Photo creds: North Wind Pictures Archive
When our founders drafted the Constitution, the country they lived in was vastly different than ours. There was a certain moral compass, a commitment to bettering America and establishing a place that would foster freedom. They had fled an oppressive government and knew the importance of allowing the public to bear arms. Did they make mistakes and were they misguided at times? Sure. But the people who were bearing arms were {generally} a moral people. Our culture has turned away from its moral compass, and made everything murky and unclear. Whether you believe that’s important or not, I truly believe it is at the core of our nation’s brokenness.
I have to ask: are we focused on the “how” or the “why”?
Do we want to debate about HOW people are committing crimes–plowing over people with cars, shooting them down with guns, or blowing them up with bombs? Or do we want to focus on the WHY–what is causing this dramatic increase in perpetrators reigning down terror on our communities?
It doesn’t have to be either/or…since our nation is no longer a morally-connected community, allowing for unrestricted gun use may no longer be an option. Reasonable gun laws are important when we aren’t all abiding by the same moral compass. Mental health screenings are vital. But we can’t pretend that banning guns or creating even more stringent laws (especially here in California) is going to solve the problem.
It goes far beyond the HOW…to the WHY. We have to delve deeper into WHY people are committing these atrocities. And then we need to address those issues. This can go hand-in-hand with reasonable laws surrounding guns, but we have to know that even if we were to take all of the guns away from everyone, the “bad guys” will STILL have them. Individuals who are planning to own a gun for their protection may buy Daniel Defense Firearms for sale online.
Heroin is illegal, yet people still use it. Driving under the influence is illegal, yet people still do it. Certain assault rifles are illegal, but people still use them. Child abuse is illegal, but sadly, people still hurt their children. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have laws…it just means laws don’t fix the underlying problem.
We cannot legislate morality or expect people to miraculously follow the law just because it’s there. We have to dig down to the root of the problem and heal people from the inside out.
So, let’s not just focus on the HOW. Let’s focus greater energy on the WHY and see if we are capable of coming up with solutions that WORK.
Today, I’m thankful that a small group of people was willing to cross an ocean of uncertainty for a better life. And I’m praying that we will once again get to the place of working together for the greater good in our society!
Leave a Reply