Monday, April 16, 2007

Sad Day In Virginia


My heart goes out to the victims of the shooting today at Virgina Tech and their families.

It is unfortunate that this incident will become another rallying cry for gun control. It is, in fact, all the more reason why law abiding citizens should be allowed to carry guns (allowed, not forced). Anti-gun laws and attitudes have created a vast, powerless victim class. Laws do not govern the lawless, criminals laugh at your laws and thank you for making their job safe and easy.

The government cannot and will not protect you from criminals. They will show up after you have been shot, fill out the proper forms, and notify the next of kin. This is not a knock on law enforcement, it's just reality. They are human and can't be everywhere at once.

Strength is not the enemy, lack of character is. Allow those who are willing and able to carry a gun and chances are an incident like happened today would be put to an end before so many were murdered.

My ideal society is a gentle society. Gentle, not weak and ineffectual. I recently read of gentleness in a book (The Westminster Pulpit) by G. Campbell Morgan.

It is not often we learn things from a definition, but George Matheson defined gentleness for me, and now I know what it is. He said, "Gentleness is strength held in check." I cannot quote his actual words here, but only his thought. One speaks of the gentleness of the brook. There is no gentleness in the brook. It rushes and presses, laughs and roars, and does all it can by it's puny strength. There is no gentleness there. But if you will stand by the mighty ocean when there is such a tide as "moving seems asleep," and the great waters kiss the shore, and your little one paddles upon it's edge, and is kissed by the crest of the wave, that is gentleness. With one great uprising the sea might engulf the child, but it's strength is held in check.


That is what America should be. Gentle, but quite willing and able to put evil in it's place.

No comments: