Here's what happens in cities where the criminals know that thanks to strict gun control, law-abiding victims will be almost certainly helpless and unarmed:

The customer's nightmare unfolded innocently enough as he was standing at the counter paying for some items just after midnight on Jan. 6. The shopper, a white man wearing a white coat, suddenly gets walloped by a black man in a dark vest and gray hoodie. Thanks to the deli's security cameras, police now have a fairly clear picture of the assailant as the entire sordid affair was captured from several angles.

The victim may have known he was in danger, but had no idea the punch was coming. He appears to be jawing with a group of men who circle him by the counter. The pain comes shortly after as the assailant launches a fierce punch that knocks the victim clear out of the camera's view.

The victim takes the brunt of the blow to the head and neck and goes sprawling to the floor. The assailant leaves, but some in his posse go over to the prone victim and take his money.

It turns out the entire episode started from beef over small aisle space.

While most conservatives and libertarians would want to throw the book at the perp (good luck!), a lot of liberals (at least, those who didn't blame the victim) would see the situation as calling for more laws. If only we had required wider aisles, then this might never have happened.

I'm more inclined to think that a disarmed world is a more violent world. Criminals are emboldened by knowing that their victims are defenseless. Moreover, as I've noted before disarmed New York has more strongarm robberies than Philadelphia, where tens of thousands of citizens walk about legally carrying concealed weapons, and no one knows who they are.

New York not only has some of the most draconian gun control laws in the United States, but tasers and stun guns are illegal, as are most knives.

I realize people will argue that the downside is that in places like Philadelphia, criminals are also more likely to be armed. But I think if I had my druthers, I'd prefer to be the victim of an armed robbery at gunpoint than a strongarm attack. True, I'd rather be hit over the head than shot, but the vast majority of armed robberies do not end in shootings.

I'm wondering what the readers think, so here's a poll.