Our nation was rocked again this week by another senseless shooting, this time at the West Freeway Church of Christ in Texas. It seems that Churches, and other houses of worship, are a new favorite target for gunmen, who, one would imagine, identify them as vulnerable targets because churches, like schools, provide the opportunity for maximum damage with minimal resistance. This story, of course, ended a little differently.
I genuinely tried not to write about this story, but doing is so is the only way I can stop fixating on it. Here are my thoughts on this event.
1) Obviously, it could've been much worse. It's not very often that a "mass shooting" ends within few seconds of beginning (we don't hear about them on the news anyway). As far from comforting as it may be, the people in that building, and across the U.S., should be thankful that the carnage was limited.
2) We need to stop twisting tragedies for political purposes. This is not a victory for anyone. Let me repeat that--this is not a victory for anyone. Two people lost their lives. Two families lost loved ones. The lives of countless people were altered irreparably. Yes, we can be thankful that only two people died, and, yes, there are practical implications that we can and should glean from this story, but, remember, nobody wins here. Everybody loses when a madman picks up a gun and starts shooting. Liberals need to stop grandstanding after every shooting, and so do conservatives. We all need to shut up and let people mourn.
3) Knowing how to use your firearm properly is vital. The man who stopped the shooter was well-trained. He was not just some random guy who bought a gun; he was a former police officer and apparently now trains others to carry and fire their weapons safely. I fully support the right of every citizen to carry a firearm, but I don't want idiots walking around toting pistols. I personally own three weapons, two of which are handguns, but I do not carry a weapon because I do not feel adequately trained at this point in my life to use it correctly, should the need arise. I think this might contribute to the confusion that surrounds this issue. Liberals, we conservatives are not advocating that novices start waiving guns around every time a crisis occurs. Everyone who chooses to carry a weapon has the moral responsibility to be trained properly (we conservatives don't trust government licensing programs, in case you're wondering, as they rarely guarantee any real level of competence).
4) Evil exists and legislation can't stop that. Another issue at the heart of our political differences is the modern denial of the existence of evil. My friends, evils exists. There are bad people. In one sense, we're all bad people, but in another sense, there are people who are unusually bad. Yes, mental illness also exists, and, yes, there are other issues like the widespread use of opioids, but evil does exist, and there is nothing that we can do to change that. No one, rich or poor, black or white, is exempt from the chaos evil creates. Violence has no rhyme or reason. You can't legislate it away. Remember, the gun that the shooter used was illegal, to say nothing of the fact that he, a career criminal, possessed it illegally. Legislation can't fix all of our problems.
5) The story doesn't end here. We need to step back and contemplate this for a moment. We Americans, liberal and conservative, will be over this story within a few weeks, but the members of West Freeway Church of Christ will never forget that gruesome day. That day will have devastating effects upon generations to come for two families that have lost their patriarchs. May God be with them.
I genuinely tried not to write about this story, but doing is so is the only way I can stop fixating on it. Here are my thoughts on this event.
1) Obviously, it could've been much worse. It's not very often that a "mass shooting" ends within few seconds of beginning (we don't hear about them on the news anyway). As far from comforting as it may be, the people in that building, and across the U.S., should be thankful that the carnage was limited.
2) We need to stop twisting tragedies for political purposes. This is not a victory for anyone. Let me repeat that--this is not a victory for anyone. Two people lost their lives. Two families lost loved ones. The lives of countless people were altered irreparably. Yes, we can be thankful that only two people died, and, yes, there are practical implications that we can and should glean from this story, but, remember, nobody wins here. Everybody loses when a madman picks up a gun and starts shooting. Liberals need to stop grandstanding after every shooting, and so do conservatives. We all need to shut up and let people mourn.
3) Knowing how to use your firearm properly is vital. The man who stopped the shooter was well-trained. He was not just some random guy who bought a gun; he was a former police officer and apparently now trains others to carry and fire their weapons safely. I fully support the right of every citizen to carry a firearm, but I don't want idiots walking around toting pistols. I personally own three weapons, two of which are handguns, but I do not carry a weapon because I do not feel adequately trained at this point in my life to use it correctly, should the need arise. I think this might contribute to the confusion that surrounds this issue. Liberals, we conservatives are not advocating that novices start waiving guns around every time a crisis occurs. Everyone who chooses to carry a weapon has the moral responsibility to be trained properly (we conservatives don't trust government licensing programs, in case you're wondering, as they rarely guarantee any real level of competence).
4) Evil exists and legislation can't stop that. Another issue at the heart of our political differences is the modern denial of the existence of evil. My friends, evils exists. There are bad people. In one sense, we're all bad people, but in another sense, there are people who are unusually bad. Yes, mental illness also exists, and, yes, there are other issues like the widespread use of opioids, but evil does exist, and there is nothing that we can do to change that. No one, rich or poor, black or white, is exempt from the chaos evil creates. Violence has no rhyme or reason. You can't legislate it away. Remember, the gun that the shooter used was illegal, to say nothing of the fact that he, a career criminal, possessed it illegally. Legislation can't fix all of our problems.
5) The story doesn't end here. We need to step back and contemplate this for a moment. We Americans, liberal and conservative, will be over this story within a few weeks, but the members of West Freeway Church of Christ will never forget that gruesome day. That day will have devastating effects upon generations to come for two families that have lost their patriarchs. May God be with them.
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