Blessed are the Peace Makers (A meditation on gun control)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5: 6-9

I debated publishing this. I feel so raw and hollow and angry and sad right now, I am not even sure if my message will be heard  over my emotions.

But I will try my best.

Last night, a lone gun man fired his gun out of a 32nd floor window at pedestrians and concert goers below. He fired so many shots, the smoke from his weapon set off the room’s smoke detectors, giving away his position. Police managed to find his location, but not before he made a casualty of himself.

But not before he took the lives of over 50 people and injured 400 others. And terrorized the nation. Numerous families were destroyed in a moment. Countless lives were shattered in an instant. And the people of this country are back at the discussion we have been having way too often.

We need gun control.

We need it now.

The children and teachers of Sandy Hook, the people hanging out at Pulse in Orlando, the kids at Columbine, the Charleston nine, the numerous victims of shootings at universities, the child that finds his dad's gun and brings it to school, the victims of gang warfare, and too many others in too many places are too many reasons why stricter gun control laws need to be in place, why annual psychiatric evaluations need to be enforced, why weapons made for battle should not be for sale to the citizenry, and why guns can no longer be more easy to get than health care.

A gun's sole purpose is to inflict harm and take life. There is no other rational reason that anyone else can justify for me as to the creation or the ownership of a gun. It is a device that was created to kill. We can no longer do this dance of the NRA greening the pockets of elected officials, citizens marching with no real legislation passed, prayers and heartbreak, so many funerals, and amendment rights when the rights to life have been stolen away from so many by just the pull of a trigger.

It's time to act.

It's time to avenge those who were lost or injured or have suffered due to the inaction of those we elected to represent us but all they end up doing is gorging themselves on blood stained gun money.

It's time to take to the streets as a united, educated, and empowered citizenry.

It's time to write and call and protest and vote and sit in and march and stop spending and whatever else we must to get legislation passed to protect the people of this nation from home grown, privileged terrorists like this shooter.

It's time for brothers and sisters of faith to stop fighting over denominations and divisions and to unite and call upon the God who loves us all, to represent His Son who is known as the Prince of Peace, and, empowered by The Holy Spirit, to go to those places where peace is needed and be the peace makers.

It's time y'all.

Let this be the last one.