Christians in West Virginia are celebrating the death of Christ on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The anniversary of Jesus’ death is referred to as “Good Friday.” What paradox! Jesus suffered a violent death: what is good in that? Mob psychology and weak politicians decided Jesus should die! Only with Jesus’ resurrection could Christians see anything good. Violence and death did not have the final word.

This year, I wonder why West Virginians are so intent on promoting less restriction on guns. Why would we threaten a dedicated intelligent Senator like Herb Snyder always intent on respecting the lives of all West Virginians? Is it because he is not jumping into this gun craze frenzy? If I asked any citizen if they thought the death of 20 small children and six educators in Newtown, Conn. was something “good,” they would become indignant. If I asked any citizen whether his or her freedom to carry assault weapons with high capacity clips was needed for hunting, they’d think I was crazy. Yet, a few groups of citizens and some politicians, are clamoring to carry concealed weapons anywhere, for guns of all types on our streets and in public buildings, and promoting notorious “standing your ground laws” here in WV.

They equate such gun obsessions with God given rights. What paradox! Since Newtown, Dec. 14, 2012, over 3,000 people have been killed in gun violence. Is Christ the promoter of violence and murder? What’s happening is our Laws of the Land and Christian beliefs are becoming subjugated to an exaggeration of personal freedom! The real paradox is how so people willingly suppress their feelings of horror at blatant violence and become supporters of future slaughter through their silence or cquiescence.

If we restricted citizen use of assault weapons and large magazine clips, could we turn the tragedies of murder into something good? If we no longer allow 154 shots to be fired at innocents in less than 5 minutes, would more killings end? Would such restrictions really hinder your choice to hunt, or to protect your property? Background checks alone will not stop mass murder, but with a ban on assault weapon and large capacity magazines, we may say that the deaths of our children and other fellow Americans may have led us to doing something “good,” and in West Virginia, not allow death and violence to have the final word.

Virginia Lynch Graf

Charles Town