I am a little confused. From recent press reports, I thought we have been having a problem with people who are mentally, morally or psychologically challenged using weapons to commit terrible crimes.
However, in light of the executive branch of the U.S. government’s explanation that the ne’er-do-wells committing these crimes were not the problem; it was the guns, hence leading to the phrase “gun violence.” I must say I find myself in agreement.
My first encounter with gun violence was as a teen. My brother and I were cleaning our room. As I leaned into the closet to straighten the shoes, my brother stretched to retrieve a box from the closet shelf, and then it happened: The .22 caliber Winchester rifle tumbled from above and stroked me across my shoulder.
Not being as insightful and knowing at that age, I supposed my brother had bumped the rifle off the shelf.
Uninformed as I was, I quickly gave my brother some sharp thumps on and about his head and shoulders. Had I only known then that it was the nature of the gun to be violent and not my brother’s lack of grace that had caused my pain.
A more recent case was the day I turned 21. I was working alone in a service station on a quiet summer Sunday, and I was confronted by a gentleman of some size (think small Sasquatch) and weight, carrying a .38 caliber revolver. This man thought that the presence of the gun gave him enough authority to take the station’s money.
Considering the robber weighed about twice as much as I and stood 6 to 8 inches taller than me, he probably didn’t need the gun.
However, after he emptied the till, he marched me into a storeroom at gunpoint. Then the evil gun took mercy on me. The gun reversed its position in the massive paw of the robber. It then forced his arm high into the air and down upon the back of my head several times, leaving me dazed and bleeding on the floor.
Had that gun not reversed its position in the robber’s hand, I most likely would have been shot.
Indeed, guns are violent and cannot be relied upon to be merciful. If you have one, you must treat it with the utmost respect.
I’m sure guns take disrespect seriously, and this may be the cause of their violent behavior, but we just don’t know for sure.
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