Shepastor: “The Long-term Consequences of Short-term Decisions…”
People ruin their lives by their own
foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.
Proverbs 19:3 NLT
“Why is the Lord allowing all of these terrible things
to happen???” Across the ages, this has been the question of humanity. Some
become despondent, some shake their fists at heaven, and some become bitter and
cynical. While all of these responses are “human,” we must take a deeper look
a how WE find ourselves in the state that we are in.
The ramifications of bad choices reach far
beyond one individual. Although it is critical for
individuals to recognize the consequences of bad choices in their own lives, we
must also come to grips with the fact that societal and national
sins are visited upon all under their umbrella. The following are some examples
of this principle:
When U.S. law makers wrote in an expiration date, a “sunset”
law (read
more here) for a ban on automatic assault weapons, it may have appeared to
be a good decision, in the short-term, but in the long term, that decision has
yielded horrific consequences. As individuals fight to maintain their “2nd
Amendment rights,” demanding unchecked access to AR-15, military style weapons,
more and more people are losing their rights to safe, healthy, peaceful
communities.
In Ohio, the state congress is reviewing a bill that
would allow any adult to carry a firearm in school buildings after only 24
hours of training. This short-term/short sighted decision will create an even
more dismal future/environment for our teachers, administrators, and children
with long-term consequences. Raise your hand if you want your schoolteachers,
administrators, custodians, cafeteria workers, counselors, etc., walking around
your elementary, middle and high schools with rifles, handguns or AR-15s…
Blaming mental health issues instead of loose
access to assault weapons for massacres…
In the short term, misguided discussions, and legislative
dialogue about blocking the mentally ill from getting guns sounds productive,
but it denies the truth and ignores reality. Consider this…
The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence
shares these facts:
· Approximately
one in five Americans have a diagnosed mental illness in a given year.
· Mental
illness is not the cause of gun violence. The United States has similar rates
of mental illness to other countries, but has a much higher rate of gun
violence
· People
with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators
of violence.
· Only
4% of the interpersonal violence is attributable to mental illness alone
· Past
violent behavior is the best predictor of future violence, regardless of a
diagnosed mental illness
We need COURAGEOUS community and national
leaders who will do what is best for all, in the long term…
Behind closed doors, many U.S. legislators will acknowledge
that assault weapons/AR-15 and the like are not appropriate for the civilian population.
Unlike weapons normally used for hunting, like rifles, or even basic handguns, military
style weapons are designed for war. The bullets not only penetrate the
flesh and organs, but military assault weapons literally explode inside of the
body and decimate internal organs. No rabbit, deer, squirrel, racoon, etc.,
would be edible or even recognizable once hit with these bullets. Whereas regular
firearms can do much damage, their rate of discharge is much slower. Rapid fire
weapons literally, “spray,” bullets across a large area, with greater velocity,
force, and magnitude.
Instead of allowing themselves to be “bought” by the
National Rifle Association (NRA), instead of fearing the loss of power, or
their seats in congress, WE NEED congressional leaders who will stand up and
say, “Enough is ENOUGH!” The real problem IS access to high-capacity assault
weapons.
Hate-filled rhetoric, prejudice, bullying, abuse,
etc., are all contributing factors to the tragedies that have unfolded,
increasingly, yearly in the U.S. Other countries have these same maladies, but
not the same percentages of mass shootings. What is the difference between them
and us? In short, ACCESS to high capacity assault weapons.
Can we put aside politics, greed, and partisan platforms
and vote for LIFE???
The power resides within our hands.
Will we make wise short-term decisions so that we will be able to enjoy
long-term health, freedom, and peace?
Will you stay at home and say that your vote does not
matter, and then complain about leaders who don’t have the nation’s best
interest at heart? Will you dig your heels in and demand the right to carry high-capacity
assault weapons?
Before you
answer, prayerfully consider the words of our text…
People ruin their lives by their own
foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.
Proverbs 19:3 NLT
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris
www.shepastorchris.org
