Posted 4:13 PM by steve

For all the discussion of how dangerous Iraq is right now, while it might seem counter-intuitive (at least to liberals), to what extent would things be a bit calmer over there if more Iraqis had weapons and were prepared to use them to defend themselves, their families and their property?

Could more guns - and the willingness to use them - have helped prevent or lessen the severity of yesterday's attack, where renegade police and militants attacked defenseless Sunnis, dragging them out of their homes and killing some 60+ of them? Would the police and militants been as anxious to knock down doors if they thought there were some guns aimed in the direction of the first guys to come through those doors?

Could more guns - and the willingness to use them - have helped prevent or lessen the severity of attacks such as this, where gunmen attacked a bus full of unarmed Iraqi workers? Or this attack, where gunmen also opened fire on unarmed workers?

And I doubt that more guns - and the willingness to use them - would make it more dangerous for US troops conducting search operations over there. The Iraqis who feel like opening up on US troops likely already have the guns they need to do so... and I doubt that Joe Iraqi is going to start shooting at American patrol... for it's the other Iraqis Joe Iraqi fears right now, those who have guns - and are willing to use them, and not American troops.