Thursday, January 24, 2013

A nation of guns revisited


Opinion                                                                                                         January 23, 2013

New Hampshire Union Leader

PO Box 9555

Manchester, NH 03108

opinion@unionleader.com

 

It is time for us to face straight into the issue of being a nation of citizens possessing nearly 300 million guns. There are 11,000 to 12,000 gunshot deaths in the United States each year.  There have been more people killed by guns in the United States than the total killed in all of the wars fought since our Country was founded.  There are more gun dealers in the United States than MacDonald’s.  These statistics suggest an urgency to explore ways to reduce deaths, the effect of gun dependency on our society, and the need for gun ownership. 

 

Some suggest that, with the number of guns in our society, we must accept that eliminating guns is impossible.  Therefore, to reduce gun deaths, some call for tinkering with modes of registration, restricting some gun models, and controlling the capacity of ammunition clips.  But there is little agreement about the effect of such law changes on gun deaths. 

 

Therefore, NRA’s Mr. LaPierre promotes arming good people to out gun bad people.  However, this answer teaches our children that guns are the way to solve relationships with anyone we fear: “the bad people.”  No wonder our young people sometimes turn to guns to solve their problems. Boys learn that real men know how to use the power of guns.  Girls learn that a gun can overcome their inherent weakness.  

 

President Obama said in his inaugural speech that we are all entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Does imposing a climate of fear advance life liberty and pursuit of happiness?   The presence of large numbers of guns in our society seems counter intuitive to these rights. More guns or increased gun control do not ameliorate peoples’ fear of those who are not like us:  terrorists, mentally ill people, street gangs and drug cartels and even the stranger. 

 

 It is time to recognize the disadvantages of a gun culture.  Guns do not demonstrate strength.  They hide weakness.  The possession of a gun distorts our perception of who we are.  It gives a person a false sense of strength and an inaccurate sense of security.   Possessing a gun puts a person in the position to decide when to take a life. Does any individual have the independent right and the wisdom to make that decision in a democratic society?  And a gun in our home or in our pocket masks any need to learn wisdom, negotiation skills, ways of communicating trust, and becoming acquainted with people different than ourselves.        

 

It would seem time to confront the culture of gun violence and its worship of the second amendment to the Constitution.  President Obama reminds us that “we cannot mistake absolutism for principle.”  We need to explore the “principle” of the second amendment.  Today we do not live in frontier world of muskets and swords.   (No amount of home firepower can protect us from a rogue government army in possession of rockets, tanks, drones, overwhelming air power and internet capability).  We live in a democracy where the vote replaces the gun.

 

Of course, it is important to do what we are able to control the availability of guns to those who would do harm.  The current proposals to register guns or gun owners, restrict assault type guns and the size of magazines are important interim measures to support.  However, at the same time it is essential that we refuse to be satisfied with solutions that continue to accept a gun culture. 

 

We need to explore realistic possibilities of a gun-free society.  Consider:

            +Protect our homes with a network of good neighbor communications.

            +Participate in our democratic society: be informed, advocate for change, communicate with elected leaders, vote.

            +Target shooters rent guns at a firing range.

            +Reevaluate the culture of hunting for sport.

+Allow basic rifles for hunting food and for predatory animal control in rural settings.

+Revisit the principles of the second amendment.

+Educate our children in a community of care, cooperation and support.

 

Do not fear the shouts, threats and accusations from gun advocates that will use the power of fear to drown out these possibilities. Fear is needed as a motivator for gun possession. Do not be afraid, Mr. President, Governors, Councils and Legislators.  Do not be afraid, citizens.

 

The path to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not paved with fear.  It is constructed with the tools of education, compassion, empathy and understanding to empower each other to be good citizens and good neighbors.

 

The Rev. John D. Buttrick



 

             

              

     

Friday, January 18, 2013

A gun-free nation

A submission to the New Hampshire Concord Monitor.


Editor:                                                                                   January 17, 2013

It is time for us to face straight into the issue of being a nation of citizens possessing 300 million guns.  We’ve tinkered with regulation long enough.  Discussions about guns that focus on fear, second amendment rights, protecting schools with guns, comparing guns to automobile dangers, background checks and blaming mentally ill people only divert us from considering what kind of nation we want to be. 

Today, it seems, we seek to arm good people to out gun bad people.  Our children learn that guns are the way to solve relationships with anyone we fear: the bad people.  No wonder our young people sometimes turn to guns to solve their problems. 

Congress, Mr. President, Governors, Councils, Legislators, citizens consider the option of a gun free society.  Don’t let fearful people with guns silence discussion.  Guns do not demonstrate strength.  They hide weakness.

Consider:

            +Protect our homes with a network of good neighbor communications.

            +Fear an oppressive government? Learn to participate in our democratic society.  (No amount of home firepower can protect us today from a rogue government army in possession of assault weapons, rockets, tanks, drones and overwhelming air power).

            +Target shooters rent guns at a firing range.

            +Reevaluate hunting for sport.

+Allow basic rifles for hunting food and for predatory animal control in rural settings.

Our safety does not depend on guns to overpower one another.  Our safety depends on tools of education, compassion, empathy and understanding to empower each other to be good citizens and good neighbors.

 Rev. John D. Buttrick