WTVM Editorial 8-20-19: A Gun for Self-Defense

(WTVM) - A dramatic jewelry store robbery last week in Phenix City, all caught on surveillance video, demonstrates the value of a responsible gun owner acting in self-defense.

It happened at Custom Jewelers on Hwy. 80 in Phenix City where employees watched as two men exit their car with masks on and rush into the jewelry store, holding handguns.

While the employees fled the retail display area to seek safety, the longtime owner of Custom Jewelers knew what he had to do. Rusty Gorman pointed his firearm at one of the robbers and fired.

One robber slammed into a glass jewelry case, crashing it to the floor as he scrambled to get away, with Rusty right behind him.

Rusty Gorman has been robbed before, but he said never in broad daylight and never before were the robbers armed.

Gorman’s business is a family affair and his mother-in-law was in the store when the robbery happened. She has the right perspective on what happened.

“You can replace material things, but you can’t replace a life," said Wanda Gibbs, Gorman’s mother-in-law.

She was grateful no one was seriously injured and we are, too.

At the end of the intense robbery, Rusty was quick to praise the fast action of the Phenix City Police Department, who responded with the full complement of investigative resources: K-9s, drones and plenty of officers to track the suspects.

But our police, even when they act quickly, can’t be everywhere for each of us, night and day. Being a trained and responsible gun owner, like Rusty Gorman, is often the first and best chance of defending yourself, your family and your business.

Many others carry weapons, like the off-duty firefighter in Missouri, who recently held a potential mass shooter at bay until police could arrive, saving untold lives.

Responsible gun owners often quote a well-worn saying that sums up why they carry a weapon at all times: “Since I can’t carry around a police officer, I carry a gun.”

That certainly worked for Rusty Gorman during his sudden need for self-defense.

General Manager Holly Steuart brings an editorial a week to WTVM. If you would like to respond to an editorial, e-mail your response to hsteuart@wtvm.com or write to:

WTVM Editorial Committee

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