A new round of gun debate ignited last week after a man thought to have been inspired by Islamist ideology slammed his vehicle into pedestrians and then launched a deadly attack outside of the Houses of Parliament in London.

After killing four and injured 29, Khalid Masood, the British-born attacker, was finally shot and killed. But many were wondering if much of the carnage could have been stopped had more British police officers been allowed to carry guns to protect themselves and the public.In a scathing piece titled "A blunder for the Books: Why did Westminster use unarmed guards?" British journalist Andre Walker said the attacker simply had to overpower two unarmed police officers and he was in the heart of British government.One British gun shop owner interviewed before the attack said that in the U.K., most people only see guns being used by the police or in video games. He said gun owners there are like a "secret society," and when someone admits to owning a gun, they are quickly labeled a weirdo.After terrorist strikes in France, Germany and Belgium last year, a number of British authorities felt an attack was "highly likely." London's police chief even warned that it was a case of "when, not if" there would be an attack.Last summer's terrorist attack in Nice, where an armed French Tunisian killed more than 80, including 10 children, should have raised warning levels. As in last week's London attack, the French terrorist had used a vehicle to initiate his attack by driving a truck through a crowded promenade during Bastille Day celebrations.Police armed with pistols are finding themselves outgunned by jihadists who have no respect for the law. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, stated in February that since we're living in a far more dangerous society, police must have the correct equipment to deal with any threat.Rather than arming police, the British rely on intelligence-gathering and stronger links with the community.But while British citizens and some police are disarmed, jihadists are arming themselves with Kalashnikov rifles, grenade launchers and Scorpion machine guns since they remain available in black markets. British authorities have reported "large seizures" of firearms, particularly "assault weapons."Terrorists are also constantly switching tactics. Today, lone wolf terrorists are using commonly seen items like vehicles and knives as weapons and focusing on soft targets, where they can expect the least resistance.After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in the center of Paris two years ago, Donald Trump recognized the threat and repeated theadage: "When guns are outlawed, only the outlaws will have guns."Every election cycle, there are snarky liberals protesting that all conservatives want to cling to are their "Bibles and their guns."In Great Britain, one bumper sticker produced by gun rights advocates, states: "An unarmed society is a polite society."Hopefully, after the latest London carnage, more people will realize that gun control creates a false sense of security and that the best way to deter and confront something as evil as Islamic terrorism is to at least have an equal amount of force.By Jim Zbick |

tneditor@tnonline.com