Hell in a Handbasket

Murdoc the Gunpundit brings us news of an op-ed by some guy named Kevin Drum. The subject is the recent firing of a Pizza Hut delivery driver because he shot a fellow who tried to rob him.

There are a few things that Mr. Drum says that need to be addressed.

"But this Wild West mentality is much harder to fathom. Do they really think that, for example, pizza delivery guys should routinely wear sidearms and engage in gun battles with crooks, and that employers should (apparently) have no right to prevent it?"

Drum seems to think that Pizza Hut has a duty to prevent their employees from lawfully protecting themselves from violent criminal assault, instead of a duty to try and find ways to prevent the assault in the first place. Having armed drivers would certainly give the criminals pause, so that is one solution that would work. Making sure that their drivers are disarmed certainly doesn't seem to encourage the muggers to find other victims.

"Frankly, given the average age and disposition of pizza delivery guys, I'd just as soon not have a city full of sidearmed pizza deliverers, and Pizza Hut would probably just as soon not get sued when one of these guys ends up shooting someone who stiffed him on the bill or got into an argument over whether he ordered anchovies on his pie."

The Pizza Hut driver which defended himself was armed lawfully since he had a CCW license. Those which lawfully carry arms are the least violent and most law abiding members of our society. Mr. Drum is simply repeating a favorite trope of gun law enthusiasts, that people who are armed are themselves violent felons in all but fact. As soon as they have a firearm, they will be unable to control their bloodlust.

Mr. Drum is obviously a member of the "reality based community", people which were once called "Liberals". How can I tell? Because his views certainly don't reflect reality.