How do you understand why a person takes a gun and shoots 28 innocent human beings, with the majority of them being children and including his mother? How can you understand this type of behaviour or anyone taking this sort of action? I don't believe we can ever understand, because to understand what he has done is to go to the place where he was and I never want to be in that place, ever. The average person can never comprehend the point at which a person makes a decision to take lives, murder people and create such senseless havoc. How tragic and sad that a young man is in such a cold and hard place as this, a place where he feels that the only alternative that he has in life is to do what he did. The ripple effect of his actions are far wider reaching than we can ever imagine.
Initially for the average person there would be a sense of disbelief that this has occurred and many people would be thinking, NOT AGAIN. I know that's what I thought.
In the days following this type of tragedy there will be much anger on the part of people, at the person who has committed this crime. I believe it is a normal human emotion that is felt in times such as these. Momentarily it may make them feel better to direct their anger at someone.
How many times has this type of tragedy already occurred and how many times is it going to occur again? How long before America will do something about the gun laws in their country, preventing people such as the young man involved in this crime, having access so readily to guns. You will never stop crime completely, that is a given. Bad people who want to obtain access to guns, will do so illegally, and they will commit crimes no matter what laws are out there. For the most part however, if the average American were not allowed access to a gun, this type of tragic event would be less likely to occur. No, it is not guns that kill, it is the people that use them that kill. America speaks of their right to bear alms as part of the constitution, but what of the consequence of that right.
I am not naive enough to think that banning guns will stop all violence. You will never get rid of all violence. Bad people will still get hold of guns and use them, you will never stop it completely. What it will stop, is the average person having such easy access to guns. In Australia you have to have a good reason to have a gun. The majority of people do not NEED TO HAVE A GUN IN THEIR HOME. Evidence shows that if you have a gun for defence it will more often than not be used against you. One statistic that I read showed that:
"Guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense". During the study interval (12 months in Memphis, 18 months in Seattle, and Galveston) 626 shootings occurred in or around a residence. This total included 54 unintentional shootings, 118 attempted or completed suicides, and 438 assaults/homicides. Thirteen shootings were legally justifiable or an act of self-defense, including three that involved law enforcement officers acting in the line of duty. For every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715182)
We may feel anger right now for what has happened, anger at the man that has done this. Let us find a way to put that anger behind us. Forgiveness will be difficult for people in this situation, but I pray there is a way that we can all find forgiveness and peace. I understand that there will be those that do not want to forgive, or are not in a place right now to forgive, it is too soon and for them it will take time. Forgiveness is never about saying that what the person has done is right, but rather we forgive for our own sake, as a means of putting behind us, the terrible thing that has occurred. If we continually harbour bitterness, then we are the ones that suffer. However, I do understand how people can't forgive right now, I totally get it and if I were in their shoes right now, I may not be able to forgive either. I am probably wrong to talk of forgiveness right now ... for who can even contemplate forgiveness when such a terrible event is so fresh in everyone's mind. I pray that healing with come with time for everyone.
My prayers are with those affected by what has happened, that they will find peace, comfort and love surrounding them during this horrendous time. I pray that somehow people will wake up to what needs to be done before another terrible tragedy like this occurs. America, please look at this incident and realise that leaving guns in the hands of the average citizen is only going to create more disasters like this. Do not allow another life to be taken needlessly in this way.
I am not naive enough to think that banning guns will stop all violence. You will never get rid of all violence. Bad people will still get hold of guns and use them, you will never stop it completely. What it will stop, is the average person having such easy access to guns. In Australia you have to have a good reason to have a gun. The majority of people do not NEED TO HAVE A GUN IN THEIR HOME. Evidence shows that if you have a gun for defence it will more often than not be used against you. One statistic that I read showed that:
"Guns kept in homes are more likely to be involved in a fatal or nonfatal accidental shooting, criminal assault, or suicide attempt than to be used to injure or kill in self-defense". During the study interval (12 months in Memphis, 18 months in Seattle, and Galveston) 626 shootings occurred in or around a residence. This total included 54 unintentional shootings, 118 attempted or completed suicides, and 438 assaults/homicides. Thirteen shootings were legally justifiable or an act of self-defense, including three that involved law enforcement officers acting in the line of duty. For every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715182)
We may feel anger right now for what has happened, anger at the man that has done this. Let us find a way to put that anger behind us. Forgiveness will be difficult for people in this situation, but I pray there is a way that we can all find forgiveness and peace. I understand that there will be those that do not want to forgive, or are not in a place right now to forgive, it is too soon and for them it will take time. Forgiveness is never about saying that what the person has done is right, but rather we forgive for our own sake, as a means of putting behind us, the terrible thing that has occurred. If we continually harbour bitterness, then we are the ones that suffer. However, I do understand how people can't forgive right now, I totally get it and if I were in their shoes right now, I may not be able to forgive either. I am probably wrong to talk of forgiveness right now ... for who can even contemplate forgiveness when such a terrible event is so fresh in everyone's mind. I pray that healing with come with time for everyone.My prayers are with those affected by what has happened, that they will find peace, comfort and love surrounding them during this horrendous time. I pray that somehow people will wake up to what needs to be done before another terrible tragedy like this occurs. America, please look at this incident and realise that leaving guns in the hands of the average citizen is only going to create more disasters like this. Do not allow another life to be taken needlessly in this way.
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