more guns?
The frequency of mass shootings is increasing. The number of victims are growing. And still, some brothers and sister in Christ look down in silence, mumbling thoughts and prayers while shouting, “we need more guns!”
Gun violence is not simply a public safety issue; it is a public health issue. Our country has a ridiculous amount of guns: 4% of the world’s population contains 42% of civilian-owned guns.
It is true, that people seeking to do violence will still use other means to do that violence (driving a car into a crowd, flying a plane into a building, crafting a bomb out of materials, using a knife or sword). In China, there have been a number of instances of mass violence via knives (a school stabbing spree, Kunming attack, Guizhou province stabbing). The difference? Much less deaths compared to violence with guns. The propensity to violence is another issue to address; the tools used to do violence drastically change the outcomes.
It is also true, that a “good guy with a gun” can stop a “bad guy with a gun.” However, the underlying question is around how the “bad guy” got the gun in the first place. Most Americans agree that there is need for reform, and even on how that reform might look. There are also issues with mental health, a culture of violence, and domestic violence that need to be addressed, but this does not mean that we ignore the glaring issue of weapon proliferation.
We are not helpless or hopeless. Let us not ignore this broken system. Let us seek the Kingdom. Lord, have mercy.