LIFE TOPICS

Let The Conversation Continue: What Are We Going To Do About Gun Control?

June 26, 2016 | Posted at 11:10 am | by Corinne (Follow User)

Photo Credit: Democrat John Lewis giving a powerful speech on US gun laws, before staging in sit-in protest in Congress. (Image courtesy of ITV News

All eyes were on Georgia Rep. John Lewis and Democrats supporting him this past week as he led a 26-hour sit-in at the Capital.
 

Waving signs with photos of gun victims and chanting “no bill, no break” Democrats took over the House floor last week in an action referred to as a “sit-in.” Their protest was against Speaker Paul Ryan for not holding a vote on a gun control bill. The bill in question would ban suspected terrorists on no-fly lists from buying guns and impose universal background checks.
 


 

This bill comes in the wake after the Orlando shooting were 49 people were murdered and 53 people injured when a gunman opened fire in Pulse, a nightclub, in Florida. After each mass shooting, reported largely by the media, gun control laws are always questioned.
 

But those aren’t the only questions that have risen out of the recent Orlando shooting.
 

Pastor Lee C. Winfrey of Unity Baptist Church in Detroit posed a question to his church, asking how can the murder of those in Orlando be justified by their lifestyle choices.
 

“If the people were massacred solely because of a lifestyle that displeases God, how do you explain the massacre in the AME Church in Charleston SC, and other places of worship?” he asked.
 

Many people joined in the discussion with Pastor Winfrey. Unity member Crystal Knox stated, “The Bible clearly states that God is against murder and terrorism, therefore one cannot justify this man’s actions.”
 

There were a series of gun laws introduced by Democrats during the end of 2015 that would regulate firearm sale and ownership. However, none of these went further than referrals to committees within Congress. One of these laws, introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) would prevent the sale of firearms to persons suspected of terrorism.
 

Four gun control measures, two favored by Democrats and two favored by Republicans were defeated in the Senate. During the protest, cameras controlled by the House majority were turned off, but Democrats used periscope and social media to document the sit-in.
 


 


 


 

U.S. citizens should understand the types of firearms available to them as well as the procedure to buy and sale them, regardless of what Congress does next in this situation. Congress taking action would mean, we as a society, do not “accept our level of gun violence as the new normal,” in the words of President Barack Obama.
 


 


 

Mass shootings occur because of the decisions made by each individual involved; they make a conscious decision to injure or kill a human being. I realize that creating some simplistic justification won’t fit each incident, but something has to be done to stop the number of incidents that are occurring in a greater sense.
 

But many of us are divided on whether or not to enact a ban. According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 50 percent of voters said that they’re concerned that the government will go too far in restricting the rights of citizens to own guns, while 47 percent said they were more concerned that authorities would not do enough to regulate access to firearms.
 

Additionally, there are many voters who have dividing opinions on whether the ban would actually even work. According to the poll, 45 percent of voters said they believe an assault weapons ban would be “worth it because it is one more step that could be done to try to reduce the number of casualties and save lives,” while 49 percent said this kind of policy is “NOT worth it because it will not stop the attackers from getting the weapons they need.” Everyone has their right to their own opinion.
 

But I do believe that we have to continue this conversation on what we are going to do about gun control to analyze all aspects of how it can work, as well as the implications that may come from enacting or not enacting a ban. Something must be done to stop the lives being taken and impacted by so many cruel acts. Something must be done.
 

How can we, as a society, tell Congress we don’t accept the effects of a person’s decision as “the new normal”? These countless number of shootings cannot be the new normal.
 
 
 

Editor’s Note: Corinne Lyons is a member of Unity Baptist Church in Detroit and holds a Concealed Pistol License (CPL).