There is a gay-rights group in this country that many Americans don’t know exists.

It’s not your typical group of self-proclaimed “victims” who lobby the government for rights most will never have.

“The Pink Pistols” go about putting an end to discrimination and bigotry in a way like no other group – they exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

They don’t lobby the U.S. government for more hate crime laws. They don’t push to have any extra rights.

They just carry guns and fight for their right to continue to do so.

There is no other civil rights group in this country that uses a more effective way to ensure equality.

What better way to avoid becoming a victim of a hate crime than arming yourself?

To some, it may sound crazy. But to the members of the Pink Pistols, it is a way of life.

The group looks at hate-crime situations in a very reasonable manner, much more reasonable than the average gay-rights group.

The typical answer to putting an end to hate crimes is to write laws making the punishment for committing an act of hate more severe.

At first, this may sound like a great idea, but laws don’t stop criminals from committing crimes. If that was the case, we wouldn’t have criminals.

The Pink Pistols take a realistic approach to ending some of the barbaric treatment of homosexuals.

It’s called protection.

If one who is hateful tries to inflict harm on a “pink person” who is armed, chances are the bigot will seriously regret it.

And society should feel no shame for someone who is shot in the act of committing a hate crime.

The person was trying to hurt someone and it backfired. There should be no regrets.

The organization is one of the most responsible groups of gun owners in the country. It claims to be “dedicated to the legal, safe and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual minority.”

And dedicated it is.

The group’s Web site has a link for members to sign up for a gun safety course. Before these people arm themselves, they make sure they know how a gun operates.

The Pink Pistols are trying to spread their cause around the country, but the group has a major problem – the collision of ideologies. It’s no secret that the majority of homosexuals sit on the left side of the political spectrum and gun owners sit on the right.

The Pistols aim to overcome this through educating its members so they can debate with the most active of lobbyists.

There is even a link on the Web site where people can sign up and take a class on political debate.

Their goal?

To make more homosexuals realize the best way to ensure personal safety is to carry a weapon.

It fits the same theory every other gun owner rights advocate uses.

If there is a chance a person is carrying a gun, assailants will be less likely to attack.

If more members of the gay community carried guns, the entire community would be less likely to fall prey to hateful violence because there is a chance the soon-to-be victim is armed. A bigot is not going to be as likely to risk his or her life.

Other “minority” groups could learn a lot from the Pistols. Hopefully others will pick up on what this group is doing and create similar organizations. Barring arms is a great way to protect yourself and other members of your community.

This way of thinking is right on target.

Zach Calef is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Cedar Rapids. He is an assistant news editor of the Daily.