Carrying a gun for safety is a false premise. If you carry, you plan to use it. The proof? HUFFPOST – 23 May, reports that over the past weekend there were at least 12 mass shootings (4 people killed or injured not including the shooter), in eight states, a 23% uptick in deaths. Heres the list:

Minneapolis, one killed and eight wounded; Jersey City, two killed, four wounded; San Angelo, Texas, four wounded; South Carolina, one killed, 13 wounded; New Jersey, two killed, 12 wounded; Columbus, Ohio, one killed, five wounded; Patterson, New Jersey, five wounded; Norfolk, Virginia, four wounded; Fort Wayne, Indiana, one killed, three wounded; Youngstown, Ohio, three killed, three wounded; Park Forest, Illinois, four wounded; Chicago, four wounded.

What were common realities? Late night. Early morning. Bars. Drinking. Celebrations. Large crowds. Anger. Disagreements.

It seems NONE of these shootings were planned, combat-style strategized shootings. They happened. Guns were available and the choice was made to use them. The truth is, what we have, we use. America’s liberal gun laws enable these gun tragedies. States have Stand your Ground Laws, Permit to Carry Laws, Concealed Carry Laws, limited Background Check Laws and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. The governor of Texas has promised to sign a gun bill allowing people to carry handguns without a license while not requiring a background check or training. Texas already allows rifles to be carried in public without a license. States with loose gun laws have higher gun death/accident rates. Nations, specifically those in Europe, have strict and fair gun laws. The result? Considerably lower gun deaths than in the USA. Can they still hunt? Yes. Target shoot? Yes. License requirement? Yes. Sales regulated? Yes. Background checks? Yes.

But America is not Europe. In the USA, people carry because they can, believing more guns will keep us safe from each other. OVERWHELMINGLY, UNABASHEDLY, UNHESITATINGLY, UNQUALIFYINGLY NOT TRUE! Study the data at Protect Minnesota, Everytown, Giffords, Gun Violence Archive, The Trace, ENGAGE.

Carrying guns is dangerous to self and others. Use guns for hunting, target shooting, or lock them up at home. Otherwise, carrying guns becomes a temptation and a commitment to using them, MUCH MORE often for tragedy than protection. Look at the data. DON’T CARRY.

Peace!

Ron Letnes (Rev. Dr.)