Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXXXVI

Just a few short weeks ago our nation was shocked by yet another mass shooting rampage, this time in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Now that some of the dust has settled, I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts and opinions on this disaster and the controversy that has ensued. When something like this happens, I, and probably most everyone else, have a tendency to surmise how we would react if we had loved ones who were victims of such a senseless act of cowardice. It's hard to image the degree of outrage I would feel, and just how much I may feel the urge to seek revenge on the perpetrator. As a general rule, I am not considered to be a person who is an over reactor, but chances are, in a situation like this, it would be a different story. Therefore, I feel that it is imperative for those of us who were not personally affected by this event to keep a clear head and not allow our emotions to cause us to jump to some conclusions that are not well thought out and based on common sense. Activists on both sides of the political spectrum like to follow the adage, "Never let a good tragedy go to waste," but I believe we come to better decisions when take the time to consider the pros and cons of both sides of the issue. Gun control advocates, like New York's Mayor Bloomberg, started preaching their convictions while the bodies of the ones who died in the massacre were still lying where they fell on the floor of the theater. I have my opinions, and I'm sure you have yours, but let's step back and look at this logically. Do average citizens need assault rifles that are designed to shoot more than a hundred rounds per minute? Those weapons were not created for hunting; they were designed to kill people. My answer is, "No, we don't need them," but does that mean they should be banned? Let's answer that question with a couple of other questions, "How much of our freedom are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of security?," and "Would banning guns make us more secure?" I happen to know that illicit drugs are illegal, yet they are becoming more plentiful in our society with each passing year. What if we just outlawed murder? Wait, I think we've already done that, but it didn't seem to stop that deranged young man in Colorado. I don't have any hard facts to back up my claim, but I would venture to guess that less than one hundredth of one per cent of gun owners in our nation would ever even consider shooting at another human being, so is it fair to take away the constitutional rights of the 99.99% of the population just to get at the .01%? Maybe we should just enforce the laws that are already on the books, especially the ones pertaining to convicted felons and those with mental illnesses. I heard of another group who wanted to ban violent movies. Really? Do we actually want our government telling us what movies we can or cannot watch? As for me, I despise violence, so I refuse to pay my hard-earned money to go see something I hate, but that is my personal choice, and I certainly don't want politicians telling me I can't watch them if I decide that's what I want to do. I heard one report that said the youngest victim of the shooting was six years old. My initial reaction to that information was, "Who would take a six year old to the midnight showing of that kind of picture?," but as strong as my opinion is on that subject, it was not my child, so it's not my place to tell those parents how to raise theirs. The last time I checked, making unwise decisions is still legal, and is one of the privileges of living in the United States. As Americans, we have so many issues that need to be corrected, but I don't believe curtailing our freedom is the proper way to solve our problems. I really do think I know the answer however. It seems to me that our downward spiral began in the 1960s when we began to push God out of our schools and government. Let me refer you to 2 Corinthians 7:14: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." Notice the last three words of that verse, "heal their land." What is it gonna take to get us to the point to where we will put that promise to the test? Hopefully not much more. Preston