Massacre of the Innocents, Connecticut, Dec. 2012

US Gun Controls—Viewed from North of the Border By Nigel Tomes Once again the media is filled with accounts of innocent US citizens gunned down in a senseless spree of violence. We’ve barely forgotten the Colorado Movie theatre shooting killed 12 people and wounded 58 back on July 22. A month ago Missouri police foiled a copy-cat massacre plot to open fire in theater screening of the latest "Twilight" movie. Yesterday morning, 20 elementary school children, plus 7 adults were slaughtered in idyllic Newtown, Connecticut. In response US President Obama tearfully called for “meaningful action” to tighten gun controls. A few US state governors and big-city mayors voiced their support. But the question remains does President Obama (& his allies) have the political will and capital to bring about “meaningful change”? Where do US Christian leaders stand on this issue? How are they reacting to these repeated tragedies? The mainline US evangelical periodical, Christianity Today, has posted a response. , Christianity Today editor, Mark Galli, published a piece entitled, “On the Death—and Life—of Innocent Children” [Posted 12/14/2012]. Below we quote excerpts of Mark Galli’s [MG] piece, together with our comments. Mark Galli’s Christianity Today begins: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." (Matt. 2:18) “We live in a world where Rachel weeps for her children. Where mothers wail and fathers curse because their children are no more. Where friends go mute, and bloodied children stand shocked, and a nation mourns, and a President weeps—for 20 innocent children in Connecticut. One wants to say, ‘It will be okay. Order will be restored. We'll do something about this, so that it will never happen again.’ One wants to say this, but we know that it is not okay, that the restored order will be broken again; sadly, it will happen again. This is why our hearts froze when we heard the news. Not only could it have happened here, but someday it may very well happen here. That's because we've seen it happen so often, going way back…”--MG My Response: Like many Christian observers, MG is reminded of the “slaughter of the innocents” by Herod following the birth of Jesus. He echoes the Gospel of Matthew’s refrain concerning “Rachel weeping for her children.” It’s altogether appropriate that we weep with those who weep at this senseless loss of young lives. However, this is followed by a note of fatalism: “sadly, it will happen again… Not only could it have happened here, but someday it may very well happen here.” But why should Christians (especially Christian editors) be fatalistic on the issue of gun control? This stance is mystifying to this writer (observing from North of the border). I don’t claim to be conversant with all the political, legal & constitutional issues involved. Nevertheless the statistics on US gun homicides are clear—they are higher by several orders of magnitude than other developed countries. US Gun-related Homicides Higher than Canada, Australia & UK In the there are 3 gun-related homicides per 100,000 people, per year.  By comparison, gun-related deaths per 100,000 people in Canada, Australia, & the United Kingdom are 0.75, 0.1, and 0.03, respectively.  Put differently, firearm linked deaths in the US are 4-times higher than Canada, 30-times higher than Australia and 100-times higher than the UK. Plus the national figure for the US doesn’t give the whole picture. In some US cities the rates are 5 to 10 times that number.  The fatality rate in Los Angeles is 9.2, in Miami it is 23.7 and in Detroit, Michigan the rate is a staggering 35.9 deaths per 100,000 residents. That puts Detroit in the same league as drug-gang-ridden Guatemala, Central America. World’s Highest Gun Ownership Rate The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world - an average of 88 guns per 100 people. Put differently, although the US has less than 5% of the world's population, the US possesses roughly 35–50 per cent of all the world's civilian-owned guns. That’s an incredible concentration of fire power. It’s not rocket science to suggest that gun ownership and gun homicides are linked. The gunman who slew 20 kids in Connecticut used 3 guns owned by his mother (who was also his 1st victim). The “bottom line” here is that clearly the US has a major problem with gun-control. Guns are too easy to obtain and to use. There aren’t enough restrictions on gun & ammunition possession. What US citizen needs a semi-automatic rifle, AK-47 or sub-machine gun for deer-hunting or duck-hunting? Time after time, and with increasing frequency, we hear of people resorting to the senseless slaying of innocents. Just within the last dozen years: USA's worst Mass Shootings Nov. 2009 Soldier Processing Center, Fort Hood, TX: 13 killed by Nidal Malik Hasan. April 2009 Immigration Centre, Binghamton, NY: 13 dead plus gunman Jiverly Wong. April 2008 Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA: 32 dead plus gunman Seung Hui Cho. April 1999 Columbine High School, CO: 13 dead plus gunmen, Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold. Time for Evangelical Leaders to Speak Up It’s not enough for Christian leaders & Christian editors to offer words of pastoral comfort to the victims’ families.  Why can’t all those Christians who support the “right-to-life” on the abortion issue, also support the “right-to-life” on gun control?  It’s time for US Evangelical leaders & opinion- influencers to stand up and speak out firmly & persistently in favor of stringent US gun controls. The only way that US politicians will find the nerve to withstand the NRA gun lobby is if US citizens promote gun control at the voting booth and by persistent lobbying.  Why can’t US evangelical Christians take the lead on this issue?  If they do, I for one will applaud them.