I'm a Christian, but I also believe in defense. My interpretation of scripture, particularly 1 Timothy 5 and Ephesians 5:25-33, calls me to protect my wife and others. I feel it is my Christian duty to take care of others whenever I can. Because of that, I own guns - some for hunting, some for defense. I know that there exists strong disagreements with my view on this, as I have engaged in pretty vehement debate on this particular topic over the past 6 or 7 years. And that's fine. Nevertheless, when it boils down to it, I'd rather look Jesus in the face and say, "Yes, I did what I could to keep my wife safe," rather than, "No, I stood by and watched when my wife's life was in peril."
This is not to say "I'm ready for a man hunt." I'm not looking for trouble in any way and would prefer to be free of incidents as such. As Concealed Handgun course instructors will reiterate time and time again, this is only in instances of last resort. Never should this be a first response.
Anyway, I found this article and thought it was interesting:
Gun laws in the UK are among the most restrictive in the world. In March of 1996, a deranged man walked into a school in Dunblane, Scotland and killed 16 children and one teacher. In the aftermath of this tragedy, British politicians sought to reduce violent crime by enacting a ban on all handguns. Handgun owners were given a February 1998 deadline to turn in their firearms--and they did. The UK was supposed to become a much safer place--but dramatic increases in crime following the gun ban proved it didn't.
A July 3, 2009, Daily Mail article reported that "Britain's violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European Union, it has been revealed. Official crime figures show the U.K. also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa." |
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And we now see the riots and mayhem taking over Britain today. People are living in fear. That's no way to go.
Again, I understand this to be a touchy subject, and many people hold a different view than mine - fair enough. I can respect that. Sometimes, my own view is a tough pill to swallow and come to terms with. I just have to view it as preparedness and love for others.
