Second Amendment Supporters Must Learn From Texas Incidents

Texas – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the best ways we can best defend the Second Amendment is to learn from the mistakes of the past. The lessons that we can learn came at a great cost to those who didn’t get it right, and they paid dearly for it. Some people paid in blood for those mistakes, other people paid for their errors in lost liberty.

The fact is, when people are carrying arms – either openly or concealed – they are carrying the power to end someone’s life. The right to keep and bear arms comes with a great responsibility – and Second Amendment supporters have to keep that in mind. With this in mind, we shall take a look at two incidents in Texas that recently hit the news. Learn from the mistakes made here to not only keep yourselves safe, but to also help preserve our Second Amendment rights.

The first was the verdict in the trial of a police officer who went to the wrong apartment and shot the resident there dead, believing she was facing an intruder in her apartment. That officer was recently convicted of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. It’s a nightmare for all concerned. What can Second Amendment supporters learn from this?

The big lesson from this is, there are times when one shouldn’t be exercising the right to keep and bear arms. When you are feeling the effects of alcohol, fatigue, illness, or medication to the point it impairs your judgement or your awareness of your surroundings is one of those times. It should go without saying, but in this case, there is a tragic reminder.

The second big lesson is to be aware of your surroundings. If something seems off, take the time to stop and assess things before continuing. It may save your life. There is no shame in backing away if something seems off, and just calling for help. A hassle is far better than a tragedy.

The other Texas case involved a homeowner who confronted a burglar and fired shots. The burglar fled and was later found dead. In this case, we have a classic example of stupidity displayed by a lack of proper previous planning and preparation. The homeowner reportedly went back to bed, and only after he realized he had hit the suspect did he call 911. He’s now facing charges.

If you are going to be exercising your Second Amendment rights for the purposes of personal protection, you need to have a plan and be prepared for the aftermath. Get the proper training so you have the knowledge of what to do. Practice at the range – be sure you know your self-protection equipment.

Sign up for USCCA, NRA Carry Guard, or both so that you will be able to not just get training to survive the encounter, but to also obtain solid representation from an attorney who specializes in self-defense law, and to make sure that you don’t get bankrupted by legal fees should you have to exercise your Second Amendment rights for personal protection. The relatively small investments in time and money could save your life, liberty, and financial future down the road.

You must also have a plan for the aftermath of when you have to actually use your Second Amendment rights for personal protection. NRA Carry Guard offers a free guide for the aftermath of a self-defense encounter, with no obligation to purchase anything. If you own firearms for personal protection, reading this is part of responsibly exercising your Second Amendment rights.

Self-protection is a core purpose behind the Second Amendment. That said, with the right to keep and bear arms comes the responsibility to ensure that we are exercising our Second Amendment rights in a reasonable and prudent manner. One of the best defenses for the Second Amendment is to show by example the responsible exercising of our right to keep and bear arms. Part of that responsibility is learning from others’ tragic mistakes so that they are not repeated.

About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.

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