Five Hundred
Dead Cannot Be Ignored
by Rev. Paul
J. Bern
The
United States of America, together with the city of Chicago, has
passed a gruesome and heinous milestone this past week. As of this
past Friday, September 9th, 2016, 500 people have been
shot to death in Chicago so far this year, and we have just over
three and a half months to go before the end of the year. This
damnable statistic is a scathing indictment of American “society”
in general, and the city of Chicago in particular. As of this writing
I do not know anyone who has relocated, or who has plans to relocate,
to Chicago for the foreseeable future. It doesn't take a blooming
genius to figure out why – the average citizen living in Chicago
has a greater chance of being shot than US military personnel do in
Afghanistan or Iraq. Only Syria would be a scarier place to live
right now, and that's nothing for Chicago to brag about. But it's not
just Chicago, as I wrote above. These shooting deaths are an
absolutely horrific portrait of American society.
There
are many who say the proliferation of guns and the gun culture in
America that accompanies it is the culprit. Take all the guns off the
streets, they say, and the problem of excessive gun violence will be
solved. To me, quite frankly, this 'solution' is laughable for its
naivety and ignorance of the Constitution. You might say, “What do
you mean, naive?” Simply put, I find it astonishingly naive that
anyone would assume that outlawing guns would solve the gun violence
problem. You see, the people doing all the shooting are exhibiting
criminal behavior. Criminals don't obey laws to begin with, so the
net effect of outlawing gun ownership would be that only outlaws and
the police would be armed. The remainder of us, the other 98%, would
be reduced to moving targets. If there is anyone out there who thinks
the police shootings would stop, or that gun violence would cease, if
the general public were to be disarmed, they had better think twice –
and very carefully too! Moreover, with a disarmed population
robberies, sex crimes, and domestic terrorism would increase
exponentially since only outlaws would have weapons. A disarmed
public would only embolden all the predators out there, not to
mention all the trigger-crazy police. Moreover, an infamous man once
famously said, “The first step to taking over a country is to
disarm its citizens”. That infamous man was Adolf Hitler. Josef
Stalin did the same thing in Russia from the mid-1920's to the early
1930's. Look it up.
Then
there is the problem with the US Constitution, or more accurately the
interpretation thereof. The Second Amendment to the US Constitution
reads as follows: “A well
regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed”.
There it is in black and white, folks, from our supreme law of the
land, the Constitution of the United States. So now we can see that
the only way for the government – law enforcement in this case –
to legally take away our primary means of self-protection would be to
change the Constitution. That would mean calling for a Constitutional
convention consisting of Congress and representatives of the
President and his Cabinet, something not likely to happen without a
citizen's revolt. Yet by the same token, a revolution is exactly what
America needs for such reforms to take place. While I personally do
not own any firearms – something I've been rethinking lately – I
am very much a pro-2nd-amendment kind of guy.
I
can see two main reasons for all the gun violence. The first I can
sum up in two words – anger management, or more accurately the lack
thereof on the part of all too many Americans of all races,
enthnicities and complexions. Too many people are using their
emotions instead of their minds for processing thoughts and feelings.
The second I can sum up in one word – greed! There are too many
people trying to shake down too many others for a quick, easy profit.
The fact that much of this stems from the lack of economic
opportunity, combined with wages that are on par with the 1960's,
changes nothing. Allow me to share a few examples of what the Bible
says about this. “My
son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say,
“Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's
waylay some harmless soul; let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts
of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your
lot with us, and we will share a common purse” – my son, do not
go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet
rush into sin, and they are swift to shed blood.” (Proverbs chapter
1, verses 8-16)
These verses remind me of the gang problem here in the US, which is
substantial to be sure. As you know, youth plus a sense of belonging,
minus any positive role models at home, and minus any real chance at
economic or educational opportunities, equals future gang members. If
our youth can't find the love, acceptance and guidance they need from
home and church, they will go and get it somewhere else.
But
there is more to America's anger management issues. Much of the gun
violence Chicago and other American cities are experiencing is due to
hot-tempered individuals – those who don't stop and think before
they act. Once again, as a Web minister and Christian blogger, I
consider it my duty as well as being part of my job description to
point out what the Bible has to say about this. Rather than
pontificate about this, I will let the Word of God speak for me.
“Blessed is the
man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is
more profitable than silver, and yields better returns than gold. She
is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with
her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and
honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She
is a tree of life to those who embrace it; those who lay hold of her
will be blessed.” (Proverbs chapter 3, verses 13-18)
People react emotionally instead of thoughtfully because they allow
evil things like greed, pride and a bad temper to rule over them, as
it is written: “A
fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding
delights in wisdom.” (Proverbs 10: 23)
But isn't there more to it than just that, you ask? You're right,
it's more than just a lack of understanding. Some people need to grow
up and learn to control their tempers, and to cease provoking others.
“A gentle answer
turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. (Proverbs 15:
1)
And again it is written in that same Book of Proverbs: “A
hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a
quarrel.” (Proverbs 15: 18)
But at the end of the day, the reasons for gun violence
have one common denominator – a lack of love. Hatred has replaced
love in a world that can't stop hating because it doesn't know how.
The reason some people don't know how to stop hating nor how to start
loving is because they refuse to take the Bible and its teachings
seriously. Moreover, there is no love because there is no trust due
to fear – people are afraid to trust one another because they're
afraid if they do they might miss out on something beneficial, having
forgotten that mutual trust is itself beneficial, as is mutual love.
The apostle John put it best when he wrote: “This is the message
you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another.
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his
brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil
and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers,
if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to
life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains
in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no
murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our
lives for our brothers.” (1st John chapter
3, verses 11-16) But Jesus said it best of all. “'Teacher,
what is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus replied, 'Love
the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and all your
mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second one
is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the
prophets hang on these two commandments.'” (Matthew chapter 22,
verses 36-40)
So this is how we can stop all the gun violence in
Chicago and all across the country. Love your neighbor as yourself, a
commandment from Christ that should be taken to heart, but sadly it
is not for a disturbingly large cross-section of the population. Read
the Bible and start taking it seriously! Follow Jesus instead of the
desires of your belly, your sex drive, and your emotions. Use your
brain for thinking, not your heart. And may the peace of Christ that
surpasses all understanding be with you all!
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