In the Wake of Evil

After this most recent massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, comments about gun control were first on the scene, often in the same breath as "how horrifying".  I think we all know that guns are dangerous and that it's unwise to let just anyone have a gun.  However, people who go on shooting rampages are not your average law abiding citizens.  We are held accountable by law only after we do something wrong.  In this case, the effects are devastating and permanent.  So much so, that we instinctively look for ways they could have been prevented.

Clearly, those who call for tighter gun control want to save people.  However, we all do, even those who fight gun control.  Glenn Reynolds from Instapundit.com had an article in USA Today about gun-free zones and the danger they pose.  Ace of Spades had a post commenting on this article titled "Gun-Free Zones Don't Deter Killers Determined to Bring Their Guns to Kill People" on 12/14/12 @ 8:09 PM.  There is a viral comment credited to Morgan Freeman.  And Darrell Scott's 1999 statement after Columbine resurfaced as well.


I'm not prepared to discuss all the ramifications of gun control or school prayer, nor do I want to moderate such heated discussion on this forum.  However, tragic events such as the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School cause national grieving.  In their wake, we desire (individually and as a society) to examine what went wrong and how it could have been avoided.  I believe this is an honorable endeavor.  We regret what happened, we value human life, and we want better for ourselves and our children and our society.  Another aspect is that this pursuit to "fix" problems help us to process such devastating events as a society.  At the very least, they allow us, in the wake of despair and demise, to move forward with our personal lives and to hope that we do better as a society in the future.

I remember hearing Darrell Scott's statement back in 1999.  That was also a time of national grieving.  And for many it was the beginning of repeated massacres widely broadcasted on television.

I've seen many respond saying that we cannot promote prayer in school because of separation of church & state.  This is my response. The idea is for individuals to pray - we don't have to answer the questions about which God or who is God (except in our own personal search).  Allowing and even encouraging spirituality in people allows respect of natural law and a higher power above our own selfish hearts, which so often lead us to many disheartening situations.  And separation of church and state means that the church cannot tell the government how it should be run AND the government shouldn't tell churches how to run either.  This separation should support respect and the search for love that sacrifices everything for humanity.  And yet we, our society as a whole, often uses separation of church and state to cause more conflict and spread more discord.  At least, that's how I understand it now...but I'm still seeking.

Keep searching,
GT <><