D Banning the .223 and large magazines 1.3

The For The Children Pact of 2024 was probably political suicide, Wonk thought to himself. The idea of a one issue campaign by the minority Social Justice party was bold, but so was General Custer. The country had so many problems, why focus on one of them? Nonetheless, over 23,000 children in the United States had been killed by guns in the past 10 years.

Somebody had told Wonk while he was younger and more impressionable, that dogs don't wag their tails because they are happy. They wag their tails because they are equivocating between two positions. Wonk had a mental image of wagging his own equivocating tail. He would seek the counsel of others. Guy, what do you think?

Good is the enemy of best, replied Guy. Certainly, .223s kill, a bullet wound from that round is often fatal, it is clearly a weapon, a bullet with one primary purpose and that large magazines enable mass killing goes without saying. But, a lot of those fatalities also come from Saturday night specials. In most of the cases, the person just should not have had a gun. It is not clear to me that banning .223 and large magazines will keep guns out of the hands of criminals. You asked me what I think, that is what I think. What do you think, what do you plan to do?

Wonk answered slowly, he didn't want to pick a fight with his best friend. I have already directed the Physical Security Experts, (PSEs) that work for me to purge all AR-15s and similar from our weapon stores. I will pay for their investment. We are going to limit to 5 round magazines. Seattle does not need to be the site where WWIII begins.

But, to answer your question, that only affects maybe 200 weapons and none of them in the hand of criminals as you say, so it is a bit of an empty gesture. I think I will drop in on Reverend Slocom and get his take. It wasn't raining, so Wonk took his bicycle to the House of Prayer. He wandered up to the room where Chase tended to encamp.

As usual, the Reverend was kneeling in prayer, there was certainly enough to pray about these days. When Slocom looked up, Wonk began to explain what was bothering him. He hadn't diagrammed everything in his composition books, so ideas and concerns came out in spits and spurts.

The old African American preacher, worn by countless struggles watched his face intently, listening to every word.

So I guess what I am asking, Wonk tried to sum up, is from a biblical perspective does the second amendment trump the sanctity of life?

Chase's hand shook a bit as he reached for his well worn bible. Do you actually need to ask that question, Wonk, he said gently?

I think, I'd better, said Wonk, this is a pretty big deal, for so many people, this is *the* issue.

OK, said Slocom. the second ammendment comes after the bible, so of course it is not in the bible. However, we can explore the concept of the right to bear arms. And scriptural support for that is fairly thin. A number of people use Luke 22:36:

     He, [Jesus], said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t           have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

So that means, asked Wonk?

You are the one who will one day give an accounting before God, what do you think it means, asked Chase?

Money is going to be necessary and a sword is more important than a cloak, asked Wonk?

Good enough for now, said Slocom, maybe we should read a bit further.

     37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[b]; and I tell you that this must be       fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” 38 The disciples said,           “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.

Woah, this is a bit complicated said Wonk.

For now, said Slocom, concentrate on the swords, how many?

Two, answered Wonk.

How many cloaks do you think the disciples had, asked Slocom?

At least one apiece, replied Wonk.

I would say that using Luke 22 to assert that the word of the Lord is to buy a closet full of guns and ammunition is misguided at best answered the wizened old man of God. But let's keep going, if you had to guess, what would you expect the general guidance of the bible on killing people might be?

Thou shalt not kill?

Ten suggestions, Exodus 20:13 Slocom said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Now, to be sure, the bible notes that proper authority must sometimes take life to preserve justice, Genesis 9:6 And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. But nothing in the bible can be realistically construed as permitting or authorizing taking a big bag of guns and clips into a school, or crowded location and killing people randomly.

I understand that sir, said Wonk. But that is the decision of a very warped person, do I actually have a responsibility in this regard? I don't make guns, I am getting rid of the .223s in my arsenal voluntarily, is that enough?

I am fairly certain that is not for me to tell you said Chase. But, let me share a verse with you in a couple translations that I have always found interesting. Proverbs 24:11
NKJV: Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
NIV: Save those who are being taken away to death. Keep them from being killed.
NLT: Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.

So you are saying I have some responsibility to help save lives, asked Wonk?

Slocom, a man who had walked with God his entire life and was on his pilgrimage home, said, Wonk, I am not telling you anything. The question that matters right now is does the bible tell you anything? So, Wonk, what are you thinking?

I'm thinking about children, sorry to go off on a tangent and I am not avoiding the answer that is demanded, but the only reason for this political campaign is that they heard the voices of the children. Kids shouldn't have to fight, to worry that they will be gunned down in school.

Colossians 3:21, Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. I fear, Chase said, that we are raising a generation that will be far more cynical and discouraged than we can imagine. But I certainly do not know. I do think God has given you plenty to think about.