There is so much controversy around issues involving guns and gun control, causing emotionally charged responses on both sides of the issue. Harsh, sanctimonious rhetoric exacerbates the deep divisions that plague our society.
Extremists seem to feel that the louder they speak and more disparaging they are of the other side, the greater chance they have of winning the argument. One side wraps itself in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution while the other stands atop the latest shooting tragedy. People need to unwrap or step down and take deliberate strides into the realm of common sense.
There is no doubt that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms. There is no doubt that the carnage of mass shootings must come to an end. There is no doubt that it requires mental health professionals, law enforcement authorities, and government officials working together to give laser focus to a comprehensive analysis of all the factors that cause an individual to commit murder and formulate strategies, policies, and programs to deal with the findings of that analysis.
The mass murders get the media attention and ignite public outrage, but the single homicides are just as devastating to the family affected. Consider this fact: there is a mother in Chicago that had four children. Each one of them was shot to death on separate occasions. Mass murder concentrated. She won’t find comfort in the Second Amendment nor is there any solace for her in legislation banning the sale of assault rifles.
There are millions of guns that will never be used to take a human life. Obviously, they are not the problem. Gun violence is a malaise of our society that can only be remedied by a change in attitudes, behavior, and understanding on the part of all of us. Pray for a miracle.
Your regional minister
Eugene James, Jr.
