Guns: When Property is More Important Than a Person

Here is a picture of a jewelry store in the ritzy Serrano shopping district in Madrid. What is a bit hard to see, however, is the security guard standing in the entrance to the store. Even more difficult to discern is the revolver he carries on his hip. But trust me, it's there.

The gun laws in Spain seem to be about the same as the rest of Europe; you can apparently still own a handgun, but you must be a member of a shooting club and all your guns are registered, licensed, yada yada yada. Like in most of the world, there is no provision for ordiniary citizens to actually carry a handgun. Apparently, though, it's okay for a private security guard to have a gun to protect jewelry, but it's not okay for someone to have a gun to protect himself or herself.

If you recall, Dick Heller is a security guard, too, who protects a government building by day but is disarmed by night. The next time someone says they want more restrictive gun laws, make sure they know that even in countries like Spain, people carry guns. Like in Washington, D.C., though, the priorities are all mixed up.