No More Sitting Ducks – Arm Our Soldiers On Their Bases

By John Lott

John Lott
John Lott

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- Can mass shootings be stopped or prevented? The Obama administration’s political views prevent it from even considering certain obvious solutions.

On Tuesday the Department of Defense released its report on the Sept. 16 2013 Washington Navy Yard shooting. But the report focuses solely on how mental illness of the assailant went unreported.

There clearly were mistakes. The Navy did not properly report multiple troublesome incidents during Aaron Alexis’ active-duty service. The government did not tell his employer about any of these problems. When the private contractor noticed instances of psychological instability, it thought that they were aberrations, not part of a pattern, and didn’t report these back to the government.

However, it would be foolish to believe that all potential mass shooters will be identified in advance. Even with better reporting practices, many will slip through the cracks. Besides, it is always much easier in hindsight to realize that people had mental health issues. Besides, mentally ill employees are not the only threat to military bases. Determined terrorists pose a serious threat, too.

What should be done if the screening for mental illness fails? Or when there is a terrorist plot?

Currently, soldiers on military bases are not allowed to carry guns. Indeed, the military specifically forbids personnel from carrying firearms for personal protection except when “a credible and specific threat against [military] personnel [exists] in that region.”

Thus, during the Navy yard shooting, the unarmed JAG officers, Marines, could do nothing but cower as the shooter fired round after round. What’s more, military bases have few military police, as crime rates on bases are normally low and many are still stationed in Afghanistan.

And it was a similar story in 2009 at Fort Hood. Maj. Nidal Hasan was unchallenged as he stood on a desk and kept shooting down victim after victim in work cubicles.

Even in Europe, with its normally anti-gun sentiments, the thinking is starting to sway toward active self-defense, allowing normal people — not just off-duty police — to carry guns. The head of Interpol, Ron Noble, stated last fall that there are two ways to protect people:

“One is to say we want an armed citizenry; you can see the reason for that. Another is to say the enclaves are so secure that in order to get into the soft target you’re going to have to pass through extraordinary security.”

He pointed to the real problem: “How do you protect soft (civilian) targets? That’s really the challenge. You can’t have armed police forces everywhere.”

Noble’s comments came right after the terrorist attack at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where 68 people were fatally shot. It should be no surprise that in Kenya both open and concealed carrying of firearms by civilians is banned. Obviously, the ban didn’t stop the terrorists. And we have to recognize that the vast majority of mass public shootings have been extensively planned beforehand — often many months or even years in advance — making it extremely difficult to secure areas.

Even American police understand the problem with “gun-free zones”

Read more: https://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/5795440-74/bases-ducks-military#axzz2wtLU0qfg

John R. Lott Jr. is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author of the third edition of “More Guns, Less Crime” (University of Chicago Press, 2010).

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Tenringrob

Buck…..Thank you for your service. Unfortunately this government is more about changing the country to a socialist regime that embraces Muslims. There is no reason our servicemen and woman cannot be armed on base except for political correctness. All the citizenry can do is change this policy by voting pro-gun and give the military the respect they deserve. Any politician who resists this should be removed from their position.

Buck

I am a combat veteran , one hundred percent disabled combat veteran , disabled by wounds received in that role , I have never committed a felony , I have a concealed carry permit , I live one mile from a military base . As a Disabled veteran I can shop at the exchanges and use other resources on that base , unfortunately , if I am out an about and choose to conduct business on that military installation I have to first disarm . What the hell is this all about ? I am NOT a radical leftist nor… Read more »