Can I say something else about guns?

I don't want to beat this one to death, but there are some things about guns I think need to be said.

First of all, even though every time there is a mass shooting in America a call automatically goes out questioning whether or not we need more gun control. But first everyone should look at the facts before pushing the automatic knee jerk buttons.

Gun violence in America has declined sharply in the US in the last 30 years. In 1980 there were 10.8 willful killings per 100,000. By 1993 it had dropped to seven killings for every 100,000 Americans. And by 2013 that number was down almost half: 3.6 homicides per 100,000 people according to data from the FBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maybe it's because of economic growth and opportunity. Maybe it's because of increased police funding. Or maybe it's just due to the drop in alcohol consumption.

But interestingly enough at the very same time gun violence was dropping, gun ownership was increasing. From 1993 to 2013, private gun ownership increased 56%, to 357 million from 185 million. This is based on data from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). That translates to 1.45 guns for every resident.

And yeah, once in a great while a conceal carry citizen thwarts a crime, but that's rare. I'll acknowledge that.

The point is though that more gun ownership has NOT lead to more gun violence. And restricting people from owning weapons will not necessarily lessen gun violence.

Handguns get a bad rap in this scenario when it is actually assault rifles doing most of the damage. So, what do you want to do? Ban those? I hope not. Bernie Sanders a guy I like a lot, asked on a TV show the other day why citizens need to own assault weapons. That answer is simple. Because the cops have them. Our Founding Fathers weren't afraid that we were going to someday have to battle herds of chipmunks, or roving gangs of deer, but they did want us to be able to take on authority. And as long as cops have assault weapons, we need them too.

These guys show us their ugly side everyday. I was on the job for almost 30 years and I know what I'm taking about. When cowards have weapons, they scare easily. So, if you don't believe me, go to YouTube the Battle of Athens, Tennessee 1947. This was a case of a corrupt sheriff gathering up all the ballot boxes in an election an hour before the polls were to close and promising "we'll count the ballots for you."

Well a bunch of good old boys, fresh home from WWII weren't buying it. So they all went home and got their weapons and there was actually a shoot out around the courthouse. The Governor refused to intervene and the citizens got their ballot boxes back. THAT'S what our Founding Fathers were talking about. So yeah, we need everything the cops have and maybe even a little more wouldn't hurt.

So here's the deal. I now conceal carry. You wanna rob me? Rob me. You wanna punch me? Punch me. But if you pick up a pipe or a knife or some other deadly weapon, you will not like where this will go. You break into my home? I'm going to keep our door shut in our bedroom, have the wife call 911 and stay on the line so that what I say is being recorded, and I am going to be barking "Take what you want and get the hell out! I am armed and if you come into this room and threaten me, I may shoot you. Get what you want and get out."

But if you come into a restaurant I'm in and decide to start killing people, I will shoot you. I won't try for a kill shot, but I'm good. Don't take the chance.

And if every crazy understood that wherever he went to kill people he was going to be met with a barrage of gunfire, do you think he'd be as anxious to pull this stunt?