The gun is not inherently bad, OR good. It is neutral. Its purpose depends on the one who holds it.
Presidential hopefuls and other political pundits seem to waste no time in hopping up onto their anti-gun soapboxes every time there is an act of violence in this country. (Image: Pixabay)
Yes, the horrific mass shootings plaguing the last 30 years or so, are harrowing atrocities that are the stuff of nightmares.
However, the ongoing political agenda machine continues to only ask one question: (How?) regarding the situation; and holds up their answer as their standard: (Guns, let’s ban them!).
The question that should be asked—and which reverberates in my mind after every grim headline—is WHY?
America’s Founders, having only recently escaped governmental tyranny, saw the just need for every citizen to have the right to bear arms.
So, if Americans have carried weapons from the beginning, why has this mass-violence increased in such large numbers of late?
The issue cannot be the weapons themselves—it must be those using the weapons.
That’s where the ‘Why?’ comes in.
A gun is an inanimate object; it’s like a wad of cash.
A stack of ‘Benjamins’ can be used for either good or evil. Money is NOT the ‘root of all evil’ as some are quick to misquote.
The actual verse reads, ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ -1 Timothy 6:10
The money has no soul. But the one who holds the money does. That one can use it for good—to pay bills, to provide for their family, to give away… or that one can use it for evil—to finance crimes and illegal activity, to keep victims enslaved…
The same is true for guns.
The gun is not inherently bad, OR good. It is neutral. Its purpose depends on the one who holds it.
This is why we SHOULD be asking the WHY question.
Why did Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murder 12 students and a teacher in cold blood at Columbine High School? Why did Adam Lanza kill his own mother and then 20 6 and 7-year-olds along with 6 other adults at Sandy Hook Elementary? Why did 64-year-old Stephen Paddock open fire on the crowd of Route 66 concert-goers below his 32nd floor suite, killing 58 and wounding 422 others?
Ultimately, those who want to hurt others will find a way to do so, whether it’s by gun, knife, machete, fist, foot or whatever means they decide to use.
What needs to change is the HEART behind the weapon.
After the most recent school shooting, a vigil was arranged and students and family members were in attendance, apparently along with politicians and those pushing an anti-gun agenda.
When those of the latter group commandeered the mic, not even allowing students to speak of one of their own who heroically died trying to stop the shooter, said students walked out of the vigil.
They said they didn’t want to be used as pawns for an ‘anti-gun rally.’ They also called for better mental health instead of the anti-gun agenda.
They touched the REAL issue: the why.
Maybe it’s overwhelming depression or anger triggering abnormal mental decisions, maybe it’s abuse that has taken its toll on the soul of a person. Maybe it’s an outside influence that has altered what is reality in the mind of one; sources could be drugs, alcohol or even violent video games or movies.
THESE are the questions we SHOULD be asking, instead of attempting to round up the guns of law-abiding American citizens; which will leave only the UNlawful ones with guns.
Ultimately, when it comes to mass-violence in America:
The heart of the matter IS the heart.
