The mass shooting last month in a Colorado movie theater resulting in 12 innocent people being killed and another 58 injured, some critically, is just another wakeup call for our country. It’s impossible to comprehend how this sort of thing could even happen in a civilized society, but it did. Sadly, in America, we have experienced this sort of thing – all too often – over the past decade with tremendous loss of life. We have had mass murders in schools, in churches, in the work place, on military bases, in shopping centers, and now in a movie theatre.

How many more mass murders will it take before our political leaders realize that changes are needed on how we control access to guns in this country? I say – no more! We must wake up and demand action. Obviously, the place to start with is with members of Congress. We should demand that action be taken by Congress to keep “assault rifles” in this country off the streets. There can be absolutely no justification for allowing the sale of assault rifles to individuals. These weapons are for use by the military and have no place on the streets in America.

The gun manufacturers and sellers are making tremendous profits from the sale of guns of all sorts, including assault rifles, and that’s a stark reality. The National Rifle Association (NRA) controls Congress on all matters related to any form of gun control and that, too, is a fact. It’s quite evident that most U.S. politicians are afraid they will face defeat at the hands of the NRA if they even debate gun control, much less do something about a real problem in the U.S. It’s past time for those politicians to start this debate, but it’s certainly not too late. While most Americans favor the right to own guns, I don’t believe even members of the NRA want the sale of assault rifles protected by the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution.

From a personal perspective, I have owned shotguns, rifles and pistols all of my life. I learned gun safety at an early age and I was trained to use a rifle properly in the military. I hunted, starting in my teenage years, and continued to do so on a regular basis until I decided to quit a few years ago. But hunting – with weapons designed for hunting – is quite different than dealing with assault rifles and automatic weapons that have no business on the streets or available for sale to individuals in our country. It makes sense for people – who want to do so – to own a handgun to keep in their home in a safe place for the protection of themselves and their family.

But it’s high time for the American people to say enough is enough and demand some reasonable changes in our gun laws in this country without doing damage to the rights conveyed by the 2nd Amendment. But the question remains – how many more mass murders will it take before Congress acts? The sad truth is that the public is shocked and saddened when mass murders occur and those feelings last for a time. But unfortunately, the time comes when the public soon forgets and therein lies the problem. We must remember that the NRA never slows down its public relations and lobbying efforts. It works its agenda on a full-time basis. As a result, the NRA has been very successful in its efforts to mold public opinion and to control Congress. Hopefully, the time has come for some serious debate on gun control and from that some reasonable and needed changes in our gun laws.

For now, all of us must pray daily and earnestly for those families who lost loved ones in Colorado, for those who were injured, for their community, and for our entire country. We all lost something that fateful day in the movie theatre – but not nearly what the families of victims who were killed by a mass murderer lost. The healing process will be long and painful for them and for many others in Colorado. May God provide the peace and comfort to all of those persons touched in any way by the tragic events in Colorado that only He can supply in times like this. People in our nation must come to their senses and say to those in authority – we have seen enough of these senseless mass murders. So now let’s do whatever it takes to stop them!

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