I understand the excitement of firing a gun. I served in our armed forces where I fired a
gun for the very first time. They
trained me to strip it down, clean it, put it back together, and hit my target
every time. I admit there was an adrenaline
rush the first time I pulled the trigger on that M-16. The raw power I held in my hands was
incredible. Later I served in the Air
Force Honor Guard where I became proficient with the M-1 Carbine. I shot that rifle in twenty-one gun salutes
more than I can remember, and even though we only shot blanks, the power of the
gun was still apparent. Fortunately, I
was one of the “good guys.” I treated
these weapons with respect and used them for appropriate purposes.
I also understand the practical use of guns. While I prefer to use a bow, many of my
friends who hunt prefer the rifle. Some
hunt for sport (not a fan), while others hunt for food (the only good reason to
hunt). Hunters have very particular requirements
governing the use of weapons in hunting (i.e., wearing orange, type and caliber
of gun, etc…). If they get caught in
violation, they lose their ability to hunt.
Now I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure our founding fathers
would be devastated by the events of last week.
I’m pretty sure their intentional inclusion of the Second Amendment was
more practical for their day. Not only
that, but they were using muskets – guns that required the shooter to reload
after each shot. I’m not convinced our
founding fathers would have been as generic about the right to bear arms if
there had been automatic, semi-automatic, or assault weapons available to the
general public back then. I’m pretty sure they would have implemented
significant restrictions.
As a youth pastor, I was directly connected to students who personally
experienced the Columbine shootings in April of 1999. I spent time helping them move past the loss
of friends and learning in the midst of great tragedy, there is still hope and
a future.
The tragedies last week, in both Oregon and Connecticut,
should remind us that life itself is more valuable than the right to bear
arms. I'm not suggesting we take away
that right, but the children who died in CT last week will never have an opportunity
to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
So, do we emphasize the right to bear arms or the sanctity of life?
In my humble opinion, the abuse of guns in our country
should be as important a topic as gay marriage or legalizing marijuana was in
the last election. Regardless of which
side of these two issues you fall, are they truly more important than the lives
of the children and teachers taken from their families last week? I submit they are not. Why then are we afraid
to tackle this issue head on?
I don’t want guns to go away. I want them regulated in a way that protects our
right to have them, but at the same time, limits or deters individuals from
using them inappropriately. I don’t have the answers either. I wish I did.
What I do know is that we, as individuals and a nation, need
to openly discuss this issue with honesty and respect, and for the purpose of
limiting/preventing another Columbine (CO), Virginia Tech (VA), Batman shooting
(CO), Clackamas Mall (OR), or Sandy Hook (CT). If you don’t believe me, just
ask the parents of the Sandy Hook kids who rode home from school, not in a
school bus, but in a hearse.
May God grant us the strength to put our differences aside
for the sanctity of human life, and our children’s future!
Until next time,
David
PS - This NY
Times article about the events of last week is worth reading. Maybe it will jump start some healthy
conversations where you live.
