It happened far away. I did not know any of the victims or their attackers, nor any of their family members. My emotions were not stirred or sadden like they should have been. Since this tragedy is so frequent in our country, and is continuously reported on the news, as well as all avenues of social media, I regretfully dismiss it. As a citizen of this great country and a professing Christian, this should stir motions of empathy, compassion, love, grief, and anger.
Even as I am confessing the absence of emotions on this tragedy, I still do not have any. Why? Why can't I express any heartache over this? Have I been so calloused by the frequencies of these stories and all the hatred so regularly communicated in this country? Have my feelings been normalized by the subtle frequency of bad news. Is this my adjusting to the new normal in our country?
The companions of disagreeable discussions are: hate, profanity, slander, aggression, blame, and fighting. These are the seeds, when sprouted, producing innocent deaths. It is so easy for evil to invade the heart of one subjected to the above. Their past troubles, heartaches, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, addictions, and mental illness are prime targets for evil to move into their hearts.
What would turn me from, "This is just the new normal in our country", to a fervent desire to change it? This sentence with few words changes me. "Mr. Hepler your wife, daughters, and your grandchildren have been fatalities in a mass shooting". The new normal then would be so excruciating.
The solution lies with me and you. Every time we have a tragedy, politicians start using the same talking points and we blame them when nothing is done. They see who can get the guns banned the quickest and new gun laws get put on the books. "Take the guns away", they say. "Innocent children and people are getting murdered by guns", is shouted from every podium across the United States.
We can hear the cries of many people saying guns are the instruments of death to our children. Why do they pick on guns? Guns are a hot topic to those with a liberal view.
I am going to post this link and I want you to go there and look at the most barbaric instruments of death used on the innocent in our country and the world today. This has been a new normal for decades and also a political weapon. Please let me know what you think and share it please through any media you choose. Instruments as these and guns are not the murderers of children, it is the hearts of those who are using them.
I am going to do a follow up with a solution to our problem. Please be on the look out for it.
Please go to the link below. Send your comments to: rhepler52@gmail.com
http://abortioninstruments.com/index_instruments2.html
Thanks
Rick Hepler
