If you’re like most Americans, there’s probably been a time in your life when you’ve been sitting in church, listening to a particularly ennui-inducing homily or enduring another warbly version of “Holy Holy Holy” and thought, “Man! I could really reach for some steel right now, squeeze off a few rounds, and let these fools know what the score is!” Well, in Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal has recently signed into law a measure that would allow you to at least feel comforted by the presence of your gun in the house of the Lord.
Listen to the Second Amendment zealots at the NRA, and you might just find yourself thinking that Americans have the inalienable right to carry firearms ANYWHERE. While I’m not wild about the Second Amendment, I do understand that it’s something many people take very seriously. Having said that, though, if people are allowed to pack firearms wherever and whenever, how long is it going to be before the phrase “friendly fire” takes its rightful place in the American lexicon.
I grew up around firearms. In northern Minnesota, taking the state-mandated firearm safety course was a rite of passage for 12-year-old boys back in the day. There was an NRA sticker on the front door of our house. I’ve trained with, used, and have familiarized myself with a wide variety of firearms. For that reason, I will never allow a weapon in my house. I’ve seen what weapons in the wrong hands can do, and I lost a friend to “friendly fire” when he was hunting with his brother and his brother mistook him for a deer.
Those who hang onto the Second Amendment as if it’s akin to breathing often have no idea as to the damage that guns can do. That’s why Gov. Jindal’s signing onto a bill allowing guns into churches in Louisiana sends exactly the wrong message (Is there a Right-wing cause the man won’t pander to?). First of all, we’re talking about a house of worship; you shouldn’t have to pray while you’re worried about an accidental discharge. Second, a significant proportion of gun injuries and deaths happen to those firing the weapon. You might think you’re protecting you and yours, but the reality is often far different. Start firing off rounds in a church, where people are generally concentrated into a small space, and the person “gifted” with the receipt of a bullet may not be the intended target.
Despite with the NRA and Second Amendment zealots might think, carrying a firearm is NOT a panacea that will magically make congregants secure. If you’ve ever fired a pistol, you know what I’m talking about. Stray rounds and ricochets can and will do unintended damage and cause unintended casualties…and I wonder how Gov. Jindal will rationalize that when it happens. And it WILL happen.
