Our community is left reeling in the wake of a mass shooting event by a lone gunman following Friday’s tragic rampage.
Richard Crum took his shotgun and two handguns and claimed the lives of six people in Tate County.
I feel confident in saying I don’t think anyone of us thought we’d see a mass shooting take place in our little corner of the world.
Here, where we’ve seen so many successes and new beginnings in the past year. Surely tragedy wouldn’t touch our devout and earnest community, but that’s the thing about horrific events, no one ever seems to see them coming.
Aside from the obvious loss of life, something else bothered me in the days following the events. President Joe Biden took the opportunity to pounce on a campaign for more strict gun control laws. He called upon Congress to act and tighten gun control measures.
Well, here’s the deal, Crum didn’t use an AR style weapon. Crum didn’t use a military style M4. Crum didn’t use an AK47 or a machine gun. He didn’t need a large capacity magazine.
Crum had a shotgun and two handguns.
I read a quote on social media once which said, “A rock in the hands of an evil man killed Abel. A rock in the hands of a good man sleighed the giant Goliath. It’s not about the rock.”
Well, this is pretty applicable to lives now pertaining to guns.
The guns are not the source of the evil in America. The evil exists within a man’s heart. When a man decides to take another person’s life, he wouldn’t need an AR style rifle. He wouldn’t even need a gun if it came down to it. He could use a rock.
As a nation, our political leaders need to stop using the call of gun control and focus on the heart of the problem. Helping those who are mentally and emotionally distressed.
A person’s heart and soul can be healed when given the right environment of help.
We have too many obstacles in the way of people being able to attain the proper mental health solutions in this country. We have veterans on the street who served their country only to come home and not have treatment for the PTSD they earned from their service.
So no. I don’t believe we have a gun problem in this country. We have a people problem.
In the coming days, weeks and months, national media will be stoking the fires of gun control legislation and narratives. We’ll see the tragic murders of our six Tate Countians plastered on the news and used as a banner call to take guns out of the hands of people. But just keep in mind, it was never about the guns. It will never be about the guns. It will always be about the hearts of the people involved. Join me in looking in the direction of seeking better mental health access for the hearts of all Americans, Mississippians and Tate Countians.
