Gun Control | The Christian Perspective

Silence often makes things worse, and today, we can no longer afford it. For so long this website has been focused solely on entertainment, and we’ve made a conscious effort to keep religion and politics at a minimal discussion in order not to stir up any controversy. And I’ll be honest in admitting of the fact that I was personally hesitant to write this because I’d be bombarded with hateful comments. But my minuscule fear of backlash is absolutely nothing in comparison to the fear kids and parents must be facing today — or anyone who’s the victim of gunpoint because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or disabilities.

For those who don’t know, I’m a devout Christian. I constantly pray — I pray about anything and everything you could think of. I pray the moment I open my eyes and right before I close them. I fervently believe in the fact that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hears all of our prayers. I believe in the fact that there’s immense, unimaginable power in prayer. But I also believe that words without actions are meaningless, and I believe that we need to do our part in helping God, too.

So, I suppose in a sense, this is an open letter to anyone who’s adamantly against gun control — a letter without judgement, without condemnation. I am a child of God, and I am a human being. I am also a woman living in time where I often find myself taking extreme measures of precaution and constantly looking over my shoulder. When walking at night alone, I always carry my keys in between my fingers. I understand wanting to be safe. I do. But where guns are concerned, it’s too easy. But before I get into anything else, there’s one thing I simply cannot wrap my head around — now correct me if I’m wrong, but last I checked, at least in California, a gun owner must keep the weapon locked up. So, say a burglar breaks in while you’re asleep — he/she will probably not wait until you go get the gun from the safe for a fair fight. What’s the point of keeping it then? Now perhaps someone lives in an area where bears are frequent visitors, I don’t know. Bottom line is, it isn’t my place to judge why a person feels they need one, but I can’t help but question why some are so fiercely against the idea of making it more difficult to obtain one.  If you’re deemed deserving and stable to keep one, then you shouldn’t fear it being taken away. Because let’s be real here, America will probably never abolish the second amendment. But it shouldn’t be easier than a woman trying to get birth control. Kinder Surprise Eggs are banned in the U.S. for crying out loud. It’s chocolate, y’all. It shouldn’t be easier than a low-income family getting affordable housing. A weapon designed to kill shouldn’t be easily accessible, it’s that simple — license or not, it’s a weapon that could kill in an instant. 

It’s also extremely frustrating to hear of the fact that all those who’ve murdered must suffer from mental health. I have had anxiety since I could remember, and never once has the thought of murdering anyone crossed my mind. Never. I know people who’ve suffered through severe depression. I know people with Bipolar Disorder. I know people with severe mental health issues and they’ve never shown “signs” of wanting to kill. This isn’t a mental health issue — it’s got to do with upbringing, it’s a supremacy issue, and yes, perhaps mental health, in its most extreme case can contribute, but it isn’t about that entirely. And I’m tired of hearing that. When does it stop? I never once worried about whether or not I’d be the victim of a mass shooting in my own school. My biggest worry about attending concerts used to be whether or not I’d find good parking or a good spot to stand in order to see the performers. Today? I’m terrified for the kids and teachers attending schools. I’m terrified for the concertgoers. I’m terrified for the human race.

At the end of the day, the choice to obtain a gun belongs to the person whose possession it is in, I know where I stand and how I feel about it. I don’t see its necessity or its value. As a Christian especially because I trust that whatever occurs is God’s plan. But there are numerous steps our government can take to keep them away from those who are incapable of properly using them. If the price of bullets cost as much as the most expensive apartments in overpopulated cities, I can guarantee there’d be a significant drop in purchases. If background checks were as rigorous as for those applying for certain jobs, I can guarantee there’d be a great change in who possess one. Let a person’s social media accounts be taken into consideration, too.

You know what’s tragic? It’s more difficult for someone with a degree to find a job due to the unreasonable requirements a student straight out of college should have than it is to buy a gun. This is where the problem lies, folks. It’s too easy.  It’s too easy and it’s not fair. Our thoughts and prayers are incredibly valid, necessary, and powerful, but we need to put action behind them. We need to fight for gun control — Republic or Democrat, it shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t be too easy. I don’t want to live in a world where every time I drop off my child at school, I need to live in fear that they may not make it back home. The world has enough problems as is, horrific natural causes, diseases, etc. we don’t need to add on to that. And for me, I don’t believe in the fact that Jesus died for us in order for us to slaughter one another. We seem to be far more concerned with who’s dating who, how a person’s dressed, or what they’re doing with their own body than we are with the fact that a weapon capable of mass destruction is easily attainable.

We can no longer stay silent or hidden because the future of our children, our grandchildren depends on what we do today. I can no longer stay silent. Our government seems to be more concerned with immigrants than those who pose an actual threat to our nation. We need gun control. We need to focus on the real problem, which isn’t what a mentally ill person will or won’t do, but legitimate, drastic measures to keep guns away from people who’ll abuse them.

Any hateful, abusive, ridiculous comment will be deleted — civil and kind discussions are welcomed. My thoughts and prayers are sincerely with those affected by these tragedies in the past and present. I also promise that I will also not give up fighting for what’ll significantly decrease mass shootings in the future.