own the gun.
To carry it, in most states, requires the above and more -- a certification that you know how to use it, a live-fire marksmanship test, and typically the permission of your local or state police chief.
Some firearms owners or organizations may protest all of this -- after all, "the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" -- but the reality today is that in 96% of the states in our great country, at least some of the above is required, and throughout the land the FBI check is required to purchase. All of this means that a legal gun owner is someone that you can trust with a gun.
What does all of this have to do with domestic terrorism?
Israel has been fighting this sort of terrorism threat for decades. More than soldiers, civilians fight against terrorists -- good people, people like you and me, who carry firearms. When Roi Arbel and his family were ambushed, the terrorist who shot them was taken out by a civilian. When a terrorist drives a bulldozer into a crowded bus stand in Jerusalem, he is shot through the wind shield by a civilian. When an active shooter murders students at study in the Rav Kook Yeshiva, a civilian across the street picks up his gun and takes out the terrorist.
In all these cases, the police or army could have responded, but that would have meant a delay. How long does it take for the police to respond? Five minutes? Ten minutes? When there's an active shooter in the mall, one minute is too long. One preventable casualty is too many.
That's why the Gun Rabbi offers firearms training. That's why the Gun Rabbi offers the necessary certifications to qualify for a concealed carry permit. That's why, unless we come together and stand up to the threat, we are all at risk.
