We cannot, by our own devices, eliminate violence or evil...

I do not think that legislative acts can rid the world of violence. Nor do I consider it possible to guarantee that we will never experience another mass shooting of innocent people. Ultimately, we need and depend on transformation, which we cannot accomplish by our own devices. I do not long for a world void of firearms. Those who purchase firearms for sporting activities, hunting, and protection have rights protected by our constitution. In 1966, I joined our high school debate team. One of our assigned issues was gun control. For the next four years I argued both for and against gun control. Most of the arguments have not changed. Yet, I join those who consider regulation of firearms and munitions long overdue and who call for an intense, honest, and inclusive discussion of the issues.

Three months ago Nancy and I adopted a dog through Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue. We began the process by completing several pages of paperwork, including considerable personal information. After that initial screening, two people came to our home to assess our character and the place where an adopted dog would live. Then the agency consulted our references. Only then did we receive permission to visit the shelter. After that went well, they allowed us to see the dogs and select one. Only after another visit and additional pages of paperwork did Blake come home to live with us. It has been a while since I purchased a firearm, but friends assure me that I could come home with a handgun, shotgun, or rifle much more easily. Surely the time is long overdue for an intense, honest, and inclusive discussion of who should have the right to own a firearm.

I never have shot clay pigeons, but I hunted with my dad years ago and would be open to that with our children and/or their spouses. I enjoy the out-of-doors and the taste of fresh game. I hunted with a simple shotgun or rifle. Many today prefer semiautomatic weapons that resemble those used by the military. When I hunted, I could discharge my weapon three or seven times before reloading. Today's preferred firearms accept clips that allow the rapid discharge of twenty or thirty rounds before reloading. One "novelty" clip holds one hundred rounds. Do ordinary citizens need such powerful weapons and the capacity to fire that often before rearming?

I shot a wolf to protect a flock of sheep, lived in a place fifteen to twenty minutes from the closest law enforcement office, and worked the midnight shift in a convenience store near the edge of town. Some citizens have legitimate need for different and more powerful weapons. A person who shoots for sport may enjoy a weapon that can discharge often without pausing. Exceptions will be needed and it may be best to have some munitions available and allowed only in certain places. Yet, surely the time is long overdue for an intense, honest, and inclusive discussion of what firearms and munitions should be available for sale to the public.

Our denomination's 219th General Assembly (2010) adopted a resolution that called us to advocate to:

a. limit legal personal gun acquisition to one handgun a month;

b. require licensing, registration, and waiting periods to allow comprehensive background checks, and cooling-off periods, for all guns sold;

c. close the "gun show loophole" by requiring background checks for all gunbuyers;

d. ban semiautomatic assault weapons, armor piercing handgun ammunition, and .50 caliber sniper rifles;

e. advocate for new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crimeguns and promote public safety;

f. raise the age for handgun ownership to the age of twenty-one; and

g. eliminate the Tiahrt Amendment to annual appropriations for the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that impedes local law enforcement agencies in their use of gun traces and requires the Justice Department to destroy within two hours the record of a buyer.

We could begin the discussion there.

I have refrained intentionally from quoting scripture because people who respect scripture can and do disagree on issues related to gun control. I'll simply note that I consider my position consistent with the gospel and the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We cannot, by our own devices, eliminate violence or evil. We can make ourselves more available for transformation. May we so do.

           

Advent Blessings,

LP