The right not to get shot

Many months ago, I read an article about a small Philadelphia protest against gun violence. (Unfortunately, the article is no longer available for a link.) The article included a quote from the mayor of Philadelphia in response to a comment about rights: "I have the right not to be shot."

This comment bothers me because, well, he doesn't. This is akin to saying that he has the right not to be rained upon. No, that's not quite right. A more accurate analogy would be to say that he has the right not to get hit in the head with a golf ball. In order to enforce that right at all times, such as when said mayor was taking a stroll on an amazingly well-tended patch of grass, one would have to prevent anyone from ever hitting a golf ball, an activity that's otherwise perfectly legal. Similarly, in order to prevent said mayor from ever getting hit by a bullet, no matter where he may be, one would need to prevent anyone from ever firing a gun.

Of course, as with any analogy, this one breaks down at some point. While golfing is an enjoyable leisure-time activity for some, it's certainly not an activity that could ever be considered crucial to life and limb. There are cases, on the other hand, in which firing a gun might be so. So in order to enforce said mayor's right not to be shot, one would need to condemn others to be victims of violent crimes.