An Unhealthy National Obsession

                                                An Unhealthy National Obsession

Isaiah 22:3-5; “God, I am weary of Lament,” Maren C. Tirabassi

A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer, May 16, 2021

Elephants are fascinating creatures.  They are massive in size.  They have an excellent memory.  And they grieve and mourn their dead.  Such are just some of the attributes of these marvelous creatures.  Now, you may be thinking, That’s an odd way to begin a sermon.  But as most of you know, I am a nature lover.  So when I read an article about elephants in USA TODAY on April 29th, I was shocked, deeply saddened, and downright angry.  The story related the actions of a 10-minute video that showed a husband and wife shooting – just for the fun of it – two now endangered Savannah elephants in Botswana, Africa.  The man failed to kill the elephant after three shots point blank.  As the elephant lay writhing on the ground, one of the guides asked if he wanted someone else to kill the elephant for him, and then the fatal shot was fired.  Afterward, one of the guides patted the man on the back, saying to him, “Well done; congratulations; that was one heck of an elephant hunt.”

Later in the video that the story covers, the man’s wife is shown shooting a second elephant.  After the second elephant is down, the wife cuts off the elephant’s tail and holds it up to the camera and says, “Victory.”  “That’s my elephant tail.”  A spokesperson for the Center for Biological Diversity said in response to the video, “It’s sickening to see [the] brutal, clumsy slaughter of this beautiful creature.”¹  I have to agree: killing a big, beautiful creature like an endangered Savannah elephant, just for the joy of killing, it is sick.  It seems to me that there is something wrong with a personality that enjoys killing something like that just for the joy of killing.  And, it seems to me, there is something unhealthy about a culture and nation that condones it.

 Did I tell you already that Savannah elephants are now on endangered status?  And have I failed to tell you that the man on this hunt was Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the NRA? 

In the early centuries of our nation, a firearm was necessary for survival.  A firearm was needed for protection against vicious animals, as a form of military defense, and it was needed to procure food to eat. In some places and times, if you wanted to eat and survive, you had to hunt. So, I would say that in colonial days, a household firearm was a necessity.  But America’s obsession with guns and gun violence and killing has gotten way out of control.  Gun violence in America has become a cancerous social epidemic.  Too much “innocent blood” has been shed and too much violence has been done, to draw on the words of the Hebrew prophet Isaiah.  And to echo the words of my UCC minister friend, Maren Tirabassi, we are weary of lamenting gun violence, and we have lost track of the shootings.

We hear of at least one new, if not more, mass shooting in America every week.  I heard on the world news this past Monday that there have been 191 mass shootings in our nation already this year.  A mass shooting is defined as a shooting when four or more victims are involved. 

When it comes to world gun violence and the number of mass shootings, America is high up on the list.  Gun violence in America might be compared to a runaway train loaded with dynamite.  Unless something is done, it is going to continue to get worse.  It is getting to where we are uneasy going to Walmart, the grocery store, or anywhere else.  Just last week there were shootings at a Colorado Springs kid’s birthday party and in Times Square in New York.  Before that, eight were killed in Atlanta spas and massage parlors, and10 were killed at a Boulder, Colorado grocery store.  And It is getting to where we are afraid for our children and grandchildren to go to school.  We have lost track of the school shootings: Columbine; Sandy Hook; Parkland, FL; Austin East, Knoxville; and hundreds more. 

Now, let me make one thing clear, just in case you are wondering: I am not attacking the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.  And I am not suggesting that everyone in America should turn in their firearms.  I have relatives and friends who are avid, responsible gun collectors.  But obviously there are far too many gun owners in America who are not responsible, many of whom should not be allowed to buy and own a firearm. 

 Samuel Adams, one of our nation’s founders, said, “The Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to . . . prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.”  The emphasis in that statement for me should be placed upon “peaceable citizens.”  But gun ownership in America is no longer a “peaceable affair.”  The gun-related problems in our country are many:

·         Too many citizens who are not committed to a peaceful society have access to guns.

·         There are, in my opinion, guns on the market (i.e., assault weapons) that should not be available for purchase.

·         Gun laws that should keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them are too lax; for instance, anyone who has a record of violence or domestic abuse, or has mental illness and has threatened harm to themselves or others, or who has been involved in acts of violence against the government, and so on, in my opinion, should not be allowed to buy or own a gun.

·         The right to bear arms should not include, in my opinion, the right of just anybody openly carrying a weapon in public without a permit; letting just anybody who has not had any training, a background check, or certification to responsibly use and carry in public a firearm seems to be a bad decision.

·         Too many firearms are easily accessible to children and youth, as the recent incidents of shootings by children and youth have proven.  Someone we know personally recently lost a 15-year-old child who got ahold of a gun and took their own life.

·         And there has become a glorification of gun violence and killing in American culture.

Something needs to be done.  God needs to turn around the hearts of our nation.  But what can we do to possibly make a small dent in this massive, troubling problem?

·         We can recognize and admit that our nation has a problem, a lackadaisical attitude toward guns, and lack of healthy respect for the dangers of gun ownership, and we have become a culture fixated on guns with an obsession with violence and killing.

·         If we do own a firearm, we can make sure that firearm is not accessible by our children and grandchildren.

·         We can consider voting in future elections for those who advocate for stricter and safer gun laws for the better protection of all.

·         And, we can commit ourselves to working for a less violent and more peaceful society.

Hunting and killing for food is one thing.  Killing something like an endangered Savannah elephant just for the fun of killing is quite another.  Owning a gun responsibly and peaceably is one thing.  But the ability to purchase and openly carry a gun by those who are not responsible or suited to do so is another thing.  Something needs to be done to open the eyes of America and our legislators the seriousness of our “gun culture” and the gravity of the gun violence situation that has gotten way out of hand. 

Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said.  And in the words of that wonderful song that Matthew played for us earlier, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”  May it be so.  Amen. 

¹USA TODAY, April 29, 2021.