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For those in the audience who aren't familiar with gun rights -- or the Battle of Thermopylae -- this post's title means "Come and take them." It was the defiant response of King Leonidas of Sparta when the Persians ordered him to surrender his weapons.

Weapons are the indispensible tools of self-defense. My gun is the force equalizer that ensures I have a fair chance against criminal assailants who are almost certain to be stronger, younger, bigger, and faster than I.

But there are so-called authorities in our society today who say we should not defend ourselves against violent attack. They say we should yield to the criminals, meekly and voluntarily obey their every demand. How can these authorities not connect increases in crime with the criminals' expectation that their victims have been well-trained to abject submission?

Marko at "The Munchkin Wrangler" explains what's wrong with that better than I ever could.

Zendo Deb at "TFS Magnum" has a collection of incidents where cooperating with criminals had a somewhat different outcome that the authorities would have you expect.

If you think dialing 911 will save you when The Bad Thing happens, read this.

While humans are being brainwashed conditioned trained to offer their throats willingly to the knife, Breda at "The Breda Fallacy" relates an encounter with a mouse who has still has a survival instinct.

Xavier at "Xavier Thoughts" relates his experience of being targeted by thugs and a follow-up here.

Robb Allen at "Sharp As A Marble" ties it all perfectly together.

I will not patronize businesses who post "No Concealed Weapons" signs. To do so rewards their cowardice while depriving me of effective defense. Not one of them will accept liability if a criminal harms or kills a customer.

I will not accept spree-killings as justification for more and more gun control. As author William S. Burroughs said, "After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it." Dylan Klebold, of Columbine infamy, was closely following Colorado legislation that would have let citizens carry a concealed handgun. Klebold strongly opposed the legislation and openly talked about it. The bill being debated would have allowed permitted guns to be carried on school property. Was it a coincidence that he attacked Columbine High School the very day the legislature was scheduled to vote on the bill?

I will not vote for anti-gun candidates. Especially those who carefully refrain from saying they really want to ban civilian gun ownership until after the election. A world without guns would hardly be the pacifist utopia they imagine. And ever notice how they don't include the police, the military, and their own bodyguards in the disarmament plan?

And I will not abdicate responsibility for my personal safety to others and cower on my knees waiting to die like some people.

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