Credible facts in the Newtown, Conn., massacre remain few with one exception. Innocents were murdered by a deranged madman.

It is unforgivable that, in their rush to judge, anti-gun politicians immediately clamored for passage of more gun control laws even before the children were buried. Gun control advocates were hoping to capitalize on this horrific event, and a grieving country, to pass legislation before true facts emerged: of the massacre, of a history of failed gun control legislation, of the wisdom and benefits to society of gun ownership.

Words like “semi-automatics,” “military-style assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines” headline news articles and cartoons depicting “assault weapons.” Is this an attempt to convince Americans more gun control is necessary? Many uttering these words haven’t the slightest idea what they’re talking about. Are gun control advocates and the media collaborating to mislead an uninformed American public or just pushing their misinformed political agenda? More pathetic is their cry for “common ground.” History is clear: “common ground” and “common sense gun laws” means further erosion of principled Americans’ right to bear arms.

Here are some recent real facts most Americans don’t know:

* A 12-year-old Oklahoma girl is safe today because her family chose to keep a gun in their home and ensured the sixth-grader knew how to use it. While alone at home, she stopped a 32-year-old male intruder intent on assault.

* A California woman protected herself from a violent male intruder who forcefully pushed her to the floor, kicking her in the ribs and face. During the altercation she prevented the abduction of her terrified 2-year-old daughter by shooting the suspect with her shotgun.

* An eighteen-year-old Oklahoma mother protected her baby by killing an intruder who assaulted her with a knife. She shot and killed the assailant with a 12-gauge shotgun on New Year’s Eve 2011. Her husband had died from lung cancer on Christmas Day.

Thousands of cases like these occur every year unbeknownst to Americans. Guns are truly the “great equalizer” — especially for women. President Reagan warned that we must never forget guns are the great equalizer should big government forget it is a servant, not the master, of the governed.

It is unconscionable that knowledgeable gun experts, citizens and politicians who understand guns and gun laws are vilified by radical anti-gun advocates. Still, no matter how hard they try, anti-gun fanatics cannot cover up the facts as researched/documented in More Guns less Crime by John Lott Jr.

* Human predators prey.

* Gun control harms lawful citizens and increases crime.

* Guns save more lives than they cost.

* Criminals fear lawful gun owners.

* Concealed handgun laws reduce gun violence.

* Crime repeatedly increases after adoption of gun control laws.

* “Gun control is the best thing you can do for crooks and gangsters.” — Sammy Gravano, Mafia turncoat

* Multiple-victim public shootings are perpetrated by deranged attackers. These shooters purposefully avoid locations with tight security, opting for gun-free zones.

Most alarming, President Obama eliminated the “Secure Our Schools” policing grant budget, denying Americans the ability to protect our school children.

If we want to prevent multiple-victim school shootings, we need to prevent the perpetrators from entering the schools.

It’s no surprise then that the NRA is working toward developing programs to prevent gun violence in schools. NRA’s Wayne LaPierre spoke the truth on Dec. 21: “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”

So while politicians’ debate, the NRA (4 million members strong) dedicates its resources to protect our nation’s schoolchildren by developing a model National School Shield Emergency Response Program for every school that wants it. For the safety of the children, our school boards/administrators/teachers would be fools to ignore this multi-faceted pre-eminent safety program.