Guns & God - Are They the Same?

Blessed are the gun advocates.

Well, first I read the following in the newspaper:

Lonneil Octavis Wade, 20, was shot to death by four black males while walking home from work with a handful of groceries.

This is significant because it is the first murder of the year in my home town of Powder Springs, GA. Seems like Lonneil had been dropped off from work at the corner convenience store. He went in to get some groceries and was then walking home when a carload of boys randomly opened fire on him. Fortunately, the suspects were caught and are now in jail.

Now, if that's not bad enough, this incident, which happened a few days later, REALLY takes the cake:

Five Wisconsin deer hunters killed in tree stand shootout
BIRCHWOOD, Wis. -- A deer hunter who apparently intruded on private property killed five other hunters who had been staying in a nearby cabin and wounded three more during the opening weekend of deer season ... A 36-year-old man was arrested Sunday afternoon when he came out of the woods, sheriff's officials said. Deputy Jake Hodgkinson identified the suspect as Chai Vang ... The shooting started when two hunters returning to their rural cabin saw the suspect in one of their hunting platforms in a tree, Sawyer County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. Both of those hunters were wounded and one of them radioed friends at the cabin a quarter-mile away. Other members of their group responded and they also were shot, he said. "It's absolutely nuts. Why? Over sitting in a tree stand?" asked Zeigle. Zeigle said the suspect was "chasing after them and killing them," with a SKS 7.62 mm semiautomatic rifle, a common hunting weapon. Wisconsin's statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday.

Okay, while this may be good news for the deer, it is very bad for humanity. First off, I've been told many times that GUNS don't kill, people do. So, in this case I suppose that without guns, Chai Vang would have chased down the five other hunters and found another way to murder them. Right. And in the case of the drive-by shooting in my home town, I'm sure those bad teens would have just jumped out of the car and murdered the guy with a knife or by hand instead of popping him with three rounds from a 9mm pistol. Yes, GUNS ARE GOOD, they are wonderfully good. It's just the people who are bad.



"These things actually don't kill people.
Only people kill people."

Federal ban on assault weapons expires
WASHINGTON (9/12/04) -- The expiration of the 10-year-old ban on 19 types of assault weapons Monday drove up business at some gun stores and set off sparks in the political world. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, said President Bush had failed tests of character and leadership. But the National Rifle Association lauded the demise of what it called a "misguided law, which had no effect on the actions of criminals, but penalized law-abiding citizens." Bush said in the 2000 campaign that he would sign an extension of the 10-year ban on the semiautomatic weapons. However, he did not press Congress to send him such a bill, and its Republican leaders never did.

So, when the President and other GOP candidates were busy working up their constituents by pushing the "pro-life" button, they forgot to mention that the assault weapon ban expired JUST PRIOR to the election. But where was our pro-life President? Where were the pro-life Republicans in Congress? Is this just another example of SELECTIVE MORALITY in our country? In America, "pro-life" means you oppose a women's right to choose, but it's okay to own an assault weapon that only has one purpose — killing.

But Christians have a right to defend themselves.

Right, but....

• Is your faith selective too? Don't you believe that God will protect you?
• Shouldn't Christians show courage and set an example by NOT owning a gun?
• Why would a God of love support a weapon of death?

If it's the fear that's bothering you, do you really think a gun will help? After the story above was published, another hunter died. So, one mad hunter takes out six hunters, several of which were armed. So, again, I ask, do you REALLY think your gun will protect you?

But we have a constitutional RIGHT to bear arms. What if our government turns on us?

Yeah, whatever. Let's look at it this way:

Christianity — Brotherly love, forgiveness, tolerance, faith.

Guns — Murder, violence, hate.

If the government outlaws guns, then only the criminals will own guns.

Maybe a different approach is needed. I think the best weapon for fighting crime is LOVE. Instead of filling your closet with assault weapons and Bibles, maybe you should go into the inner city and help at-risk teens. Maybe you can encourage them, spend time with them, and give them a sense of hope.

Here are examples of people I know who are really fighting crime, and these are the people I have incredible respect for:

• Several of my friends participate in the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings program. This is a program where you take urban youth on hikes and camping trips in the wilderness.

• My co-worker does volunteer work for a metro-wide teen newspaper.

• A leader at my church leads a ministry for youth at the juvenile detention center.

These are the people who are really making a difference, and I assure you your gun never will. So when you get in my face and lecture me about the evils of abortion, I only have one question: Where were you when it was time to renew the assault weapons ban? Were you writing letters to your representative? Were you leaving messages on the White House Comment Line? Nope, you were not.

So, please spare me the "pro-life" lectures. In America, I know what that really means.



Canary seys: "Why do those gun rights
people call themselves 'pro-life?'"