The District of Columbia, a city full of politicians and prominent people, has been forced to accept the idea of people walking round the city armed with loaded guns. The city government is trying to draw up rules about who can have the guns and why, but this attempt at regulation is likely to fail, given the new complexion of Congress, which oversees the city. The National Rifle Association has too many debts to call in.

As a signal of things to come, last weekend a pedestrian, walking home in the early hours of the morning, was held up at gun point and robbed, just thirty yards away from our house, one of three similar robberies that night. We can expect similar attacks, but earlier and earlier in the evening. The determined proponents of guns, who think gun ownership is a Constitutional right, will use such incidents to encourage all citizens to carry guns to “protect” themselves. In due course, expect more assassinations and certainly more deaths.

Can you imagine any capital city in the world full of gun-toting people, all “protecting” themselves, a Dodge City of the 21st Century? And the Sherriff is in his car or in the Seven Eleven. The police record crime, they don’t seem to prevent it. Decision: we cannot be cowed or terrorized by the gun-toters. We will escort our friends home and will carry wallets with $10 (only) in them to give to robbers if necessary. But I would love to debate with anyone willing to do so the meaning of “civilization”.