The story below destroys the arguments by anti-gun activists and Americans should read it. Had this young lady not been armed and prepared to defend herself we can only imagine the outcome. Americans have a Constitutional Right to Keep and Bear Arms and this exemplified why, Instead of being a victim this would used her unalienable Right to defend herself to protect herself and her baby from a criminal. http://news.yahoo.com/clerk-kills-robber-grabbed-daughter-102801527.html I challenge any anit-gun activist provide any logical reason why this woman should have been denied the Right own a firearm to defend herself and her baby. Elizabeth Easterly has my respect as her sound judgment, being prepared and good marksmanship saved her and her child from being the victims of a vicious criminal.
There's an element of Devil's advocacy here - hopefully everyone remembers that before attacking me. If she can't be denied the right to own a gun, neither can the man she shot. Neither can all the other people without sound judgement, preparedness and marksmanship she apparently displayed (though the impression of her shooting at someone holding her child still strikes me as a little odd). Make guns common place and you risk them becoming convenient tools rather than deadly weapons and convenience can lead to complacency. I don't think one example of a gun being used to successfully prevent a serious crime should be a definitive reason to allow everyone to own guns any more than a single incident of a criminal killing with a previously or currently legally owned gun is a definitive reason not to.
The criminal did this without a gun--most violent crimes in America are committed without weapons. Guns are the best method by which the physically weak can defend themselves against the physically strong. She shot the man (probably in the back (my interpretation)) as he was headed out the door with the child.