Actually, it is more likely YOU will than I

As usual, the mass shooting and gun control mantras are in full bloom.

1. "Statistically, you'd have to think that you or I is going to die in a mass shooting," Pally told host Alex Miranda. "That's really tough to take."

I suppose I am behind the times, because I do not know who Adam Pally is - or Alex Miranda - or why I should care what either of them think.  Must be my punishment for reading Huffington Post.  But this is such a foolish assertion I can't be bothered to rebut it.  Simply read some statistics instead of using the word "statistically" as if you have.

2. "Definitely we need to look at the Second Amendment and amend it and find a way to put in stronger background checks," Pally said. "I don't know who needs that type of artillery, and I certainly don't think that anyone does."

Who does need to be armed is the person who wants to defend themselves and since Adam Pally clearly does not, then he is right - he is more likely to die in a mass shooting.  I may die that way, too - but I would have a better chance of surviving or at least stopping the killing, because I would be armed and do more to defend myself, to equalize the disparity of force he would experience (having no force at all). Adam would cower, freeze, not being able to imagine this is happening.

Years of prohibition, be it illicit drugs or alcohol have proved fruitless.  France, Mexico and California (all somewhat foreign nations) all have restrictive firearm laws, yet France and California seem to be terrorist/mass shooter's preferable targets (and all gun-free zones).  And Mexico - well we know no one is ever shot there.

You can't keep people from streaming across the border (from Mexico, where no one is ever shot), yet you think you will keep firearms out of criminal and terrorist hands with more law.  Read the definition of criminal, of black market, of illicit.  Then you will see that the impotent hubris of such people is astounding.

3. "Eventually people are just going to say, 'Well, maybe we could stop having victims that we have to think and pray about so much if we looked at how that happened.' ... It feels a little hopeless today, but I feel like there's no reason to give up, and people have to fight for gun control," he said."

Many of us have already said that; been saying it and have decided that there is a better way to achieve that end than disarming law-abiding people so that they can be slaughtered by criminals. I, too, think the candlelight vigils and prayers are foolish when people will not accept responsibility for their own safety, when they think the best way to be safe is close their eyes, cover their eyes, and yell loudly. I have always felt that God, such as he is, expects us to help ourselves. Prayers and candles make us feel better for having allowed ourselves to be helpless, nothing more.  They are "right of bang".  In fact, using such methods to decrease arousal is probably not a good thing - we need to be aroused, we need to use those concerns, we need to learn to reinterpret our fears into the survival-based signals they are.  Turning our safety over to God will not keep us safe.

What we need is better awareness to identify threats and the freedom to carry the tools needed to interdict them. People need to read "Left of Bang" to learn how to begin systematically use behavior profiling to identify anomalies in their environment, as well DeBecker's "Gift of Fear" and realize that if something feels wrong, it likely is - do not ignore it, explain it away, and move on. Assess, avoid, attack.

Adam - and Alex - seem invested in imagining a time and place where peaceful capitulation and singing Kumbaya will deter criminals and terrorists who want to butcher you will support survival, where unilateral disarmament will solve violence (that is what laws banning firearms would be - unilateral disarmament). I know that such butchers are cowards, that they seek victims like Adam who are not prepared to defend themselves, that they hunt for those victims in areas where even those with the courage to do so may be disarmed (the cherished gun-free zones). Terror - to strike fear - who better to do that with but those who are meek and helpless - by their own decision.  I know that these animals will not stand in the face of resistance.  I know that, as has been shown before, while they may not surrender and if well-prepared may be hard to out down, when challenged they will self-terminate in some way that can stop the killing and dying.  Better yet, with awareness, preparedness and will, we can prevent such tragedy - but not Adam.

Adam is not prepared for the world he lives in, the world as it has become.  He knows nothing but silly fantasies - he likely will die from some form of violence that he refuses to acknowledge, unless someone braver, smarter and more aware and prepared happens to save him. His belief will be his undoing, just as he predicts.