March 7, 2012 10:28AM # ‘Textbook Case’ for Handguns in DC By [Tim Lynch](https://www.cato.org/people/tim-lynch) --- SHARE In today’s *Washington Post*, Courtland Milloy says a recent stabbing in DC provides a ‘textbook case for legalizing handguns in the District.’ Here’s an excerpt: > Someone like Wright would never have been able to prove that he needed a gun to walk his dog — until Sunday, that is. By then, of course, it would have been too late. > > > To better understand the benefits of a “concealed carry” firearm, consider how the encounter between Wright and Colbert might have unfolded if Wright had been armed and followed a basic self-defense protocol: > > > According to police reports, Colbert comes out of his house with a knife in one hand and a stick in the other. Being alert to the approaching threat, an armed Wright would now have several options. He could pull his gun, say, a.40-caliber Glock semiautomatic, which speaks volumes without firing a shot: “Never bring a knife to a gunfight, pal.” > > > Or he could just wait until the assailant gets close enough to meet the legal definition of justifiable homicide. … > > > Say what you will about the perils of gun ownership, but nobody can doubt that Wright would be alive today if he’d had one. Read the [whole thing](http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fatal-dc-stabbing-makes-a-case-for-handguns/2012/03/06/gIQAP0IZvR_story.html). Related posts [here](https://www.cato.org/guns-and-self-defense/), [here](https://www.cato.org/owning-a-gun-in-washington-may-get-easier/), and [here](https://www.cato.org/courtland-milloys-self-defense-quiz/). Check out the new Cato study on defensive gun use, *[Tough Targets](https://www.cato.org/guns-and-self-defense/)*. ##### Related Tags [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).