The standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge points out the absurdity of NRA chief Wayne LaPierre's statement that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." The armed trespassers in Malheur believe they are the good guys. Which means they believe it's OK to shoot any armed men who try to remove them from the Refuge, including the police and FBI. The police and FBI, however, see themselves as the good guys. Who's right?
According to LaPierre, the only way to find out may be for one group of gunmen to shoot the other group of gunmen. Those still alive after the shootout have proven they're the good guys. The winners write the history. Might makes right. But what else could we expect from the NRA?
Let's consider a Gandhian alternative. Bundy has said his men will not shoot first. So, give them no reason to shoot. 1) send the trespassers a list of crimes with which they'll be charged and the likely sentences if convicted. 2) tell the trespassers that unarmed officers will enter the Refuge the next day to arrest them for those crimes. 3) tell the trespassers that if they commit more crimes, such as resisting arrest, they will be charged accordingly. 4), send in the unarmed officers (equipped with cameras) to handcuff the trespassers and lead them out.
The unarmed officers would, of course, have to be volunteers. Studies suggest that females would meet less resistance.
