Nena Arias | April 16, 2018
We are certainly hearing a lot about gun control these days due to school shootings where students and some adults have lost their lives. Young people have taken to the streets in organized protests to call for gun control. They have passionately presented their concerns even to President Trump who gave them an audience. Gun control is the go-to cry of many who call for banning guns out of their emotions rather than common sense every time something of this magnitude happens. As if it is the function of guns to fire themselves without anyone pulling the trigger.
There are countries who have banned guns—what are the results?
In 1996, the United Kingdom disarmed its citizens and now murders are skyrocketing, and the police cannot protect them. The irony is that murders by stabbing have escalated and now they want to ban kitchen knives, which seem to be the knife of choice for killing. Again, as if knives could kill people on their own. Reality is that a rock, a steel pipe, a baseball bat, a potted plant dropped on somebody’s head could kill them. Where does the banning stop and where are the positive results of doing so?
In fact, the UK is so scared of its citizens having guns that it banned toy guns in 2006, under the guise of “reducing violence” with the Violent Crime Reduction Act. Fast forward to 2018 murders and violent crime is skyrocketing, and the gun rights activists have consistently warned — only criminals and the government have guns.
So what kind of nonsensical thinking is this about banning weapons? The result of the incremental stripping of rights has left the citizens of the United Kingdom sitting ducks merely waiting for violent criminals and a corrupt government to take hold. According to multiple new reports, this now seems to be the case.
Scotland Yard has since called an emergency meeting as London is now gripped by unprecedented violent crime. Even an ex-senior officer says, “police have lost control of the streets.” The need for police would be drastically diminished if the citizens could simply defend themselves.
Even in our country, many police chiefs in the United States understand that police cannot be everywhere to stop every crime. It has been reported, police chiefs across the country have urged that citizens arm themselves because a well-armed citizen is the best defense against crime — not police.
Where is wisdom on this issue of guns and violence?
Bottom line is that resolving this issue is really not that difficult and in a country like the United States of America, we already have the solution in writing, it is called THE SECOND AMENDMENT in our Constitution.
If that is not enough, what does the Bible say about weapons for self-defense?
When Jesus was going to be arrested, and crucified, he knew that persecution for the disciples was going to happen. He talked about swords because a time was coming when they would sorely need them. So, he taught his disciples about self-defense in the following passage:
“And he said to them, ‘When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’ He said to them, ‘But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.’” (Luke 22:35-36)
We do not have to reinvent the wheel on this issue, folks, just implement God’s law and the provisions in our Constitution.
The police chiefs have it right, a well-armed citizen is the best defense against crime — not the police.