Does it strike you as strange that
Congress gets hysterical about 5 people dying from faulty air bags
but ignores a far more serious public health crisis that can strike
so swiftly
Unlike those infected with Ebola or
exotic flu strains, this virus rarely exhibits any outward signs of
illness such as a fever that could warn us of impending danger. Yet
our nation remains at best apathetic to the ghastly spread of this
gun virus, and when concerned citizens, health or law enforcement
officials appalled by the spread of this deadly virus raise an alarm
or suggest measures to curb its spread, they are accused of fear
mongering and using tragedy to assault individual freedoms!
Ironically, this bullet borne virus,
which carries a far higher death toll than Ebola, air bag or ignition
related deaths remains largely ignored. At last count, only a
handful have died within the US of Ebola though close to 6,000 Ebola
victims have died world wide, each death indeed tragic. But this
other virus has infected every part of our nation and continues to
kill our citizens engendering, at best, spotty or complacent
responses. While state and federal legislative bodies are determined
to protect the rights of unborn children, little is done to protect
these same children from this terrible violence ridden infection once
they are born because in our capitalistic system property and
profits are deemed more important than people.
Over and over again concerned citizens
who have tried to curb the spread of this deadly virus are attacked
as unpatriotic, their efforts an attack against the American
constitution! Even when more that 32,351 deaths were reported in
2013 alone according to the Centers of Disease Control. 32,351 in
just one year! Tragically, these statistics are incomplete because
the gun lobby has succeed in getting laws passed that make it illegal
for researchers to gain the information needed to do accurate studies
on gun related deaths!
Isn't it ironic that we get so panicky
about Ebola or ignition switches or air bags or ecoli or lead paint
but the NRA is free to promote the spread of unregistered, uninsured,
unidentified guns? Why do we forbid smoking in public places and
curb tobacco sales because those are “a public health hazard” but
as soon as common sense measures connected to guns are suggested
legislators rush to pass laws that go to the opposite extreme.
Something is wrong when elected officials are more concerned about
getting re-elected and catering to the gun lobby than protecting the
welfare of their constituents! Help me understand how measures
designed by municipalities and law enforcement to enact realistic
measures designed to register lost or stolen guns go against the 2nd
amendment? And why is it all right for us to register and insure our
cars but not guns? No one took our cars away after we required
drivers licenses, insurance, and car inspections.
How many more must perish from this
deadly gun virus before we as a people say, “enough is enough!”
Joyce M Shutt is pastor emeritus of the
Fairfield Mennonite Church.
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