(October 1, 2001) Gun free zones are where no law-abiding citizens are safe from thugs. In Columbine we saw what happens when schools were empty of empowered citizens. Who can be surprised to see the same result in other gun free zones?

Maryland's hand-wringers are already exploiting last week's terrorist attack. They have their way on our streets, where you and I aren't trusted to act responsibly in the interest of our community; in order to exercise our right to carry, we need consent of Maryland State Police who reserve their permission only for the elite. (For that matter, the standard for gaining permission to own a gun is rising, in the form of training mandates.) Now they're further on their way to making our homes into "gun free zones" too.

We'll have our hands full, both at the state level when our General Assembly reconvenes in January, and also in Congress, where the rush to increase government's reach - in the name of anti-terrorism - will test our system of checks and balances. When you increase police discretion, you may just as easily place power in the hands of an agenda-driven politician as with a well-intentioned constable. The case study for what can go wrong is indeed in Maryland, where laws enacted with best of intentions are exploited by zealots like Attorney General "Poppa Joe" Curran and troopers who focus more on foiling gun ownership than on improving public safety.

The mantra we hear is that America must "redefine" freedom in order to recover safety. We hope our thoughtful opposing view is not drowned out in the rush to sell independence: perhaps we have enjoyed security because of freedom, not in spite of it? Ben Franklin observed that those who trade liberty for security will get neither. Let's not finish the terrorists' evil work by sacrificing the basic human rights we ought to be honoring. Our message to legislators: Remain calm. Abandoning…err…I mean "redefining" liberty in order to nab foreign terrorists today may leave us at the mercy of a domestic devil who is much worse tomorrow.

We can't do what works. Israel's official airline arms flight attendants, and since starting the practice has never had a plane taken in the air. Officials we contacted lament this is not possible in the US because of the war on our culture of lawful firearm ownership. As we all know, marksmanship skills aren't taught in a weekend. In fact, long term familiarity with firearms is recognized as a plus by police and military when recruiting. Apparently officials responding to the current crisis believe America's pool of firearms-familiar pilots and flight attendants is small.

Speed cameras were activated in the District of Columbia just in time. These gizmos automate the business of zapping drivers with radar, snapping a picture and mailing an invoice to the driver, much like 'red light' cameras make for cash flow here in Maryland. Word on the street is that DC made a bundle on automatic speeding tickets once news of the Pentagon attack spread (at least until gridlock stopped everyone.) Those who evacuated without observing speed limits will help pay the city's bills. It's a good thing those speed zones weren't patrolled by police officers since they might have exercised discretion, and then where would the budget be, for gosh sakes? (Look for expanded use of this technology to be one of the gems authorized in Maryland once the legislature meets.)

Best quotes. We contacted legislators to find local impact and found 'off the record' gems: "I no longer feel so good about having voted for Kathleen [Kennedy]'s package last session. A little racial profiling last week would have saved a lot of lives." My favorite: "Maybe we can't stop people from using planes as terrorist weapons, but at least we can stop people from getting guns." I don't understand the connection either, but she seemed serious.

In times of crisis, you know not to count on Kmart. Just as soon as news broke on September 11, executives at Kmart swung into action … and removed all guns and ammunition from store shelves nationwide. Local anti-gun activists who are still looking for a gun connection to the attack have already made a public pitch to legislators to ban sale of such things during emergencies. If you can't shop at Kmart during times of crisis, it makes us wonder why we'd shop there any other time either. I don't plan to … and I suggest you don't either. When you've got a moment, stop by your local Kmart and politely explain to the manager why you aren't spending money there.

Gun control makes America safe for terrorists and thugs. One of my colleagues on campus is Asian. In our many political discussions has never been particularly pro- or anti-gun, but after last week's attack, he decided it was time to get a shotgun for his home, fearing that anyone who looks even vaguely like he came from Kabul might be the target of hot-headed reprisals. You guessed it: he went to a Kmart in Montgomery County, where the clerk told him gun sales were banned in the interest of public safety. My friend, who gave up on "just dial 911" after his neighborhood phone service was interrupted enough times, assures me he doesn't feel particularly safe for Kmart's policy. Fortunately he solved his immediate equipment problem at an area gunshop.