Again our hearts are saddened by the tragedy in Orlando–the worst mass shooting in US history. Many on social media are using this tragedy to support their fight against stiffer gun control laws. They seem to be suggesting that, if all citizens had assault rifles, we would be safer from such incidents.

I have tried to imagine how that would play out. Should all of those victims at the club have been armed, hauling in their assault rifles and propping then against the bar as they talked and danced? Just in case? Or should they have locked them in their cars, hoping for the opportunity to race from the club, retrieve their weapons, and come back shooting? Should our children in the schools be issued assault weapons to keep at their desks, or should teachers simply have rifles ready to pass out like pencils or test booklets, if gunmen appear?  Are we to carry weapons instead of umbrellas when we shop? And how can we tell if the gun-toting shopper beside us is one of the good guys?

No matter how I play the scenarios in my head, I can’t imagine how any of the tragedies we have seen could have been prevented by vast hoards of citizens stockpiling implements of death. I know that there have been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of “explanations” of how this would help, but none make sense to me. Perhaps I am just too weapon-ignorant. But  of the real experts–parents and sisters and children who have lost loved ones to gun-wielding killers–not a single one says that the answer is more guns.

And so I applaud my client who had inherited a collection of guns that were family heirlooms. Several years ago, he realized that his mood swings might one day tempt him to do something that he could never take back. He immediately got rid of every weapon. He is remarkable for his courage, because courage is not based on how easily we could kill someone, or how big our stockpile of weapons is. Those are signs of insecurity. One of the most courageous acts we can perform is taking a realistic look at ourselves, acknowledging our flaws, and making the best decisions possible. Even if they’re the hardest.