It's a character issue not a gun issue by Bill Wilson

The nation is in mourning and shock over the murderous rampage of a psychopath at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, SC., when the "president" wastes no time in using the tragedy to forward his Marxist agenda on gun control. In a statement from the White House, the "president" briefly expressed his condolences and then launched into a lecture about how we as a nation must disarm. He said, "Communities like this have had to endure tragedies like this too many times.  We don't have all the facts, but we do know that, once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun." 

He went on to say, "At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries.  It doesn't happen in other places with this kind of frequency.  And it is in our power to do something about it.  I say that recognizing the politics in this town foreclose a lot of those avenues right now.  But it would be wrong for us not to acknowledge it.  And at some point it's going to be important for the American people to come to grips with it, and for us to be able to shift how we think about the issue of gun violence collectively." Let me state the obvious, guns can't do a thing without someone pulling the trigger. This is a character issue, not a gun issue. 

The "president," however, is misleading Americans. The Department of Justice and FBI report that gun ownership has increased, and at the same time, violent crime has decreased. A 2011 Gallup poll analysis concludes: "At 47%, reported gun ownership is the highest it has been in nearly two decades--a finding that may be related to Americans' dampened support for gun-control laws." The FBI reports that violent crime decreased by 17% from 2007 to 2011. The Wall Street Journal reports that since the gun ban was struck down in Washington, DC, murders decreased from 186 in 2008 to 88 in 2012, "the lowest number since the law was enacted in 1976." The "president" also misspoke about other countries.

WSJ documented in December 2012 school massacres and shooting sprees in England, Scotland and Australia, concluding "Within a decade of the handgun ban and the confiscation of handguns from registered owners, crime with handguns had doubled according to British government crime reports." Gun violence is a symptom of a broader character issue. It is no more evident than in the character of leaders such as the "president" who speaks lies while using a tragedy to advance his agenda. Proverbs 6 lists things the Lord hates. Verse 17, "A proud look, a lying tongue," and verse 19, "A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren." To borrow from the "president," we have endured dishonesty like this too many times. Character counts. Evil is as evil does.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com