“Violence … is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
(“Where Do We Go From Here?” 1967)
The easy availability of guns in the United States is difficult to overstate. There are more guns in private ownership in the US than there are citizens. Over the last year, the US has suffered a rash of politically motivated shootings across the ideological spectrum. President Trump, a Texas ICE officer, and Minnesota lawmaker John Hoffman and his wife survived murder attempts. Charlie Kirk, police officer David Rose, and Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband did not.
H.R. 38 is a bill that would effectively gut limits on carrying concealed firearms by mandating that each state honor the concealed carry laws of other states. H.R. 38 would force all states to honor lax laws for citizens from other states. So, for example, anyone traveling from an open carry state to one that prohibits public carry would maintain the right to carry firearms publicly. 29 states allow permitless concealed carrying of firearms. What’s more, the law allows gun owners to sue law enforcement officers who enforce state laws that deny the right to open carry. The bill is ready for a vote on the House floor as soon as the shutdown concludes.
Loosening restrictions on the ability to publicly carry firearms will threaten the safety of American citizens. Guns do not make us safer. If they did, we would be the safest country in the world. Instead, we suffer from uniquely horrific rates of firearm-related crime and violence. Making concealed carry easier and more universally available will only lead to more Americans dying in their schools, churches, and communities. Multiple studies reveal a correlation between states with looser gun restrictions and higher rates of gun violence.
What can we do in the face of this relentless cycle of violence begetting violence? Alongside our thoughts and prayers, we must raise our voices and advocate for our lawmakers to stem the wide availability of guns throughout American society.
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12.17-18
Call your representative and urge them to vote “No” on H.R. 38. Not only will this prevent needless firearm deaths, but can enable our children, churches, and communities to live free from the threat of gun violence.
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