Guns, religion, and patriotism go together. Some men and women are bothered by that trio being mixed together.

Like the topic of abortion, the topic of guns is going to end-up with answers many won't like. When it comes to guns, let the men have their guns. When it comes to abortions, let the women have their abortions. Then men and women could call it a draw.

As Archie Bunker would say about Meathead. "The lefties left three hundred thousand guns behind in Afghanistan, and Meathead is telling me to give up my guns!"

Each time there are murders by guns, a parade of gun laws are brought up to be passed. Yet, these laws won't stop determined killers. Laws won't stop guns by bad guys. Because of determined killers, how to tame gun usage is discouraging and unknowable.

The way to stop determined killers hasn't been developed so far. I do anticipate creative remedies to surface toward making adjustments to the gun problem.

There is no lasting fix for the gun problem. Some problems can't find a satisfactory solution; such as drug usage and abortion. Gun killings are impossible to solve and stop. We do hope the gun problem can find improvements.

When there is no solution to a social problem, such as the complex gun, drug, and abortion problems, what do we do? Americans should decide to go with the best with what the Constitution offers or go with what the majority of the population wants. If there is a third option, let me know.

It's true that conservative men are against abortion until their girlfriends and mistresses get pregnant. It's also true, when someone is againt guns, and someone saves his or her life, then guns are good for protection. So, guns and abortions depend on the circumstances. There is not a solution which covers all situations.

Unfortunately, for the United States of America, if the Second Amendment is to be kept in place, there is a price to be paid. The Second Amendment is an uncomfortable truth that is one reason America works.

Liberal folks support gun control. Yet, in recent years, liberal politicians don't support crime control.

In 2022, perhaps Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert meant it as humor. She said to a religious audience, “Well, Jesus didn’t have enough AR-15s to keep his government from killing him.”

We are often called racist when we dare to criticize radical Islamists for the actions of a few of their lunatics. But we are encouraged to criticize legal gun owners for the actions of a few lunatics.

When some people make spiritual progress, they aquire a belief that they no longer need to use weapons to protect the people of a land or themselves. All they need is spiritual protection. Each to his own belief-system, but the feeling of not being on the defense is an incorrect Bible conclusion.

The Bible says that spiritual things are foolishness to the nonbeliever. (See 1st. Corinthians 2:14) Let's not be foolish, too. If you take away all the guns from citizens, only bad guys will own guns, and the bad actors will terrify anybody.

There is a Pollyanna belief that when people become spiritual, they have to give up any fight or flight instincts in themselves. For example, the Amish, the Baha'i, the Brethern, the Jehovah Witness, and the Mennonite religions won't participate in the military in their own lands based on their spiritual beliefs. They aren't alone.

In the Skih religion, the men are commanded to carry a dagger. Sikhs are believers of protection.

In modern Israel, a wall being built for its security, and citizens walking around with weapons, is interpreted as aggressive by Israel's neighbors and by some leaders in the United Nations. The alternative would be worse: No wall, less weapons, more casualties. Look what murders took place on October 7th., 2023 when neighbors of Israel broke through Israel's wall.

An example of weapons and walls used in the Bible is the account of the Prophet Nehemiah. Nehemiah was commissioned by the King to build a wall of protection around Jerusalem. The enemies of Israel said that Jerusalem was safe without a wall. Nehemiah knew better and ordered all his carpenters and workman to have a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other hand readied for enemy attacks. The wall was built and protected Jerusalem. (The Book of Nehemiah, chapters 1 - 6)

In Jesus' day, there were no guns. There were swords. For self-defense against bad people attacking you for your unacceptable beliefs, Jesus said the following: He "said to them, 'From this hour, whoever has a money bag should take it and thus also a wallet, and whoever lacks a sword, let him sell his tunic and buy a sword for himself." (Luke 22:36, Aramaic Bible in Plain English) You may remember the disciple Peter pulling out a sword to defend Jesus from being arrested.

If we could get away from believing extremist positions of either too many guns or strict gun control, is it possible to find a common-sense middle ground on this hotbed issue? Like it or not, guns are an important topic for the protection of a people. Weapons were so important an issue that the founders of the United States wrote a Second Amendment to the Constitution to protect gun ownership.

Some gun resisters argue the Second Amendment was written during the war with England before there was a United States.

In 2008, President Obama said small town Americans in Pennsylvania and the Midwest are easily fooled. These small town folks "cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them." If we drop the word antipathy, we are left with the negative slant that there are Americans who are crazy because they hold to their guns and religion.

President Obama has an example to back up his claim. A New York State church, Grace Baptist Church, at its revival meetings gives away guns as prizes. An AR15 is one of the prizes. Guess what the grand prize is for July 2nd., 2023? One lucky person will win a flamethrower!

In contrast, I have wondered if there is a city in the United States where gun control has reduced the number of shootings? I don't think there is such a city. Criminals don't care about gun control.

Then there is this aphorism: "If guns kill people, then pencils misspell words, spoons make us fat, and cars drive drunk."

Can we make the so-called crazy Americans who believe in guns and religion into a positive instead of a negative? Yes. Other Presidents have said "Peace through strength" and "Trust but verify." These statements are closer to a positive middle ground for having "guns and religion" work together in a protective context.

When we look closely at killers, we may realize, “It’s not about gun control. It’s about shooter control.” As the joke goes, "Criminals follow gun laws like politicians follow oaths of office."

"Watch" is what Jesus advised us to do about unknown futures. Part of praying is to watch out for danger. Jesus said, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36)

The Prophet Samuel prayed for people who were confused over who should govern them. Should government be by man or by God? Samuel said, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right." (1st. Samuel 12:23)

Gun control and gun patrol can work together. We just have to have less extremist views and find some common-sense middle ground. The truck that killed people in Nice, France was the weapon used. Should we write truck control laws or outlaw trucks? No. A sick mentality drove that truck. A sick mentality is responsible for murders by guns and rifles.

A recent theory is a percentage of young men have become anti-social by default. They play video games in virtual reality too many hours a day. They have little human contact and don't believe they have a satisfying future. When they do have human contact, it is for some of them frustrating to get along or to interact comfortably with fellow humans. Some trigger happens and young men go ballistic.

[The writers of the United States Constitution had no idea that a machine gun would be invented in 1884. The Las Vegas massacre is a wakeup call that there are types of military weapons and add-ons which need regulation. Something in that Vegas killer responded to being radicalized. What was the triggering premise in him eludes police investigators. That he was a millionaire and a successful gambler has also thrown people off guard. When I was brought up, the man who lived in the house behind us was a professional gambler. He raised his family by gambling.]

Reality: The world is violent.

Insanity: All we need is gun control.

Can we decide on a compromise which exists somewhere on the reality and insanity scale? Yes. We have to get hold of a compromising idea that invokes the Constitution with its specification for a "well-regulated" use of weapons.

There is a trick, a high-trick, which could change gun abuse. The trigger mechanisms should only respond to the finger prints of the legal owners of a gun. At the very least, children couldn't use thier parent's guns in school shootings anymore.

Gun triggers that only respond to the finger print of an owner is a creative approach to gun control. The guns are called "smart guns."

American Icon, John Wayne, said, "Gun control requires concentration and a steady hand." That sounds like a hint of compromise in its double meaning.

Bill Sweet

Spindrift Research