Gun Control

“Hey, Ella, wait up!” Carla said, running down the sidewalk to catch up to her friend.

Ella walked hunched over and seemed a bit melancholy.

“Ella, is there something the matter?” Carla asked.

“No, I mean, yes, I mean, it’s just all these shooting that keep happening. I really wish the government would do something about it! We need more gun control. These shootings would be stopped if the guns were taken away.”

“I disagree with you,” Carla said.

“You do?” Ella looked up.

“Yes. You see, taking guns away won’t help the issue. If someone wants to go shoot people they will find a gun somewhere and go do it. If they can’t find a gun they’ll go grab a knife and just stab someone. Should knifes be outlawed then too? Forks, metal, pipes?! You take one thing away and It won’t matter because there will always be something else they can use. Because the things aren’t the problem; it’s the anger and sin in the person using it.

“Hmm,” Ella nodded slowly.

“Here’s an example,” Carla continued, noticing that Ella didn’t seem to mind the conversation, “what if you and I were going to the library? Outside of the library is a sign that says no firearms are allowed inside, so we leave our guns in the car and go into the library to study on the computers. A few minutes later a shooter drives up; he has been planning for a month to come shoot up the library.

“He takes his gun out of the car and hides it under his shirt. As he walks up to the library doors he notices the sign. Do you think he will think, ‘oops! I’m not supposed to bring my gun in. I guess I’ll have to find another place that allows firearms and shoot there instead.’? Of course not! That would be absurd! He’ll just sneer at the sign and walk right in. As he goes in he shoots at a group of people he sees talking. The shooter turns quickly and sees you and me at the computers, aims his gun and fires at you.”

Ella shivered. “Creepy,” she muttered.

“Now this is the point I’m trying to make,” said Carla, “if I had had a gun, before that man had done much harm I could have shot at him and saved your life and many others, but I didn’t have my gun because I, being a law abiding citizen, left it in the car. So did that sign really help anyone? It didn’t prevent the shooter from bringing his gun in and killing people, but it did prevent me from saving those peoples life.

“But what about the police?” Ella asked. “They have guns. They can protect us.”

“Whenever I think of the police having guns only I immediately think of Nazi Germany. Gun control is just violence and theft. The guns are rightfully ours and anyone who tries to take them away is a thief. Which also calls for more violence, because what do you think they will do to take our guns away if we don’t give them up? They will use their guns to take ours by force. That’s not protection (as they all claim) it is tyranny!  Do you see now why gun control is so bad, Ella?”

“Yes. Wow! You’ve given me a lot to think about Carla. Thanks.”

“No problem, Ella. I’m happy to have helped you out.”

The two girls parted, waving goodbye as they went to their separate homes.

Thankyou Father, Carla silently prayed as she stopped at her front door, for giving me the right words to say to Ella today.