Christians: when in God’s name are we going to end gun violence?

Christians: it is time NOW. It is time for us to humble ourselves and admit that we have been looking at the gun issue all wrong. We’ve been part of the problem. Avoiding it will not make it go away. The longer we stick to our guns, the more children will die.

It’s that simple, people. Children (and adults) are dying on our watch because we don’t have the spine to do what’s right.

It’s hard to say “I was wrong about this. My gun isn’t as important as your child” – but it’s not that hard.

Remember a few years back, when we gave up our right to carry 4-ounce containers of liquid on a plane? I am responsible enough to leave my liquid explosives at home, but some people are not.

Remember when we gave up our right to drive while intoxicated? Maybe you can drive responsibly after drinking, but some people can’t. It’s for their safety and ours that we gave up our right.

We have to trade “rights” for safety all the time, and this is one of those times. We’re talking about the safety of children here.

We’ve been pawns

You might be thinking, “how about my right to overthrow the government if it gets out of hand?”

Are you aware that the US has the most powerful military on the face of the earth? That our government has a military budget of $600 billion, active frontline personnel of 1.4 million, and nearly 23,000 tanks and aircraft? Do you really expect, if our government turns on us, to stop them?

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has an agenda, and it spent nearly $5 million on lobbying last year, plus gave away tens of millions of dollars in campaign donations to various Congress members in order to keep America gun-friendly.

That is to say, politicians want NRA money to keep them in office. Your “gun rights” fight is a distraction to keep you from noticing what politicians are really up to. It has nothing to do with a “well-regulated militia.”

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you know the gun issue is destroying us, but your party loyalty is clouding your thinking. You need to clear your mind enough to acknowledge that the killing of children is not an appropriate price to pay so that you can pack heat.

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Where is our loyalty?

This party loyalty is clear-cut: 73% of progressives (Democrats and left-leaning independents) think gun violence is a major problem; 18% of conservatives (Republicans and right-leaning independents) think so (85% of conservatives are Christian).

In what world is gun violence compatible with the teachings of Jesus, that we Christians are ok with it?

In what world do we want to put our children in high-security buildings with armed guards each day, just so we can carry?

In what world do our children die, and then we do nothing to restore their innocence and make their lives actually safer?

How is it that Christians are supporting the governor of Texas, who said, “it could have been worse”? Why are we not standing up to him and saying, “it could have been avoided“?

This was the 27th school shooting this year in America (and it’s only May). How are we doing nothing more than sending “thoughts and prayers”?

Christians, we are pathetic if we’re sitting still right now. We should be organizing gun control rallies all over the country to protest the fact that our politicians are in the pockets of the NRA, and our children are dying because of it.

We should be pressing our leaders to look into the root causes of gun violence – things like poverty, mass incarceration, and trauma – and address those issues.