HOW LONG, O LORD?

Psalm 13 is a Psalm of Lament. “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?….How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?” A Psalm for gun violence prevention (GVP).

John Donohue, a law professor from Stanford University, released a study indicating that right to carry concealed hand gun laws increase violent crime. States that have adopted RTC laws have experienced a 13-15% increase in violent crime. In another study, Donohue cites a 2013 report from the National Crime Victimization Survey that showed in 99.2% of the violent attacks in the USA, no gun was ever used defensively. (news.stanford.edu)

Police shootings accounted for 963 deaths in 2016 according to the WASHINGTON POST. Furthermore, since 2005, only 54 police officers have been charged with most being acquitted or resolved. In an overwhelming majority of the cases where an officer was charged, the person killed was unarmed. Significantly, 37% of the people killed by police were Black despite Blacks comprising only 13% of the population, according to the WP.

I have often said that hunters and sports shooters and those who want to protect their homes and property are not the problem with gun violence. These gun owners almost always go through a background check and many through a gun course. The problem is the many who do not submit to a background check and purchase guns surreptitiously through private sellers or steal them from cars or homes. This is why GVP organizations such as PROTECT MINNESOTA, MOMS DEMAND ACTION, AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS, THE BRADY CAMPAIGN, and ENGAGE: Lutherans for GVP, all support universal background checks for ALL gun purchases, licensed and private sales. LIVES WILL BE SAVED with UBC!

In response to Psalm 13, we need to say, “No more! No longer!”

Peace!

Ron Letnes