It's time for another Plain Dealer Pulitzer: Self-defense commentary continues

More to be learned from latest Regina Brett columns

By Chad D. Baus

In 2004, ultra-liberal Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz (wife of Sherrod Brown, the recently-elected anti-gun U.S. Senator from Ohio) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for commentary that, among other things, bashed Ohio CHL-holders as "Dirty Harry wannabe's".

Schultz wrote the following commentary just days after Ohio concealed carry became law:

It seems to me the ones who need protecting aren't the folks who tuck a Glock under their armpit every time they step out to walk the dog or buy a quart of milk. I hate to make assumptions here, but I can't help thinking that folks who carry concealed weapons aren't the ones quoting Gandhi. And if I'm in a store that's about to be robbed, the last place I want to be is between a robber and the Dirty Harry wannabe who's decided to take the perp down.

Ms. Schultz has been notably mute in the days and weeks since an armed 15 year-old attacked a CHL-holder in his front yard. However, I would like to suggest that another Plain Dealer columnist is deserving of a Pulitzer for her commentary on bearing arms for self-defense in Ohio.

While the initial Plain Dealer news coverage of an Ohio CHL-holder protecting himself with gun was everything we've come to expect from the anti-gun newspaper's coverage on gun issues - error-filled and biased, columnist Regina Brett quickly came to the news reporters' rescue.

In an April 25 article entitled "No sympathy for thug culture", Brett correctly put the focus on this incident where it belongs - on the criminal atacker, and the culture that enables him and those like him.

At least no one can cry race this time. Both the shooter and dead teen are black.

I can't bring myself to call Buford the victim of a shooting. He was the instigator of one.

His family should be ashamed of his actions and apologize to the man he tried to rob.

Two weeks ago, a report came out that examined Cleveland's 389 homicides from 1998 to 2002. The conclusion?

"Homicides in Cleveland are overwhelmingly intra-racial in nature, with black offenders killing black victims."

The majority of victims were black males; the majority of killers were black males.

If there is any debate here, it shouldn't be about gun control.

It should be about thug control.

Brett's column struck home. Within 48 hours, the Cleveland NAACP President and Cleveland Councilman Zach Reed had spoken out against the thug culture, saying "the black community failed 15-year-old Arthur Buford."

But Brett wasn't finished. Her April 29 follow-up column - "Time to stand up to thug culture" - called out Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson as having been "AWOL" since the self-defense shooting.

Another shock wave ripped across the city - and one day later Mayor Jackson made his first public comments about the shooting. (Unfortunately, it appeared he agrees with the vandals who have trashed the robbery victim's home and force him to move. You see, Frank Jackson believes the armed robber is a "victim".)

On May 4, Brett published a third column on this shooting - this time featuring the first public comments made by CHL-holder since he was attacked.

The first thing you notice about Damon Wells is how small he is.

For a man, he's slight -- 5 feet 8 and 130 pounds.

The fingers that fired that .40-caliber Smith & Wesson are so delicate they don't seem capable of killing anyone.

The next thing you notice is the grief in his dark-brown eyes. His face seems shrouded by an invis ible veil, a pall of sad ness he can't brush away no matter how many times he rubs those tender fingers across his face.

The first thing he says is, "I'm devastated over what happened."

He's confused by people saying he did the right thing. It doesn't feel right at all that he killed a 15-year-old boy.

He's spoken to no one in the media about the shooting until now. He never wanted to be known as the gunman.

"I don't want to be known for any of this," he says so softly it's hard to hear him over the Starbucks chatter.

Gun ban extremists (like Connie Schultz mentioned above) are quick to characterize those who would chose to bear arms for self-defense as violent, blood-thirsty vigilantes out looking for a fight. Indeed, this exact claim was made to me by the husband of gun ban extremist Toby Hoover during a 2003 live television debate.

But as the first public comments by this Cleveland CHL-holder show, the truth about Ohioans who obtain a concealed handgun license is anything but what gun ban extremists claim.

While this is far from the first instance of an Ohio CHL-holder defending themselves against armed attack (contrary to a Plain Dealer-contrived media myth), it is one of the most written about. Persons who take their self-defense preparations seriously have been eager to learn more about Mr. Wells' experience, so that they can be more prepared should that terrible day ever arrive on their doorstep.

As such, Brett's May 4 column offers new pieces of information for those who study armed encounters in effort to better prepare themselves for such a terrible eventuality.

First, when he was first confronted by the armed robbers in his own front yard, the CHL-holder "threw up his hands. He tried to talk sense to the teens." An acquaintance of mine who is former law enforcement recently referred to trying to talk an armed attacker down as "verbal judo". It sounds nice in theory, but as this CHL-holder found out, when a criminal has made up his mind, there simply isn't much changing it:

"F- - - that," one teen barked.

When Damon took a step backward to get to his porch steps, one teen threw his arm out to block the way.

That's when Damon knew he had no choice. He knew they weren't messing around.

He pulled the gun from his shoulder holster. He fired three shots. He didn't know he had hit anyone. Both boys ran.

The Associated Press has made much of Mr. Wells' expression of sorrow over the incident. Wells told Brett "If you could, tell his family I'm real sorry for what happened that night. I'm praying for them. I hope they can get through this. I'm just real sorry."

"I was always told that taking someone's life was the greatest sin of all," he says. "I feel like my soul is on the line."

He grows quiet. He says he is worried. Worried that his own family sees him differently now. Worried that he's not safe in the community. Worried about what God will and will not forgive.

The boys who tried to rob him were taller than he is. Damon is 25. He didn't know how old they were.

"Thirty-eight was all I saw," he says, referring to the caliber of gun pointed at him.

Being robbed at gunpoint is like a rape; a person feels violated in a deep, physical way.

But being forced to kill another person is a different kind of violation; it reaches way down into the soul.

Damon quit his job at a Popeye's restaurant. He couldn't stay focused.

As anyone who has attended one of my (or the many other) NRA Personal Protection courses is has been taught, there are significant physical and psychological reactions that can be expected in the aftermath of prevailing against a violent attacker, and Mr. Wells' comments to Ms. Brett are highly illustrative of some of the effects:

Physical reactions to prevailing in a violent attack: