How do we protect ourselves?

Buford Oneal Furrow, the suspect in this week's tragic Los Angeles-area JCC shooting, reportedly told authorities "he wanted this to be a wake-up call to America to kill Jews."

It's harder to imagine more chilling words.

What are Jews to think? Certainly the more militant groups like the Jewish Defense League will tell Jews to form their own militias and patrol the grounds around synagogues and Jewish institutions.

It is unlikely many Jews will follow that advice.

Nevertheless, Jewish agencies, especially Jewish community centers, are taking necessary precautions, including, in some instances, hiring armed security guards.

We want and need to feel safe as Jews living in America.

At the same time, we must be careful not to overreact. Otherwise, our Jewish institutions and synagogues will begin to resemble those in parts of Europe. We don't want to pray with a guard standing at our congregation's front door. We don't want to shudder in fear every time we drop our children off at a Jewish day school.

Tragically, violence is all around us. And Jews aren't the only ones being targeted.

Some days the shooters aim at fellow workers. Other days they shoot their bosses. Sometimes gunmen target their families. And other times, as in Columbine High School, students massacre fellow students.

We live in disturbing times. Hardly a week goes by without some shocking incidence of violence dominating the national news.

The answer appears to be strong gun control measures. America must do something to restrict the sale of handguns and ban the sale of automatic weapons like the one used at the JCC.

None of us -- Jews or non-Jews -- will feel safe until this happens.