Some thoughts on the "If someone else had a gun" argument re: Aurora

[cthulu2016]

56. And rightly so

The instances where any good would come from an armed audience are negligible.

The instances where any harm would come from an armed audience are much higher.

The question, "Would it be good for theater audiences to have guns?" is easy.

No. Of course not. It is not good for everyone to be packing guns.

The question, "Would it have been net useful for somebody in the first 10 rows of one particular theater at one particular show where a manic stood in the front of the theater emptying weapons into the crowd?" is an entirely different question.

If all the kids at Columbine were armed could it have saved net lives? Yes. Of course.

Does it follow from that that schools would be safer if they allowed kids to carry guns?

No. Of course not. We would have school shootings every week.

They are very different questions.

I have read people say that if the passengers on 9/11 were armed it would have been worse. But no passenger on any of the four planes survived! It would not have been "worse."

But the idea of armed armed passengers is ridiculous. Worst idea ever. Hell, I am not even sure air marshals should have guns on planes.