vitalwholeness

It’s a fearsome thing to be stalked by an armed man with homicidal intent. It surely is. Which is why I’m sending up my thoughts and prayers for the Kavanaugh family. An armed man was recently apprehended as he stalked their residence.

The response by the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, was swift. He took to the Senate floor calling for laws that prevent and punish such malevolence. Special protections for Supreme Court Justices.

As serious as this issue is, this response seems rather rash. Because in the end this doesn’t have anything to do with guns. This is all a symptom of a deeper problem. This doesn’t have anything to do with the ease with which guns fall into the hands of those who would do devious things. It certainly doesn’t have to do with domestic terrorism or the plague of gun violence in our society. There are other steps we can and should take, just as so many politicians and their allies suggest following every slaughter of school children, people shopping in a mall, worshipping in a church, synagogue or mosque, attending a concert, or a nightclub. Before we overreact, we should implement some commonsense measures.

First of all, this is a mental health issue. Balanced people don’t go around assassinating political figures because they happen to disagree with them. Were there warning signs? Did this man have a history of mental illness? How about the availability of mental health services in his community? Let’s get to the root of this thing.

Second, this is a question of evil. There is evil in the world and there always has been and will be. It’s part of the human condition. And evil always finds a way. Evil doesn’t need a gun to be evil. It’s a matter of the darkened human heart. What we need is a religious revival to put hearts right.

Third, there are practical measures the Kavanaughs can take, just like other people can take. Obviously, a good person with a gun can neutralize a bad person with a gun. Are the Kavanaughs well armed? Does their family engage in regular shooter drills? Have they designated a safe room? Have they purchased some bullet proof vests for the family? Have they sealed off all doors in the house so that there is only one secure entrance? As regards children, do they have bullet proof backpacks to use as shields? Remember: Hide, Run, Resist, Play Dead.

Fourth, in the same way that arming teachers in schools is one of our front-line defenses, have the Kavanaughs armed their yard man, the pool guy, the cleaning service people, the butler? These people, with just a little training, can get out in front and stand between the Kavanaughs and a shooter wielding an assault weapon with a high capacity magazine. Never underestimate a well-trained maid with a pump shotgun. At the very least they can serve as distractions until the SWAT team arrives.

Fifth, legislation coming down the pike may insure that no one under 21 will be able to purchase the kind of weapons that could do the Kavanaughs in. To be sure, if the hypothetical assailant is 22 then they can. In fact anyone over 21 can purchase all the weapons they like to assault the Kavanaughs. But at least no one under 21 will. Unless they sneak their parents’ guns out. That thought alone should be a great consolation.

So, Mitch McConnell, before we rush to judgement and overreact, I would counsel you to be more circumspect: Guns won’t kill the Kavanaughs, people will. If a person was so motivated, they could accomplish the dastardly deed with a pocket knife. Or a boomerang. Or an old broken DVD player.

There are so many other ways you can give the appearance of doing something without really doing anything. That way we won’t engage in one more government overreach that may really do more harm than good by limiting people’s freedom. And you know how much we treasure our freedom. Think about the freedom of all those who want to obtain firearms without real background checks, no waiting periods, red flags for felons, or screens for people with a history of violence. Think of how you may inadvertently infringe upon the freedom of those on the FBI’s terrorist watch list. It’s a slippery slope for freedom if you start limiting access to guns in any way. I know that in the short term that may be bad news for the Kavanaughs and anyone else in their shoes, but that’s the price of freedom.

So take it slow, Mitch. What’s the rush? This is just an isolated incident. Isn’t it?