Peace through strength

Ronald Reagan is certainly the most modern day statesman to make the concept "peace through strength" his own, but it should be old news that the root of such a stance is an ancient one.

A curious (public) response to how such a philosophy would, might or should apply in the case of the gun violence at the cinema incident in Colorado has me, personally, considering this idea more deeply.

The response, in three words, was basically: "Attack the attacker!"

But does [brute] strength, indeed (and always), deter evil?

For example, could the "joker" at the cinema have been stopped in his tracks if even one person, carrying a concealed weapon (with permit) had been there - and actually taken a shot?

Or, to take this to its most extreme, yet surely most noble context: Remember September 11, 2001.

"Let's roll."

 

What would "I" have done?