You gotta be kidding me!

Apparently they have the solution in Texas to kids dying in classroom shootings: Train third graders to administer first aid to gunshot wounds! Because, you know, we can't infringe on the right to own guns! Instead let's add to the trauma of young kids having active shooter drills by having them undergo training to treat gunshot wounds!

Meanwhile, we recall millions of airbags that might malfunction because about a dozen people have died from them over the last five-plus years! And we recalled some other thing the other day because about twenty-five people have died from it (I forget what the product was now, but you get the point). And we recall food products on a fairly regular basis, close down restaurants for health infractions, and the list goes on. And consumers sue, and win, on a fairly regular basis against manufacturers and retail food establishments for defective and/or dangerous products.

But, we have a product that is known to cause death, injury, and trauma on a scale that we can't even imagine, yet all we can offer is active shooter drills and first-aid training? It's against the law to sue gun manufacturers. We offer conceal and carry permits in many states without training. We allow known mentally unstable people to purchase weapons. We don't even require that households with young children store their weapons in a secure place.

You can't legally purchase cigarettes or vaping products until you are eighteen, but you can have a weapon that kills others, as well as yourself (via suicide) at pretty much any age (depending on the state). We allow a weapons ban law to expire that was shown to statistically reduce mass shootings, but we raise the legal drinking age to 21 from 18 because too many young intoxicated drivers were killing people (a good move that I applaud).

People, where are our priorities?

As a nation we are like the guy who fatally shot his girlfriend because she got an abortion!

I just don't get it…

A few links of interest

Read a few interesting things yesterday.

On the link between UTIs and meat (esp. poultry):
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/23/1171428486/uti-infection-prevent-treat

Enough to make you go whole-food, plant-based, right : )

This is indirectly related to the above, about the spread of H5N1. Sadly, they want to develop vaccines so they can continue to cage the poultry in inhumane conditions (not against vaccines, but wouldn’t fixing the root problem be more intelligent?):
https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-avian-influenza-outbreak-us-h5n1-wiping-out-everything-2023-4

A Canadian looks at our CRT outrage and pegs it on a religious cause (my words): The (almost) worship of the constitution:
https://www.johnstackhouse.com/post/the-americanness-of-crt-outrage

Makes sense to me.

I’ve read before about the historical background of regional differences in the US (although I haven’t read the book). He tackles gun violence this time around:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/04/23/surprising-geography-of-gun-violence-00092413

When I moved from MN to IN 20 years ago (I lived in IN for nine years before returning to MN), after living there about 6 months I really noticed the difference between libertarians in MN and IN. In MN, they have a strong social conscience and will back the common good in laws, even though it seems to be against a libertarian leaning—after all, MN had a (wrestling hero) libertarian governor who didn’t try to repeal any of it. And there is a strong corporate conscience here in MN with corporations dedicating 5–10 percent of their profits to charitable causes.

And, finally, Chris Gehrz had ChatGPT do his devotional on the Road to Emmaus (and then discusses what LLM really does):
https://chrisgehrz.substack.com/p/sunday-devotions-on-the-emmaus-road

I wonder what it would do if you asked it if the couple on the road were husband and wife as has lately been bandied about? Probably hallucinate a few references : )

That’s it. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Another reason to restrict hand guns

I haven’t even mentioned the biggest example of how our inability to understand suicide costs lives: roughly 40,000 Americans commit suicide every year, half of whom do so by shooting themselves. Handguns are the suicide method of choice in the United States—and the problem with that, of course, is that handguns are uniquely deadly. Handguns are America’s town gas. What would happen if the U.S. did what the British did, and somehow eradicated its leading cause of suicide [coal gas/town gas]? It’s not hard to imagine. It would uncouple the suicidal from their chosen method. And those few who were determined to try again would be forced to choose from far-less-deadly options, such as overdosing on pills, which is fifty-five times less likely to result in death than using a gun. A very conservative estimate is that banning handguns would save 10,000 lives a year, just from thwarted suicides. That’s a lot of people.—Talking to Strangers, 276 note

But is it right?

Believe in educators carrying weapons in school? Read this and weep.

The videos, instruction, and repetition play a trick on my mind, though. I start to think in terms of students and attackers, those I would protect and those I would kill. The latter are strangers— unnamed, faceless adversaries like the targets. My daydreams are no longer of classroom visits, sporting events, and kids making out in the halls. They are all adventure stories, and I am always the hero. An attacker is never one of my students. I never have to shoot one of my students.

The training encourages this result. Everything about its vocabulary is designed to dehumanize our aim. The instructors’ military language—“soft targets” and “areas of operation” for schools, “threats” for shooters, “tactical equipment” for guns—rubs off. On the final day, a pep talk analogizes students with lambs. We are the sheepdogs, charged with protecting them from the wolves.

I am aware that this is changing my way of thinking. I enjoy how I feel. It is a potent energy, a righteous virtue that seems completely earned. The training reassures me of my decision-making ability.

The other recruits are undergoing the same shift. During downtime we discuss guns: which we plan to buy next, what ammo our districts will provide us, and how that ammo impacts a body. We have become gun nuts almost overnight.

But, when an actual threat happens, it isn't whom they expect:

I drive home in a devastated silence. I thought I knew Jason well, but I had never imagined him perpetrating a threat, or owning weapons. It was like something from TV, where newscasters narrate the steps leading up to a school shooting, how everyone had missed the signs. I imagine the shoot-out it could have been.

Riding through the dense countryside, I finally face the question that I had avoided from the beginning: was this right?

My decision to be armed in school had been made in the aftermath of yet another high-profile school shooting, and I had thought, “This is how I can keep my kids safe.” The training had done its work on me, too, lifting me out of my habit of cynically questioning everything. I felt reassured that of course, this is righteous. But now it was no longer a theoretical question of protecting kids at any cost. The faceless target at the shooting range, so absurd in its proportions, had a face: Jason, whom I wanted so badly to help. (emphasis original)

<idle musing>
Sorry folks, but violence is never a righteous option. You can rationalize it all you want, but like this person, at some point it will stare you in the face and you have to decide whether to be honest with yourself (and God) or not.
</idle musing>

In which Preston Sprinkle nails it

Just ran across a great post by Preston Sprinkle on a theoretical discussion about the old "killer at the door" scenario. Here's a brief excerpt, but please read the whole thing.

Me: Okay, so let me get this straight. A preprogrammed robotic human is breaking into my home with a gun. Any attempt to stop him without using violence is taken off the table, despite the fact that nonviolent attempts to apprehend bad people with guns does actually work in the real world. And in your “real world” scenario, I have quick access to a loaded gun in the house which happens to be no threat to my four children. I’m a pretty good shot but not that good of a shot. God exists in this scenario, but despite the fact that this God typically answers prayer, for this scenario, the heavenly phone’s off the hook. And this cyborg would rather kill me and my family rather than walk with $300,000. And this is somehow your real world?

NRA: Yes, yes, that’s the scenario. What would you do?

Me: I would pinch myself because I must be in a dream. Your supposed “real life” scenario is not the real world at all. It’s a world where Jesus is still in the tomb, prayer doesn’t work, a deistic god stands off in the distance, and the deception of power has clouded your Christian thinking. But my world, the real world, has a crucified Lamb, an empty tomb, and direct access to the heavenly throne which is more effective than 10 tons of C-4.

I don’t live in a theoretical world; I live in a world turned upside down by a God who justifies the ungodly and calls us to love our enemies.

<idle musing>
Amen and amen! Why is it that we have to cordon off God in these discussions? It's as if he doesn't really exist in our daily lives. Of course, maybe he doesn't for some people. I call those people practicing atheists...

Just an
</idle musing>

In the end, dialogue and respect

While we take some of the steps above and are convinced we are 
following God’s call, we must never demonize our Christian brothers and sisters whose views about guns are the polar opposite of our own. We must never claim we are closer to God than they for there are earnest Christians on both sides of this issue. We need to walk together into the future in order to build the America we all want for our children and grandchildren. Neither side can have what it most desires for our society without respecting and accommodating the other. But again, isn’t that how God made the world? We must learn to speak the truth in love to those whose views are different. We must take heart because the polls tell us the vast majority of Americans are not far apart on guns and gun violence. Eighty-six percent of all gun owners and NRA members agree that Second Amendment rights and keeping guns from criminals and terrorists are complementary, not contradictory. What are we waiting for? Let the discussions and the healing begin!—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 217

<idle musing>
And may it be so. But I have found that mutual respect is a product woefully lacking, even among Christians.

That's the final excerpt from the book. I hope you enjoyed it. It's well worth your time to read—even if you disagree with him!
</idle musing>

These things ought not to be!

In 2010, my state and others passed laws that permit gun owners to take their weapons into bars and other places that serve alcohol provided they do not drink. (And just why is it people go to bars?) I wonder why some pastors in Virginia and elsewhere are unable to say, “In the name of God, Jack Daniels, Virginia Gentleman, Samuel Adams, and a Glock 19 should not be seen together in a bar; Friends, martinis and guns do not mix.” Even the NRA would agree with that. If the shepherds of Jesus’ flock are unable to make such an innocuous statement, I wonder if they have anything else of consequence to say to their people.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 211 (emphasis original)

Cop-out!

The most pathetic words I ever hear are from people who listen to the innumerable ways the Gun Empire deceives us and perpetuates murder and mayhem, only to sigh: “The only thing we can do is pray.” That is code for “there is nothing we can do.” What a denial of God’s love. What a rejection of discipleship and the power of Christ in our lives. Prayer unaccompanied by attempts to awaken listless people or congregations, or pouring out one’s blood, sweat, and tears to stop the violence, will never satisfy the imperatives of love. The church’s prayer without accompanying action is really a cop-out.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 208 (emphasis original)

Turning power on its head

Can we get our sophisticated twenty-first-century minds around that image of the triumphant Lamb of God, who “was led to the slaughter and did not open his mouth” (Isa 53:7)? Can we envision all the idols of power and deadly force lying silently at the feet of him who was crucified, dead and buried, but now is risen?

We don’t usually attribute victory and power to lambs, do we? Neither does the National Football League. It has Lions, Bears, Bengals, Broncos, Jaguars, Raiders, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins, to name a few, but no lambs. Arena football, major league soccer, lacrosse, baseball, basketball, and hockey have no team called “the Lambs.” There is no street gang or United States Marine unit called “the Lambs.” Yet, when time is no more and all the books are closed and all the armies and navies of the world are mustered out forever and every government and parliament which ever sat is dismissed for all time, when all the nations gather at God Almighty’s throne to celebrate the final victory, every knee will bow down and fall prostrate before the gentle Lamb that was slain.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 206 (emphasis original)

<idle musing>
Seems an appropriate post for Holy Week, doesn't it? We're celebrating the God who became man, suffered on our behalf (when he could have called a legion of heavenly warriors!), and conquered! And he didn't do it with an AK-47, either. The "Lamb that was slain" is to be our model. The early church got that, why can't we?
</idle musing>

Overreach

To enhance its image the Gun Empire boasts of pure American values, yet preaches insurrection and plots the overthrow of a democratically elected government. It asks to be approached as one of the great religions of the world, yet lies to the American public. It claims God-given rights to be armed, but refuses any public responsibility for safety. Such pronouncements may in the short run wield significant power over a minority of gun zealots and a majority of apathetic citizens, but in God’s long run, it is doomed: “The Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

The Gun Empire carries within the seeds of its own destruction, particularly in its classic overreach and promotion of violence. As it seeks more power through devious means and grasps for more exclusive privileges, it sets in motion undeniable and unconquerable spiritual forces that will inevitably lead to its own defeat. Its outrageous methods will eventually bring about its own demise. It will die as all Empires die, by claiming way too much. God still “scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their thrones, exalts those of low degree, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich and powerful away—empty” (Luke 1:51–53).—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 204

Violence is the answer!

When violence and guns are destroying the character and moral fiber of our nation, it is of infinite importance that the faith community wake up and boldly negate the nonsense that is noised that guns do not kill and the answer to gun violence is more guns.

For citizens to carry their guns everywhere (homes, schools, college campuses, bars, churches, athletic contests, and courthouses) is not an acceptable solution. If the signs for gun free zones are removed from our schools, bedlam will ensue. Relying on more firepower to reduce violence is not a message that faith communities, peace fellowships, the majority of NRA members, or the general populace could embrace. Our faith traditions, should they be honestly consulted, provide much more effective alternatives.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 203

<idle musing>
Ah, there's the rub. "Our faith traditions, should they be honestly consulted, provide much more effective alternatives." But they won't be. Why should we listen to those old dead things? After all, we have smartphones!

Maybe the phones are smart, but I doubt we are! When we think that we are the measure of all things, this is the logical result: violence and death. We reap what we sow—in spades! We sow the wind, we reap the whirlwind. Or, as I saw someone recently write, when you sow dragon's teeth, you shouldn't be surprised when dragons sprout!
</idle musing>

I'd say it is an epidemic

Every American today lives on the slippery slope of gun violence and each of us is endangered because public safety is not a national priority. Many Americans are armed with powerful guns and shoot their fellow citizens with increasing regularity. The total number of people shot in the United States each year has risen significantly from the beginning of the new century to 2008, the latest year for which complete federal data is available. Between 2000 and 2008, a total of 272,590 people died of gunshot injuries in the United States—an average of 30,288 per year, a number shocking by comparison to any other developed country. During that same time period, an estimated 617,488 people suffered nonfatal gunshot injuries in the United States. The total number of people shot in 2008 totaled 110,215—the highest total recorded during the nine-year period surveyed by the Violence Policy Center.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 199

Making the world safe...

Enough people believe more guns will resolve human conflicts to make this country the most dangerous in the developed world. With 300 million guns in private hands and three million more coming off our assembly lines every year, our citizens are armed and dangerous. The guns we purchase for self-defense inevitably become the instruments of murder and suicide among family and friends.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 198

It's a slippery slope, but not the direction you think...

Those who live in the mountains are most aware that every mountaintop has more than one slope. The purpose of this book is to alert people of faith and others of good will of another slippery slope on which we are living today and it is far more dangerous. It is a huge threat to our children and grandchildren because we as a society are obediently following the advice and counsel of the idols of power and deadly force. We are living as prisoners of the principalities and powers and have forsaken the ways of the loving God who has redeemed us and placed our trust in sophisticated weapons to “guarantee” our security and preserve our nation’s most cherished ideals. We live on this slippery slope because we as a people find it almost impossible to shake free of our fascination with and devotion to violence in all its forms. We say, “violence has worked for us in the past, why search for other ways to solve our human conflicts?” That is the slippery slope that scares me.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, pages 197–98

<idle musing>
And one of the front-runners is a great fan of violence, and I don't hear any of the other ones denouncing violence as an option...slippery slope, indeed. And it leads straight to more violence and death. : (
</idle musing>

More gun violence—but it won't change anything

In the six years and nine months since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003, through December 2009, 4,400 American servicemen and women lost their lives. In the same timeframe approximately 202,500 Americans lost their lives through gun violence on our own streets.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 194

And when money talks, death results

For decades church folk pleaded with elected leaders to enact balanced legislation, but they turned a deaf ear. They listened only to those whose guns had become idols and whose checks made it into their coffers. They believed supporting any restriction on guns was a losing political strategy. Knowing what we know today of the pervasive power of misinformation, we are not surprised when we learn that the total effect of Congress’ inattention to guns made it easier for violent people to buy guns and harder for law enforcement to arrest them or those who sold them weapons illegally.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 193

Money talks

The United States Congress is presently in sync with a small, extreme minority of gun owners, who along with manufacturers, distributors, and dealers, consider any regulation on guns, no matter how wise, to be a denial of gun rights. Our Congress is out of sync with the majority of Americans who favor balanced gun laws, including the majority of NRA members.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 192

Which will it be?

I concede that stories of stopping a crime are more compelling. They are like an account of our Navy SEALs killing Osama bin Laden. People hear these accounts and they are energized; they want to cheer, “guns save lives.” On the other hand when people hear of gun tragedies they moan. These are “downers,” which remind the public that guns actually do kill. The former reveals our human desire to be in control of our life situations; the latter underscores our total lack of control and vulnerability. The facts are: there are between 150–200 justifiable homicides every year, largely carried out by law enforcement. But in 2007 there were 12,632 murders and hundreds of thousands of injuries.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 189

<idle musing>
So, which will it be? The 1–2 compelling stories with the 12,000+ murders? Or the thought that maybe I'm mortal and guns actually kill people?

I know. Why bother asking? Nobody wants to admit that they are mortal and not in control...and so the holocaust continues. And not just murder by uncontrolled weapons, but murder by abortion. Murder by drones. Murder by capital punishment. Murder by malicious thoughts that "other" people made in the image of God.

Did I leave anybody out? If so, it was unintentional; everybody is guilty of murder. But, even if we can't do anything about that—only God can, through Holy Spirit transformation—at least we should attempt to reduce the holocaust!

Just an
</idle musing>

Same old same old

At a mass shooting, the only germane question is how. How were thirty-two people killed and fifty-seven injured in just a few minutes? How was Cho able to follow through with this despicable crime? The answer is very simple: this terribly sick young man was able to buy two of the world’s most efficient killing machines and use them for the purposes for which they were made. That is how.

As long as we permit elected leaders to visibly hide on the irrelevant safe ground of speculation and avoid the pertinent questions of how dangerous individuals continue to get guns at the drop of a hat, other mass shootings are waiting to happen. It is not a matter of if they will happen; it is when. And when these disasters shock the country once more we will all be subject to the same lame speeches from those who refuse to act, but call us to pray fervently for the survivors.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 187

The (not so) Wild West

Who cares if the gun fighter in the Old West was a figment of the imagination? Who cares if the infamous Wild West was actually the birthplace of strict gun control laws? Garry Wills writes, “Far from the gun being the tamer of the West, the West had to tame the gun in order to be civilized.” Famous Western gun cities such as Dodge City and Durango, required all the cowhands to leave their shooting irons with the sheriff before they could amble off to the saloon. Timid legislators in the Commonwealth of Virginia and other states with lax gun laws should take notes of what the town fathers did in Dodge City, Durango, and other cowtowns in the old West to save lives.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 175

<idle musing>
We really do have a selective memory, don't we? And I mean all of us, no matter where we stand on any issue. We tend to only remember the past in a way that supports our foregone conclusions about the present.

That's why we need two things: Each other (especially those who disagree), and the Holy Spirit. Each other because we bring each other face-to-face with another viewpoint. And the Holy Spirit so we don't kill the other before listening to them!
</idle musing>