Nikolas Cruz: Another American Tragedy

IT IS NO SECRET THAT I AM NOT A MAN OF FAITH. I am not necessarily a true atheist in the purest sense of the word. I am simply one who does not proclaim to have the answer. But when we have an incident like the Las Vegas shooting, and the most recent school shooting in Florida, and untold numbers of multiple shootings that have occurred in the past, it always begs one lingering question for me.

HOW COULD A GOD WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOVING ALLOW HIS "CHILDREN" TO BE TAKEN IN SUCH A VIOLENT WAY?

I understand the argument that many Christians make about free will, and the forces of evil which drive madmen to construct and employ their mayhem. But I am still left with the thought that somehow, in some way, a God would intervene before innocent life is so violently left for dead.

Whenever something like this happens I am both saddened and sickened by it. It just seems so pointless to me. And it seems that there will always be a story to be retold time and time again.

Truly unfortunate in the course of these events as well is how many people, especially on the left, will immediately come out to proclaim that we need more gun control. Those of us who rely on logic to drive our thoughts and decision making know all too well that gun control is not the issue any more than the lack of it is the issue.

The simple truth is that what we need more of are responsible gun owners with concealed and open carry who can be welcomed into our everyday environments who could be armed and ready when the need arises.

You may not stop all deaths. But certainly someone with a gun can stop a madman with a gun much more quickly. The entire concept of a "gun free zone" has always been silly to me, at best. How does a rule or a sign stop a gun-toting maniac from entering a gun free zone with a gun? The travesty is that there may be responsible gun owners in the very classrooms being shot up who are hunkered under their desks while their guns are safely stowed in their cars in the parking lot.

What we also know about gun control in general is that when you put laws in place to make purchasing guns more difficult it only stops the responsible gun owner who will never shoot a soul. The criminals intent on creating mayhem will get their guns one way or the other. And let's bear in mind that the black market that gets created is also a very violent place.

Think back to the days of prohibition.

What else is truly sad here is that while so many on the left will make the discussion about the guns, what gets lost is the cause. We need to be open about what is happening in our society that causes people to do this sort of thing. Can you stop even that? Maybe not. But at least if there is a discussion on the issue, it's going to be a much more honest and productive one.

Whatever the case, all one can do is feel for the families who are dealing with, yet again, terrible tragedy and loss.