Instapundit links to a post today about the continuing decline in the number of murders in Florida. This is the state that started the “right-to-carry” movement among the states in 1987. The right-to-carry means that local governments and the police can’t tell you that you aren’t allowed to carry a gun. You register to carry a gun - and you are not known to be a criminal - then you can carry a gun.

This is the opposite of gun policies in New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC. These places are run by lefties who are behind the times.

John Lott has put forth the theory that crime drops as more people carry guns. For example, if every 10th person has a concealed handgun, criminals hesitate to rob or attack others. Whether Lott is right or wrong, the fact that murder rates continue to drop in Florida makes the case for gun controllers much more difficult. After all of their predictions of a disastrous increase in gun crimes in Florida and other RTC states, the opposite has occurred.

Let’s assume that John Lott is right and ordinary citizens carrying guns reduces violent crime. So what if every Iraqi adult, man and woman, was given a handgun and they are asked to carry it as much as possible and to keep it hidden as best they can. What would happen?

On Wednesday, 25 Iraqis were kidnapped in the middle of day and then 20 were executed. But what if half of them had guns? This would seem to change the dynamic of the situation. The terrorists might have their hands full. Let’s see, the citizens with the guns can either fight back or face potentially being murdered. Which would you do?

Giving Iraqi adults handguns may not be so farfetched. Most Iraqi families already have a gun in the house - often an AK-47 which is legal. (Now there is a real gun for home protection!) This was true even under Saddam’s rule.

So is it such a big step to ask them to carry handguns too? I bet if the government gave out guns and ask people to carry them that they would get a lot of cooperation. Frustrated Iraqis could feel like they are doing their part to help reduce crime, and they would feel like they have a better chance to defend themselves.

A handgun for every adult in Iraqi would be the perfect complement to their AK-47s at home! (I think some gun control types just went into convulsions somewhere.)

Too bad the right-to-carry movement in the US has been mostly among the states and not at the federal level. Otherwise some in the federal government might be pondering offering to work with the Iraqi government to help get guns to endangered Iraqi citizens.

Also, if the UN was not anti-gun, perhaps it could help. Hmm, imagine that - the UN passing out guns to citizens. I can’t quite see it happening.

Don’t think giving guns to Iraqi citizens is a good idea? Well, who are we to decide? The US government could float the idea and offer some assistance, but then it is up to the Iraqi elected leaders to decide. Certainly the Iraqis need some new ideas right about now.

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