Recently I discovered that I hate guns. And with every decision made I constantly hit it with opposing questions. Four weeks ago I was ambivalent about them. But a couple of weeks ago I had a conversation that kind of changed my mind. So now, being surrounded by gun-toting republicans I find myself wondering how valid my new argument is. Last week I rode with two of my coworkers over lunch and they talked about the news…the violence…the break-ins and the ruthless killing of a family somewhere in Florida. It took me until 2 AM to finally get to sleep that night.
One coworker insists on using hollow points. I didn’t know what a hollow point was so I asked. He sad, “It’s a hollow bullet, so if it goes into a wall it will essentially go flat so you don’t have to repair a hole shot through your house.” Interesting. It apparently is a good way to kill someone as well since the bullet does the same in a person’s body.
The hollow point: “When is our concern for our sheetrock more important than someone’s life?”
The gun-toting republican feels justified. “If you are breaking into my home then you had better be ready to die.” Where is the justice in that? I don’t see it. They want my TV so I kill them? I’m confused. All my possessions aren’t worth one person’s life. Maybe I just need better possessions…a bigger TV or a better stereo…THEN it will be worth someone’s life?
Flipping channels I watched 10 minutes of a show where a guy watched his neighbor getting robbed, called the police, and as the two youngsters ran across his lawn escaping he shot them in the backs. Dead. Smug. Justified. I don’t understand. Don’t these kids have a life to live?
Somewhere mother cries over her child….a child who made some stupid decisions. But not Earl, shotgun in hand. Earl did the right thing? The lesson? Earl’s neighbor’s possessions are more important than two kid’s lives.
The news carries bad seed, spreading it’s hate and fear throughout the city, segregating us into scared pockets with stories singled out for their sensationalism. The news is a capitalist machine hungry for money and viewers.
Am I right? Am I stupid to not have a gun next to my head as I sleep? I tried to do a little research. Unfortunately, home invasions where the homeowners are encountered isn’t tracked. Robberies are, but most robberies are when the homeowner isn’t home of course. Canada had a study (a Statistics Canada Uniform Crime Reporting (USR) Survey). It looks like homeowner encountered invasions are mostly the elderly (17%). 21% of the time it was casual acquaintances. 11% of the time it was a relative, friend, or business relationship. Half of the invasions involved a weapon, the most common being a knife or something to cut with. (link)
The Center for Injury Control, Rollins School of Public Health (of Emory University Atlanta GA 30322) did a study to determine weapon involvement in home invasions. That is, how often firearms are used to resist these crimes. This was for Atlanta, GA (pop 402,877) between June 1 and Aug 31, 1994. They went through every case during that time to identify where entry was made to a single family home. 198 cases. 99 were forced entry. 1/3 of the cases the victim and offender knew each other. A firearm was carried by the offender in 32 cases. 7 carried knives. in 42% of the cases the offender fled without confronting the victim. 40 cases resulted in a victim being injured. 6 were shot. No one died. 3 victims had a firearm. Their conclusion was that prevention of entry was the best method and that firearms, even if in the home, aren’t usually used.(link)
I went to bed last night, as I do every night, trying to determine what I will do in the event that my house gets broken in. I sat up and looked at the door, trying to remember if I locked it. At midnight I sat up thinking I heard something. Some research suggested 1 in 5 homes are robbed. It’s not worth it to have these thoughts. I eventually drive them out and focus on peace. Some nights are harder than others. I’m glad all my babies sleep in the same bed as I.
Is it right to focus on the negative? Isn’t happiness hard enough to hang on to without filling what you actually have with fear and anxiety? When i was around 10 we were robbed on Christmas eve. All the presents were taken under the tree. It didn’t change me. It didn’t change us, except that we hid the presents in the attic after that until that morning. My mother cried. The police came. But eventually forgiveness came and life went back.
God didn’t call us to be stupid, but he certainly didn’t call us to live our lives in fear of what might happen to us. I hate the gun because of what it implies: death. Fear isn’t worth that.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear
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