Whenever pro-gunners suggest that a victim of rape, murder or torture should have been armed, the anti-gunners accuse them of “blaming the victim.” No, the blame for any violent attack rests squarely on the shoulders of the attacker or attackers. Full stop. But providing we’re talking about healthy adults . . .

the responsibility for self-defense lies with each of us. That’s why millions of Americans carry a firearm. And it’s a damn shame that Amazon Canoeist Emma Kelty wasn’t armed during her trip down the Amazon river.

The British headmistress brutally murdered by Amazonian pirates turned down a safe boat ride through one of the most lawless stretches of water in the world, MailOnline has learned.

Emma Kelty was specifically warned about the danger of the river she was about to paddle through but insisted on sticking to her schedule as she was ‘losing time’.

In her last known conversation, the 43-year-old said she felt she had no choice but to carry on in order to complete her 4,000 odyssey from the Amazon source to the sea.

Tragically, her bravery and determination led her straight into the path of cold blooded killers who shot and stabbed her in her tent.

I get that Ms. Kelty was determined to complete her Amazonian mission despite many dangers — everything from animal attack (including insects) to dehydration. I assume she took precautions against those dangers: insect repellant, water, first aid supplies, maybe even a sat phone. And a quick trawl through YouTube reveals that Ms. Kelty took some precaution against a violent attack . . .

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Clearly, Ms. Kelty was aware that she needed to protect herself against a violent attack. So why did she enter the territory of known murderers without the best possible form of personal defense (outside an armed escort): a gun?

Whatever the reason — personal, legal or PR (her trip was all over social media) — Ms. Kelty paid the price. Which she might have done anyway, even if she had been armed. But life is about managing risk, not eliminating it. It should have been a defensive gun use.