Late last month there was a shooting in Tyler, Texas. A private citizen armed with a handgun drew fire from the shooter long enough to save at least one life. While some people rightly recognized his heroism, the usual detractors decried his defensive use of a firearm. Gun grabbers said "his death is further proof that carrying a gun increases a person's chances of getting killed", while a Tyler police spokesman "warned gun owners to carefully weigh the risks before intervening."

Contrast this to coverage of the unarmed security guard slain in the recent Minnesota shootings. CNN reports that the guard is being "praised for confronting [the] Minnesota school shooter", and rightly so. I have no doubt that the guard performed heroically. But had he been properly trained and authorized to carry a firearm, many of the tragic deaths (including his own) might never have happened in the first place.