SWAT Gear Scariest Part of James Holmes' Arsenal

What made James Holmes unique was his defense, William Saletan argues
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 23, 2012 1:46 PM CDT
SWAT Gear Scariest Part of James Holmes' Arsenal
SWAT gear is seen in this file photo.   (Shutterstock)

James Holmes "didn't just kill a dozen people" with his Colorado shooting rampage, writes William Saletan on Slate. "He killed the NRA's answer to gun violence." The NRA has been arguing for years that, to quote its CEO in the wake of the Tucson shooting, "The best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." But would-be gun-slinging heroes would not have fared well against Holmes, who was armored from head to toe.

"Really bad guys—guys capable of planning a serious rampage—aren’t stupid," Saletan argues. It's incredibly easy to buy bullet-stopping armor online. Saletan likens it to missile defense ruining the concept of mutually assured destruction. Gun control probably won't stop people like Holmes. "But what if arming the good guys doesn't work either? What if an Internet full of gas masks and bulletproof vests has plunged us over our heads in an arms race with psychopaths?" Click for Saletan's full column. (More James Holmes stories.)

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