| Home |
| Archives |
| Subscribe |
| About Us |
| Contact Us |
| Links |
| Submissions |
| Our Founding Documents |
|
Declaration of Independence |
| Constitution |
| Bill of Rights |
| Amendments |
| Federalist Papers |
 |
Mass Shootings - More Questions and ObservationsBy Paul Hayden November 13, 2017 Bob Pascarella's current fine article on Mass Shootings... (current edition of Conservative Truth, 11/13-19/2017) is an excellent article that highlights some very important aspects of our society and culture in the U.S. - during a period that has also seen a marked increase in the number of mass shootings. In no way do I do mean to diminish Mr. Pascarella's article, but I would urge readers to think through this very relevant topic.We can each try to be part of the answer, to whatever degree that we can, in reducing these atrocities around us. Being part of the answer might be in the form of helping with people who have mental illness or psychological problems, or in sharing truth about any of the topics like those in this article with others. Or it could possibly even mean arming yourself and/or your family with weapons and knowledge and skills that could be used in a quite grave and personal situation! As with a raincoat or umbrella, so also in some ways with a gun - it is far better to have it and NOT need it, than to need it and not have it. You probably have not observed that whenever a 'bad guy' shooter is stopped (or shot) by a 'good guy with a gun,' all potential for a "mass shooting" is eliminated! But then, that is not generally good news for the national media outlets, even though it would definitely be good news for others at that scene! After all, guns are not viewed as good - they are bad. If guns are used for good, like for preventing murders, this 'news' must be minimized - we wouldn't want there to be more violence from even more people having guns. Yet guns are used lawfully by legal gun owners hundreds of thousands of times each year to help prevent gun crimes from happening - it's a fact! There are many other factors that I would encourage people to investigate and consider on this vital topic. Here are two graphs - one compares homicides and gun ownership in a number of countries, and the other shows guns per capita in a number of countries (used in a good article from CNN). What a coincidence?   But these graphs or charts DO NOT tell the whole story - by any means. We need to ask ourselves questions as we listen to the "news" - as we hear arguments being made by those on all sides of the gun control questions. Learn to listen thoughtfully and probingly - don't just take the newscasters at their word. You can quickly do some 'research' and find all sorts of claims, and graphs or charts, as well as supportive information - but what does it all mean? How does it all fit together? For instance, which of these countries has the most wealth per capita? How might that play in? In each of these countries, how many lawyers are there, or doctors? What is the amount per capita of psychotropic drugs that are used? Or psychiatrists/psychologists visited? Might there be any corelation? What is the size of the illegal drug trade and related gang membership in these other countries, which happens in the U.S. LARGELY due to the levels of freedom of movement through our borders, both legally and illegally? How many of these countries have such 'open borders' and such defiance (liberals, Democrats) to national laws concerning illegal citizens as the U.S.? How many other countries have such a high number/percentage of illegal aliens as the U.S.? (The number of our illegal aliens is MORE than the population of many other countries, numbering in the tens of millions!) And why is it that so many diverse people from around the world want to come to America? Very importantly to our subject, how many of these other countries in the comparison have such a conglomeration of races or nationalities, such a diversity and cross-section of everything and everyone from across the globe - all in one country, governed by such a relatively peaceful government, and which government is so very lenient that we (illegally) allow 'illegal aliens' to vote, get driver's licenses, and even in some locales hold public office??? How insane is that? It is going on here in the U.S. We have cities who pass local laws to not cooperate with Federal law enforcement to help in the fight against illegal activities committed by illegal aliens!!! Just this alone yields a host of contributing factors to the questions at hand - frustration of the populace, foreign 'bad guys' to disrupt the society, a 'broken' government not unified in fighting or even identifying the problems, people wanting freedom but not wanting to take the corresponding responsibility! How many of these "mass shootings" have occurred where there was established a so-called "GUN-FREE ZONE" where law-abiding citizens would be without their otherwise lawful means (read: "2ND AMENDMENT" - a gun) to defend themselves? This is when "the law" actually works to the advantage of those who are breaking the law! (You do not hear of many mass shootings at gun shows or police conventions, do you?) The worst of American cities for gun and violent crimes - Chicago, New York, Baltimore, St. Louis, New Orleans, Memphis, Oakland, and others - remove them from the whole equation, and then run the statistics! Which political party generally runs these cities? How strict are the gun laws in these cities? I have heard that by simply not using the statistics from the five worst violent cities in the U.S., our country would fall quite low in the comparisons for violent countries. You can do some research on it yourself, if you care. Statistically, how likely are YOU to be shot in a mass shooting? Not very likely, really. You are probably much more likely to die in a random traffic accident, or even from an accident in the home or at work, than in a mass shooting. So what should you fear? That fear is really what much of the so-called "news" plays on. Yes, these shootings are horrific. But you should not live in constant fear of being involved in a mass shooting! Perhaps most important of all, which of all these countries has the most freedom for its citizens? With freedom comes responsibility, but what also comes is the very real possibility of using that FREEDOM for wrong! Do we want to take away much freedom from ALL, so that some few might be kept from doing wrong or evil? I think not! God bless America!
| ||||
 Paul Hayden is a Christian believer, and an American patriot, necessarily in that order. He is a student of the Bible, and is avidly interested in our role in the context of history, as understood through the heart and eyes of faith. Paul has lived and traveled somewhat widely, and now lives in the heartland of the U.S. (central Illinois), with his wife Donna - they have five grown children. Since December of 2016, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief of www.ConservativeTruth.org."I was raised by a Christian minister, Kenneth Hayden, until his death when I was 10. Then my mom married a farmer. So I was raised in a very down-to-earth home. My faith has grown through the years, but both in conjunction with the institutional church and through small groups and individuals, including books as well as group settings, where deep, sincere faith is shared that aligns with Biblical truth."
|