Another Mass Shooting, and Nothing is Different

ronald page

As Pastor's not one has said anything as to what God's word tell us......but as for my house I will protect my family with a registers weapons! Rev. Ronald W. Page

Rev. Hoagie

"Statistics show that having a gun in your home no matter how it is stored significantly increases the risk of death for you and your family members by gun-related accident, suicide, or homicide while not decreasing the likelihood of you being a victim of a crime."

This is demonstrably untrue and is refuted by FBI crime statistics. You really must stop parroting the talking points of leftist who want to disarm us.

" The 2nd Amendment makes clear that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It also clarifies that this right is for members of a well-regulated militia, not individuals."

The Supreme Court has ruled otherwise and noted the "right of the people to keep and bear arms" means exactly that. To deny such is to show complete ignorance of both the Constitution and the meaning of plain English.

"•In nations with much stricter gun control laws like France, Italy, UK, Finland, and Germany, the rates of gun homicides and suicides are substantially lower that in the U.S. •Australia banned most firearms and has not had a single mass shooting since doing so 1996. Overall crime rates are also lower now than when they had guns."

Again you are not giving all the facts and I'm not going to teach them to you. I will state that if you remove the statistics for the top ten cities in the US, all run by leftist Democrats and which deny gun ownership our crime stats drop below Finland. It is the "gun free zones" and cities which cause the problem. You're crying about the 9 murdered in Oregon, how about the 18 murdered and 107 wounded JUST THIS LAST WEEKEND in Chicago, a gun free city?

Finally, if you would be more comfortable in France, Italy, UK, Finland, Germany or Australia who not only have no right to bear arms they also have no constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech, the press, religion or guaranteeing property rights then I suggest you move there. If you are willing to trade your freedom for safety you deserve neither.

William Thompson

May God hold his precious hand over the souls that were lost, even the shooter. This tragedy was out of our control for whatever reason. One day in the shooters life a dark seed was planted and decided to show itself that day at Umpqua College. Asking their faith he systematically executed them honoring some unknown hatred that should have never been given birth. Was it his upbringing, his sad life story or was it inspired by todays anti-christian thretoric baffling the minds of our young people. We may wonder, but instead must move forward taking every precaution to protect the minds of our children with the love of God. Teach them the road they must take and stay the course. We must deliver unto the world children of God that understand the ten commandments. One of them reads "thou shall not kill". God bless us and keep us under your precious hand. Amen.

Randy

I agree with Ronald up above. We live in a world full of guns and there is no escaping it. If there were more good people armed in these areas like schools and movie houses we could defend ourselves and stop all of these evil people from killing.

GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.

rfox44

We Sots do not need guns because the bad guys can not get them.Stop people getting guns and you be safe.

Rick

Anyone who believes that a group of people, who just successfully overthrew their government because of their INDIVIDUAL, PERSONAL gun ownership, didn't intend for that individual right to continue and that only the military should have firearms is completely devoid of the ability to use contextual logic and shouldn't be bothered with. This site has become nothing but a slightly mild version of the HUFF Post comment section with huge amounts of misinformation, faulty logic, and everyone in favor of it - not because the owners of the site think this way, but for the same reason that the media only publishes stories about death, not people being saved - just for ratings. It's sad. Originally there was some actual thought and kindness being passed around. Now it's slander-and-debate-over-nothing central...

Pastor Davila

Let's all pray together for the victims and their families of this horrible tragedy. My they find love, comfort and solace. . .

Minister Rob

Is there any word on if the shooter had been bullied or psychologically abused by somebody? I think that may be a common factor in many of these kinds of incidents.

Sue Nicholai

Although our world shapes our thoughts and actions,It is our reponibility to guard our hearts and minds,If we teach our children and grandchildren that what we think on and the words we use are important and have power. He may or may not have been mentally ill.l He certainly didn't understand love inorder to embrace such negative aspects of power and control..Some personality are drawn to power and control their are many who are in our society with the samew personality who go into business politics ect.. Love is the answer,we need to notice the hurting people around us and show them a better outcome.

Tom

What interesting comments! So far, no one seems to have addressed what's seen as a universal issue in this country. Increasingly, there is little respect for the lives of others. Whether it be based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, politics or religion. More and more people are disrespectful of any position other than their own. Just because guns are legal does not mean that I have to purchase one. If I own a gun, I can choose not to use it. Guns are a very impersonal way of harming someone else who is different that you are. A knife is more personal. You have to get up close to the person you hate in order to use it. Pulling a trigger is quite simple and a convenient way to put down those who are against us. After all the video games we have exposed our kids to, most of which have to do with killing someone else, is it any surprise that so many people fail to see the actual danger. If you have momentarily lost your senses and believe strongly enough in your position on life's issues to the degree that those who do not agree should be put out of their misery, then the problem is not guns. It is people! The art of the debate has disappeared. Cherishing the fact that diversity is what makes us all greater is a lost art. Somehow it has become easier to hate than to love. It is easier to be angry because now one understands you than to try to understand the one on the other side of the table. The "I am right and you are wrong" mentality has taken over. On the streets in cars, in classrooms, in homes, in businesses, in churches, everywhere. It seems to be "all about me". It has led to great paranoia among those who now firmly believe that the federal government is out to get them. That they are an island and their island is sacred, the government and anyone else who tries to tell them what to do can go to blazes. I can carry a gun to send the message, "don't mess with me"! All of which just alienates them further from the mainstream of our society. If I am in a store and someone comes in carrying a weapon, I leave the store. I do not even want to be near that individual. I do not go to open carry states for any reason. What a shame that I have come to feel,that certain parts of my own country are off limits because of the behavior of a decided few. I am not always right. I tend to respect every opinion even those opposed to mine. At least that is a opening to dialogue. But not any more. Now I tend to remain quiet and not engage in conversation lest that other person take umbrage with my opinions. Yes, I can still spout off on places like this and retain a certain degree of anonymity. Thank goodness! I no longer honk my horn at what I perceive to be idiots behind the wheel of other cars. I have had to go into hiding. In public I can no longer be who I am at the risk of ticking some one off who just may own a gun and not own all their senses. Is this the kind of society we want to live in? I dare say no. We need to return to our homes and teach our children that everyone has a right to think whatever they want and that we should respect that, even if they want to be Wyatt Earpp. But we must teach them to stand tall and strong for the good values we have tried to instill in them, even if they are living in a world that does otherwise. We need not worry so much about being governed by a government if we could only learn to govern ourselves. And that, my friends, is a very tall order.

Bryan Strawser

"The 2nd Amendment makes clear that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It also clarifies that this right is for members of a well-regulated militia, not individuals. Read more at http://www.themonastery.org/blog/2015/10/another-mass-shooting-and-nothing-is-different/#llSzsQV0bQVYMpoS.99"

This is completely false and not supported by any historical evidence or legal analysis. The Supreme Court made this clear in the DC v. Heller case as well.

ed akin

May God forgive you for your ignorance

Jerry Black

When you have a society that is in decline you need to look at the change in the direction of government. As government pushes for more power they push for a more secular society. Mankind in history has always looked for some kind of higher power. In secular societies ,you can research and find that the government is behind the push in order to gain more and more control and power. When people are drawn away from belief in God, there is a concerted effort to replace that belief with stronger faith in government. This is where our society is today, and until we bring respect, responsibility, and common sense back into our lives, nothing will get better.

Steven J Frey

Gun control laws are not effective on criminals and the mentally ill. They only serve to dis-arm law abiding citizens. I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Michigan, and as a law abiding citizen, I do not carry it into venues that are prohibited by law (bars, sports arenas, theaters, school campuses). I pray that the next time I am in a bar, sports arena, theater or school campus is do not need to protect myself, or my loved ones.

Guairdean

Ending the shooting sprees will require a two pronged approach. First, the stigma must be removed from mental health issue and treatment must be made available. Second, the media must be held accountable for turning the shooters into heroes. The media is only too happy to oblige them and spread their name and life's details to all who will listen. There are even trading cards dedicated to mass murderers and serial killers. If the press were only allowed to refer to the killer as "the cowardly micropenised killer" copycat killings would end. As for those blaming the inanimate object, please remember that the incident at Columbine was a failed bombing. The bombs failed and the two killers decided to start shooting. If the bombs had been successful, the deaths would have been in the hundreds. The bombs were mentioned in the media, but they weren't the report's focus. I shudder to think what would happen if the copycats begin to successfully use incendiary bombs as a starting point.

J.Gorrell

I'll agree with point 1,2 and 4 in your post above, but never 3. People advocating the complete removal of firearms from civilian hands are dubious at best and worry me more than the infinitely remote possibility that I or anyone I know will ever be threatened by an armed person. It's absurd to think that the Australian model would ever work here and, unless Heller vs DC is overturned, which won't be happening in the near future, then the Second Amendment DOES in fact guarantee my rights to own firearms and, indeed, the right to protect myself and my loved ones with them outside my four walls. Keep guns out of the hands of criminals by all means (as delusory as that is): OF COURSE. Keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens: NEVER.

Gabe

"The 2nd Amendment makes clear that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It also clarifies that this right is for members of a well-regulated militia, not individuals."

Sorry, but this is just wrong - specifically that last sentence..

The text reads: "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."

Pay attention to the commas. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed because a well-regulated (read: "well-regulated" in the archaic sense, like a mechanically sound watch) militia is necessary to keep us safe. The Second Amendment absolutely guarantees the individual right to bear arms. It's right there in that second sentence clause.

CRAIG

When you boil it all down, it's not about gun control. Not at all.

It's about how people deal with their problems. We live in a society where it’s become commonplace to choose violence when we get frustrated with our lives don't go according to plan.

Yes, in a lot of these shootings, the persons going on the rampage do have mental issues. Or, I guess you could argue that they do because they chose to shoot people in the first place. Either way, people are not coping with loss and disappointment in healthy, constructive ways. It becomes an “all or nothing” game and there are too many people that give up and choose to lash out.

What we really need to do is to look at the “why,” and more intensively, and then begin to teach people alternatives to personal destruction.
It feels like, in this country especially, we’re all about winning and succeeding, but we don’t teach our children and ourselves about how to lose and how to fail. I do not buy the slogan that you have to “focus on winning to be a winner.” Winning is not always about coming in first and taking the top prize. In fact, some of the best “wins” are small personal victories other people never know about you.
Losing and failing is part of learning. Having children of my own, I see how the schools push kids to “succeed” and learn, but I do not know how much is taught about how to pull yourself back up on your feet after you fail. To my child’s teachers’ credit—the teachers my child has had have been very encouraging and not overly hung up on “perfection.” We as parents and members of the community need to step up and teach. Teach our children and our peers that everyone fails (I hate to burst the bubble, but we all do). We need to teach by talking to our children and teach by example about how to keep getting back up even when life knocks you down.
Raging against other people for real or perceived wrongs, while it may achieve attention, it doesn’t solve the problem. For those who are even now contemplating the next mass shooting, realize that you are in trouble and ask for help. Tell anyone you trust, and if you don’t have that someone around find a doctor, a policeman, anyone—but get help for coping skills. For the rest of us, reach out and be there for someone who may be spiraling down that path. We’re all in this game of life together. We’re here to help each other. Not to judge. Craig

Preacher mccoy

Do we not know what we do? The gun did not kill, the person behind the gun killed. The gun was the tool. Removing guns from citizens will not change what happens. Bad guys will be able to get one no matter how hard the government tries to remove them. Is it not what we see in the world enough to show how evil has imbedded intself everywhere. We do not need to harp about gun control but lather what could be done to prevent it!! We preach to sheep but not to wolves! Go to the hoods and bad areas and see how well accepted we are and see what happens ! While the christan faith is being killed off around the world we sit silent and do nothing about it. We need to stand for what we belive in and fight for it or one day it will disappear and be no more. Drive the demons from the world and eden will be born again. What do you fell in your heart after reading this? A little ptessure? You should. May god bless us all and be safe

John Owens

Broken homes and lack of religious upbringing contribute more to these incidents than any other single factor. I would venture to say that we are reaping the fruits of secularism. The absence of a moral father and mother who see that their children are schooled in the belief that certain behaviors are totally reprehensible has allowed one or two generations in some places to grow up without an acceptable moral compass, and therefore freed their mind to absorb whatever demented behavior tickles their fancy. The leftists' answer to the crime THEIR doctrines have created is to take freedoms from non-criminals. Their answer is always less morality, less religion, more gov't control. History has proven time and time again that lack of piety, general morality, work ethic, and individual responsibility creates an atmosphere where great societies come apart at the seams.

How could we begin to remedy the current situation? A manageable first step would be to stop excusing crime. First of all, poverty is NO excuse, and never was. ENVY is what causes most crime. One person sees something another has, and thinks they have the right to take it if they can. Because they place no value on another's life, they think they deserve what the other person has.

If children grew up knowing that armed robbers, kidnappers, molesters, rapists, and murderers were being put to death when captured and convicted, they would teach themselves NOT to think about committing those crimes. Punishment is not just vengeance, but is a teaching tool that has not been used effectively for some forty years or so in this country, due to liberalism and the incessant cries of victimhood on the part of the perpetrators. There is a greater good being ignored and oppressed here.

People who do NOT steal, kill, maim, or otherwise bully others are not being rewarded for their good behavior, but are being punished with fear and expense, and sometimes hurt, robbed, and killed because those who commit evil in our society are NOT being punished to the level that will cause them to turn away from crime.

I know my writings will conflict with the swill washing around in the brains of some, but if you talk to anyone who works in criminal justice they can tell you that the criminals think what they can get away with is right and if they don't get away with it, it is because of stupidity or bad luck. The battle for hearts and minds is won and lost in the home, church, school, and the courts.

The people killed in these mass shootings are not the victims of the NRA or the Concealed Carry or other 2nd Amendment advocates. Their blood is on the hands of the liberal, progressive, socialist, anti-religious movement and its policies and practices since the 1950s.

JG

More liberal left-wing garbage from the heads of ULC. Might I suggest you and those that support this liberal junk move to a random Euroepan country of your choosing. I think you'll find the grass isn't always greener on the other side....

JG

I love it how the President calls from tighther gun control while surrounded by armed Secret Service. Hypocrite much there Barry?

James L Franey

What an ignorant article posted by an ignorant author.

Rev. Michael A. Yuhas

A gun is simply a tool. Like a knife or saw or automobile. People die in auto crashes everyday. We don't sue the auto industry for them unless the auto was defective. The only thing defective on a gun usually is the loose nut holding it.

JD

You will notice that what it leaves out is most mass shootings are not done with legally acquired weapons either. Most are done with illegally purchased or stolen weapons, including the New Town shooting where he had previously been denied purchasing an AR from a local gunshop. But it is always funny how those things are left out of the fear mongering media and how the people preaching gun control do so while holding current CCWs and from behind armed body guards.

Walter Green

In discussions of the Second Amendment many assume that the right to bear arms and the militia are intended to protect the citizens from government. This is so historically incorrect as to be laughable. The Militia is now and always has been a military force called into being through the enactment of laws and at the order of the Governor of a state or the President of the United States. That happened routinely in various wars against native Americans, to suppress uprisings by slaves and other late 1700s rebellions against governmental authority, the War of 1812, and the first days of the Civil War on both sides. My family includes militia officers from the 1650s, the Tuscarora War of 1711, the War of the Regulation in 1768-1771, both sides of the Revolution, and the War of 1812. Their records of service and contemporary documents clearly show that they held government issued commissions and were acting on the orders of the governor or the President. The reason the Second Amendment states that a militia is necessary is clearly only for national defense, and that was based simply on the unwillingness of the early Congress to fund a meaningful standing Army, in order because of (first) fears that a standing army might force the Congress to actually pay the pay owed to Revolutionary War soldiers, (second) because the states were unwilling to come up with the funds to pay their share of a standing army, and (last) because of vague fears that a standing army would be used to coerce legislators. It was about the money. The right to bear arms phrase was important because state militia laws specified what arms a militiaman was required to have, and because a substantial portion of the militia simply did not own firearms. Contemporary accounts are full of examples where the militia had to arrange to borrow weapons either from the federal authorities or from other members of the community - one of the first requirements for recruiting Minutemen was that they had a firearm or could borrow when when needed. Before you argue about the militia and guns and the constitution, read the actual hand written record on the original paper - don't rely on political arguments or the comic book version of history.

JR

Unfortunately the dialog is not about gun control, it is about the banning of guns altogether (as illustrated by the citation of the Australian crime statistics). As with much of politics this day, common sense and middle of the road discussions in which some compromise might be arrived at don't seem to be possible. While access to guns is part of the problem, the entertainment media glorification of guns and gun violence (even if to noble purpose) is a strong contributor to the situation. Most of us older folks grew up with ready access to firearms, but didn't conceive of mass murder followed by suicide.

Stephen Fisher

Dr. Green Your post is so confidently written and so full of conviction while at the same time being so wrong. Please do some of the reading that you suggest others to do.

Stephen Fisher

Try this one on:

"A well educated population being necessary for the furtherance of freedom, the right to free speech shall not be infringed."

Does this mean that you can only exercise your right to free speech if you are part of the population that is somehow defined as "well educated"?

Anyway, as mentioned by others, the Supreme Court in Heller has already affirmed that the right is an individual right.

Rev. David Wight

I don't understand why The Monastery keeps publishing opinions that they know are going to cause controversy with it's members. Aren't we all supposed to be above the political garbage we see every day in the media. How about The Monastery promoting peace and goodwill instead of dissention between it's members by printing opinions that bring us together to work toward a better world.

Stephen

Hello, I am sorry to see the purported voice of a church, our church, spreading blatant lies and taking sides in political hypocrisies.

Murder of the Month was a title in poor taste. The parroting of blatant lies and even questioning the laws of our land in an attempt to persuade others is reprehensible. To suggest that the decision of the supreme court regarding private ownership of firearms is incorrect is to put doubt in our minds regarding the legitimacy of that court and its decisions. Let me point out that it is that same court that the Hensleys faced all those decades ago, and it isthe decision of that court that gives credibility to this very church. To fall for the trap of questioning the decisions of the US supreme court is to begin unravelling the very fabric that protects the existence of the ULC.

Dr. David

The problem is very complex and it is a systemic, societal, issue. Emotionalism is a primary contributing factor, much more so than "mental illness". We have glamorized extremism and it has become the "face" of society.

Some additional points include:

We have tools in place that provide excellent practice for "killing" called video games that have equipped people, who have never shot an actual firearm, with both systematic desensitization to the concept of killing and the actual skills necessary to accurately fire a firearm. These "video games" use the same technology that is used in video based firearm training. Read Lt. Col. David Grossman.

Then there is the data which is grossly misrepresented by those who want to enact more laws. Depending on which breakdown of the data one uses the overwhelming number of firearm use by criminals is in 8-12 major cities where "gun control" is the "toughest". If you eliminate those cities from the data set the U.S. has a very low rate of criminal use of firearms - primarily handguns. Then if you remove the people who were shot during the commission of a crime from the list of "victims of gun violence" the numbers drop even lower. Next separate out suicides, they are not victims of gun violence, they are suicides, and the numbers go even lower for "victims of gun violence".

Objectivity and understanding of data sets, how they were collected, who determined what was included and why, when, where, etc. is grossly lacking in a society that is driven by "sound bites".

Extreme emotionalism coupled with radical individualism are the driving forces of emotional fanaticism and are being perpetuated by mass media for multiple reasons, but primarily for money. These factors contribute significantly to an "us vs. them", "we're right - you're wrong" dichotomies that are extremely destructive.

People do have the right to defend themselves and their loved ones from harm. I believe we also have the responsibility to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. If one chooses to be a pacifist and not protect themselves or their loved ones that is their choice also, but neither group has the right to dictate to the other what they can and cannot do in relation to protecting self and others.

We should be promoting mutual respect and understanding for these positions.

Ed

Actually, yes, we do know he was targeting Christians, specifically. You may want to research your commentary, before actually posting. There are several collaborations, where if a person said they were Christian, they were shot in the head. If they said anything other than Christian, they were shot, often in the leg: http://www.breakpoint.org/tp-home/blog-archives/blog-archives/entry/4/28246 Would we even be having this debate, if he was shooting Muslims? Doubtful. That would be all over the news.

Before you go on about more gun control, perhaps you should be asking why 90% of those who are responsible for mass shootings--around the globe!--are people with mental health issues? We don't have a gun issue, we have an issue with people with mental illness not getting the help they need! The =family= of the Santa Barbra shooter reported him as having mental issues, =WEEKS= before the shooting. The police did nothing, despite numerous concerns voiced by multiple people. Then, the shooting happened.

Here's something else to ponder: our government has said that they're giving arms to rebels in Libya and Syria, to "overthrow an oppressive government," yet they don't want Americans to be armed. Hypocritical, much? NSA illegal spying, billions being given to banks in the US and abroad, billions being given to every other military in the world, arming "rebels"--and in the case of Syria, they deserted, and gave their arms to al-Qedia!--with arsenal, and so forth. One may also wonder why Russia did more damage in 2 WEEKS to ISIS than the US did in 2 YEARS! Nope, can't see why any American would want to be armed.

Now, let's address some issues that gun-control advocates love to quote.

"Well regulated means arms are to be regulated." The phrase "well-regulated" was in common use long before 1789, and remained so for a century thereafter. It referred to the property of something being in proper working order. Examples:

1714: "The practice of all well-regulated courts of justice in the world."

1812: "The equation of time ... is the adjustment of the difference of time as shown by a well-regulated clock and a true sun dial."

From the Oxford English Dictionary.

"The right is only for the military/militia." Over 30 state constitutions specifically say individuals have the right to be armed, for self defense. http://www2.law.ucla.edu/volokh/beararms/statecon.htm Those rights, specifically for individuals, would not be possible, in those states' constitutions, if they were in opposition to the union's constitution.

"The right only applies to certain types of guns. There were no high powered guns in their day." This is a fave, and brings a smile to my face. I present the Puckle Gun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puckle_gun This can be considered the "proto-type" to the gatlin guns that were used in the US Civil War, and later. It's high-powered, for its day, and came out more than 50 years before the 2nd Amendment was even thought of. There's a reason that they said "armed," as opposed to "muskets." They realized that everything changes over the cenutries. So, whatever arms are possible, the people to keep them are not to be infringed!

16 cases of armed citizens stopping potential mass shootings from happening: http://blog.uritraining.com/?p=88

Most Mass Shooters Pass Background Checks. FBI: Background check failed to stop confessed Charleston shooter from buying gun http://www.dailydot.com/politics/background-check-dylann-roof/

I'll close with the following, of what happens when people can't get a gun to protect themselves: http://www.guns.com/2015/06/08/nj-woman-stabbed-to-death-by-ex-while-waiting-months-for-gun-permit/

When people can get a gun to protect themselves: http://conservativetribune.com/man-ambushed-thugs-garage/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=ConservativeHeadlinesEmail&utm_campaign=AM2&utm_content=2015-10-07

We gun owners would rather be like the second, to where we can stop a group of attackers from killing us and our loved ones, than have psychos come in, and kill us. Cops CANNOT be everywhere, 24/7. Cops may be "minutes away," but when seconds count, it ain't enough.

Russell

STOP focusing on the guns and ask what Big Pharmaceuticals drug have these people been taking for months before they went into a rage. No one is pulling the curtain back to see what is really the cause, also the talking heads ( TV personalities), are not allowed to ask any real questions, there job is to read what is given to them. Believe it or not ,but these shooting are the new norm.

eliud colbath

Obama just gave the Iran the nuclear pistol and he wants gun control laws. Law abiting citizens don't need this.

Rev. F. W. Irvin

I am an Independent so I'm going to all over the place on this one. I am also an Iraq War Veteran so first and foremost, you will not take my guns from me alive! With that said, I collect firearms (when I have the money) and upgrade them as a hobby (when I have the time). I am not a very mechanical or hands-on person and when I joined the military, weapons nomenclature and functioning became a fascination. Now that I am a civilian, I do weapons research (both firearm and others) on a continual basis just out of curiosity and to keep current.
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms to maintain a well-regulated militia in order to ensure a free state. This has been interpreted many different ways. The way I interpret it, the Founding Fathers knew what happens when you disarm the common citizen and only allow government approved agents to carry and use firearms, or arms in general. In order to prevent tyranny from threatening the newly-formed United States of America, they entrusted their citizens with the ability and responsibility of keeping arms so if anyone threatened the country (foreign or domestic), they would be capable of defending themselves, and be able to repel the threat (Bachelor's in Criminal Justice specializing in Homeland Security).
I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment and believe everyone should keep at least one firearm just in case. I'd rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it. Furthermore, I think our Country should not be anti-gun, but rather provide the resources to educate our Citizens on the meaning of the Second Amendment and find ways to promote gun knowledge and gun safety.
Everyone has seen the movie Red Dawn (both versions) and I honestly think it is purely fiction. With as many people in this country who own guns alone, anyone who would invade the United States would only make it a few feet before being struck down in a hail of rounds. A situation such as this is a prime example of why our Founding Fathers specifically included the Second Amendment in the Constitution. Will it ever happen? It may; who knows? As for who can own or have access to a gun, I do agree more effort should be put forth in identifying mentally unstable individuals and finding a method to limiting, or eliminating their access to firearms. However, I do not feel it is right to penalize law abiding gun owners every time someone who is mentally unstable takes people's lives with a firearm. Murder is murder whether if it is with a gun, a knife, a car, or a pen (yes, it can easily be done). Thus, the government needs to focus more on who is holding the weapon rather than the weapon itself. You can take away all the firearms from every United States Citizen, but criminals will always have a black market. Before you know it, only criminals will have guns and law-abiding citizens will be defenseless.

Dameon Keller

Where this is a tragic case, the story contains an error. He wasn't a Nazi, he was a black Muslim, his skin tone was lightened in the media, look up pictures of his mother. This was an act of terrorism, that's why he only shot confirmed Christians. This was likely the first school shooting in which the motive of the gunman was NOT simply mental illness. And in cases in which it is, it is the meds and mental programming of the shooters that make them do what they do, not whatever "mental illness" they were "diagnosed" with by the licensed government drug dealers known as "psychiatrists" and "psychologists." The only way to stop these shootings is to stop the horrible chemicals - and programmers - that cause them from reaching the addicts.

Bam

Stop relying on gun-free zones!!!

A gun free zone is a magnet for murderers who take advantage of the fact that everyone inside is expected to be legally disarmed. (Of course, criminals don't pay any attention to what is legally allowed, while most law abiding peaceful citizens do.)

Gun free zone's kill!!!

Anyone who sets up a gun free zone is therefore liable for assuring the safety those who enter unarmed and thereby trust pronouncements that such areas will actually remain gun free (which of course nobody can ever guarantee).

Gun free zone's kill!!!

Mike

America doesn't have a gun problem; America has a violence problem. "Gun control" is a smokescreen for "people control". Unfortunately, the ones will need to be controlled cannot and will not be controlled. Only responsible people need fear the law; the lawless ignore it.

adamsg600

I would like to take a different approach. Whatever we focus upon, we bring more of to us. Instead of focusing on the killings and how bad they are and how we need to protect ourselves and our families, why not focus instead on the good we want for ourselves, our families, friends and all mankind. Focus on all the good that is and can be done. Do not allow someone else's bad thoughts and feelings to get in the way of us creating a positive, peaceful life for ourselves, our families, friends and all we can reach.

Frances LaMarca

So much of your information is inaccurate. The Supreme Court clearly stated the 2nd Amendment is an INDIVIDUAL RIGHT as upheld in the most conspicuous case; the Heller case. Also, with regard to the confiscation/buyback of firearms in Australia in 1997, the overall crime rate was reduced, but the VIOLENT crime rate increased by about 400% in the first year. There was a 5% average growth in assaults for each year from 1995 to 2007. The incident of armed robbery compared robbery never increased after the ban, as if the ban made it easier for robbers to rob. People murdered by knives increased after the gun ban! Presently, Australians have bought themselves back to firearm ownership that is close to being equal to ownership prior to the government confiscation. Firearm suicide and accidental deaths dropped in Australia. As for Europe, with the influx of refugees entering, especially Austria, gun sales have skyrocket due to the fear of an unknown terrorist element. And in European countries with a culture of hunting, EVERY home has a firearm. The problem in this country is a government that wants to control it's population and make them totally dependent upon said government. Instead of posting armed security in Gun Free Zones, they have posted signs stating such. Instead of enforcing the present gun laws, educating the uninformed public about the requirements and procedures for obtaining a legal pistol permit and the procedures for purchasing firearms, they preach about the need to disarm everyone. Last week, a suicidial nut job ran her car into a crowd of people at a parade. Seven people were murdered. The talk wasn't about the Nissan Optima she used to kill, it was about her mental illness. As members of the NRA, as an attendees at numerous gun shows and competitive events, I have never been worried about being harmed by a gun. On the other hand, when we travel and are not allowed to carry, I worry about some crack head thief taking away my life because our government sees fit for it's citizens to lay down our rights for a handful of people who will find a way to hurt and kill others regardless of the tool.

Rev. L. J. Werner

Your bullet point reflects a mis-interpretation of the 2nd Amendment: "The 2nd Amendment makes clear that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It also clarifies that this right is for members of a well-regulated militia, not individuals." In fact, in the parlance of the times when it was written, the term "well-regulated militia" meant an effective militia well-versed in the use of arms, not a militia that was regulated by some governing body. Further, current federal code differentiates the unorganized militia (made up of individuals) from the organized militia (national guard). Further, recent Supreme Court rulings have held that the Second Amendment applies to individuals. That said, I personally believe that no solution to this problem can be found in any secular action. Rather, the world is crying out for healing via Divine Love, and all of us can contribute to that healing through prayer and kind action in the world.

billy

I am Rev Smith I teach fire science at the Umpqua community collage I live 1 mile from their and am friends with Chris Mintz. It was a sad day for us here in Roseburg and in the nation. Here in Douglas County, OR we like our gun rites i will protect my family with a gun always. i don't believe that guns are to blame its the bad people who do evil and nothing will stop them from doing evil guns or no guns.....

Bob Biddle

If someone hasn't already noted this, the Supreme Court ruled that the 2nd Amendment applied to the People and not just a well-organized Militia. Score one for the people!

Rev. Kevin Mitchell

My congregation will have open carry encouraged. The Shepherd has plenty of sheep, He could use more sheepdogs.

John Owens

I am encouraged that this blog has not been given over to sheeple. We must realize there is a great spiritual warfare being waged against us, of which we are physically unaware. We can only see the manifestations of that warfare in the fruits of the different societies which make up the world, including our own. We can hear the voice of Satan trying to fool us by sounding concerned and semi-rational when liberals speak. We can see how he has convinced us as a nation to legalize the murder of the innocent unborn and NOT to murderers to death. A muslim does not have to do his job delivering beer but a baker MUST cater to an unholy union. We must stand against the trickery and defend what God has given us or it will all be taken.

Catherine Venis

I don' t understand what the gun lobby is afraid of. The government is not the enemy. Hunting is evil. I personally will boycott the states with loose gun laws. They allow gun traffickers to bring guns into urban areas. where only criminals want them. The Founding Fathers were very specific that the right to bear arms is for a well-regulated militia. If you are not in the National Guard, the armed forces or a police officer, you do not have the right to bear arms.

Roger Hittle

The 2nd Amendment Ratified December 15 1791 States" 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" The statement in the article stated that the right is for the militia that is false the right is to the people. Not to a government, but the PEOPLE. if it was for a militia only, the Government (operating the militia) would have control. The founding fathers of our country knew that the government could be controlled by a few (King George etc) The people fought that government but the Militia started as the PEOPLE, farmers, shop keepers, teachers, layers even the wives and mothers, brought their personal guns to stop the unjust Government from imposing the will of the Government on the people. Our country is not the Government but " WE the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, Establish , Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America'. The 9th Amendment states "the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people". So the right to keep and bear arms is to the People. We have gun laws that need enforced. The health issues need addressed more. If you say that a person with a gun kills so all guns are bad and need controlled. Then we should apply the same to cars ( more people are killed by cars than guns each year). Yes the car is a tool, like the gun is a tool. When a tool is used right then it is a good thing. When used wrong it can be deadly. You can put a hammer and a gun on a table they will not jump up and attack anyone. It takes a person to make the hammer kill and also a gun to kill. So it is people not the gun that kills. Health issues need addressed. History has shows that when a government can impose their will on the people 6 million Jews went to their death. That country had gun control laws that kept guns out of the hands of the people. I have a state issued concealed firearms permit, I carry a gun often. I work in the healthcare area and under the law I can not have a gun at work but I have one in my car. I keep myself well trained in the use of the gun and keep it well maintained. I might be an ordained minister and do not want to do harm to others. But I will not allow myself to be harmed or others around me. I have 20 years of military service. I lived overseas and saw first hand what unjust governments can do. I will keep my guns. God has given me the rights stated in our constitution. But it is the Constitution and all 27 Amendments that protects these rights. That includes the first Amendment " Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." I have taken an oath to support and defend this constitution. All of it, to do so I might need my gun.

Roger Hittle

You are wrong! it states "the PEOPLE" not the militia "have a right to bear arms"

Rev Ned

In the 18th C. "well regulated" meant "well trained in the infantry drill regulations". Words change over time. Thinking "well regulated" means "well controlled" is the same as thinking "Don we now our gay apparel." has something to do with dressing in drag.

Earlier someone commented that the Rev War was fought because the Brits wanted to take our arms. Actually, our aristocracy revolted because of the taxes that the Crown imposed on us to pay off the debt incurred defending the colonies in the French & Indian War.

G. Washington started the F&I War in 1755 and later was the general in charge of our Rev War forces.

He truly is "The Father of Our Country".

The Rev. Dr. Marion Ceruti

Dear Rev. Brubeck,

Thank you for pointing out that words have had different definitions in the past. I posted that the Revolutionary War started because the British came to take the guns away the guns. Actually it was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was the match that lit the firewood and tinder that was already arranged in a heap and ready to burn. Many other "logs" were already in place. Gun confiscation was really only one of many problems that the colonists had with British rule. The colonists made a list or grievances and sent it to King George III in an effort to avoid a revolution. The revolution actually was a last resort. You are right that taxes were unreasonable and unacceptable, especially without adequate representation. President Kennedy said that those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.

This country was founded based on the principles of freedoms to exercise our God-given rights. Government exists only to protect our property and our rights. Government ought to be vigilant to ensure that no one ever infringes on our rights. Freedom and liberty ultimately are the reasons for America's success. If governments deviate from their acceptable role, they need to be corrected before more damage is done.

If we let go of God and stop trusting in Him, the result will be the decline of our great nation and the deterioration of a free society. Please join me in praying for America and for our future leaders, that they should have at least a modicum of integrity.

God bless you and your family.