Gun Control. Resolved.

Gun Control. Resolved.

I need not tell you of all the gun violence that has gripped our nation recently. School shootings here. Public shootings there. Shootings are happening everywhere. I find it hard to believe that children have to worry about getting killed in school, when all they’re trying to do is go to class and graduate. When I was coming up, school shootings were virtually unheard of; guns were rarely if ever in the hands of students.

Things Changed

The only threat of gun violence I encountered in school was after a high school basketball game. Our school team had a fight with the other team. Our school had a fight with the other school’s audience. The so called “beef” ensued, which consummated in a bunch of silly, stupid teenagers planning a big fight on our school campus with the other school, days later. No violence. No shooting. No injuries or deaths. Jets Vs. the Sharks!? Classic.

The most that occurred was one of my friends getting his hands on a gun, a bunch of my other friends and I getting together, and us walking up to the school like we were billy-bad **sses. I repeat, not one shot was fired. Luckily, because we may have inadvertently shot ourselves. It was all hype—stupid little kids who thought it was cool to act tough, but really didn’t have the kahunas to shoot.

Now, things are different. Kids are shooting! The weapons they’re using are military caliber, even one-upping law enforcement’s artillery, at times. So here’s the quandary we, as U.S. citizens are in: You’re not safe inside; you’re not safe outside. Mass killings have consistently occurred both indoors and outdoors on U.S. soil. Children are killing children and adults in schools. Adults are killing other adults and children at music festivals and other public gatherings. Both children and adults are killing each other at all points in between, or not mentioned. Every place is fair game for a killer!

The seed of evil in our nation is being fertilized with the blood of fellow Americans! And that seed is growing, producing more dangerous, violent, ambitious, and inspired killers than ever before! That seed, my fellow American needs to be destroyed…once and for all. Safer are we with the threat of war and nuclear attacks from other nations than we are with the threat of a killer on our own home turf—whoever they may be!

No More of the Same

I write to you not to join in with the common conversations of our day:

• “NRA this…”
• “We need tougher laws that…”
• “Security here, or more security there…”

Those are all band-aid solutions to problems that start at the core, the very root, of who we are, how we think, and how we live as a people.

Sure, those superficial questions and solutions can be addressed and/or implemented in very practical ways once the fundamental issues are resolved. But to talk about the gun problem we have, without getting to the heart of the matter, is a nonsensical vicious circle at best. At worse, it’s a prelude to a new episode of violence. Killers love attention. And quite frankly, we’re doing a great job of giving it to them, without really resolving the issue: media attention, Congressional debates, and public praise. Yes, praise—the carnage that remains after violent outbursts from the perpetrator is what make them think in their demented minds, “Job well done!” There will undoubtedly be more outbreaks of violence, and who’s to say it won’t affect your household? We need a real solution for gun control, America. And it has to be thorough and comprehensive.

So here’s what I suggest…

A National Gun Run

That’s right. We need a National Gun Run, or gun drive. Now, just wait. Before you go off challenging this proposition, or supporting it, and running someplace to turn your guns in, let me clarify some things.

• I’m not saying all guns should be done away with. They have their purpose.
• I’m not bashing the NRA. They have their purpose as well.
• I am saying, guns, for the most part, should only be in the hands of the military and law enforcement.
• I feel that our war is really a spiritual war. Guns really have no place in it, but in the hands of military or law enforcement. They protect and serve citizens so we don’t have to do it ourselves.
• Christians, if anybody, should recognize that their battle has very little to do with guns. What can a gun do against the devil, I mean, really?
• Some recreational use, such as hunting, should be permitted, with thorough background checks, of not just the gun owner, but of their household.
• Certain situations merit gun ownership, for instance, people that support themselves and meet their basic necessities by hunting. The vast majority of people in America don’t need to hunt for food. We have grocery stores.
• People that live in violent communities with very high crime rates should be given a concession, especially if they pose no threat to society based on their background check.
• Victims of violent crime who may have survived an assault of some sort, should also be given a concession, provided their background check comes up clean.

What the National Gun Run Looks Like

Mission: To reduce gun violence in the U.S.

Objectives:

• To increase our reliability on God for protection, and not guns.
• To minimize the level of private citizen gun ownership in America.
• To place more guns into the hands of law enforcement and military personnel to fight crime, defend our country, and protect citizens.
• To once and for all deal with the underlying causes of gun violence, namely issues of a spiritual nature.
• To foster an environment of peace, solidarity, and progress, where citizens are working together to improve the country in real, meaningful, and sustainable ways.

The National Gun Run would look like this:

• The REVIVE! Movement would support it on some level, either as a strategic partner, sponsor, or organizer.
• Christian leaders and everyday believers work to change the minds and hearts of people by leading them to a closer relationship with God.
• Citizens come to realize that turning in their guns is as much a public service as it is a burden.
• The government buys guns from citizens at 50% or more of the market value.
• The 50% donated by citizens who own guns goes to our country as a contribution to an important cause.
• The 50% gained by the gun owners can be used to contribute to societal growth and improvements in some other way. That’s if they are led to donate to community development. Otherwise, I’m sure they can find more useful ways to spend it than to have it stored away in the value of a gun they own.
• Citizens can use the proceeds from their gun sale to give to churches or local charities, for a deduction.
• The government administers the guns to law enforcement and military. Refurbishing and/or quality improvements are made, where necessary before use by officers or military personnel. They now have more firepower to protect citizens.
• Guns that are unable to be used for any reason can be scrapped.

Outcomes

• Less guns on the streets and in the hands of violent people
• More guns are in the hands of law enforcement and military personnel, who need them
• Our country is once again walking closer to God, and reducing the spiritual problems that cause us to be prone to gun violence in the first place: sin, separation from God, unrighteousness, disobedience, etc.
• People begin working together to build up our country
• This initiative inspires more just like it
• Americans once again feel safe in their own backyard

Conclusion

This is not an end all, be all solution to gun control. I don’t have all the answers, nor have I shared all the answers that I do have on this article. I hope to at least begin a deeper discussion about how to finally break the back of gun violence in our nation.

Australia recently had a gun buyback program similar to the one I discuss here. I believe it was very successful. But this National Gun Run is much more in depth than a simple “gun buyback program”. We must, I repeat, we must deal with the root of all our gun problems. It is spiritual. So, we have to turn back to God, first and foremost. That’s the only way our country will have a sense of normalcy, as in pre the mass shootings era. Once our rededication to God takes place, we will see many hidden truths:

1. We really do fight a spiritual war, where guns don’t matter.
2. God really is our only protection in life.
3. The practical plans we have for gun control actually work this time around…
4. …the spiritual aspect of the gun violence issue just had to be dealt with first!

David Newby is a Global Developer, Spiritual Leader, Life Development Strategist, and founder of the REVIVE! movement, among other things. Through REVIVE!, David hopes to help usher in a spiritual awakening and revival worldwide. He is also the author of a groundbreaking book called, State of the Kingdom Address, which helps build up the Body of Christ and spread the gospel. David looks forward to working with, empowering, and/or training Kingdom-minded people who are dedicated to doing the will of God and advancing His Kingdom on earth. David's book is now available online, and has been getting some rave reviews from people all around the world!

See it on Amazon >>> https://lnkd.in/d6e6rK2