GUNS IN THE US - TO CONTROL OR NOT TO CONTROL

The latest American mass shooting incident in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on 14 December 2012 has refocused attention on the gun laws there.  To Asians like us, it is a little shocking to realize that the Second Amendment has been interpreted to guarantee the right of all persons to own or use guns in any place and at any time. It stated: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed".  The common-sense interpretation would be that the Second Amendment merely guarantees the right of the government to maintain an armed militia to protect the nation.  So, the right to bear arms should be a communal right, not an individual right.

But the interpretation for individual rights to bear arms had resulted in 80 million Americans, in about 50% of households, owning more than 223 million guns!  This makes the the US the nation with the highest rate of gun ownership and, not surprisingly, of gun homicide in the developed world.

The History of A Mass Shooting Epidemic

The following is a list of horrific mass shootings over the years that makes the US the epicenter of a gun violence epidemic:

(1) June 29, 1984 - Ianni's Club, Dallas, TX  - killed 6, wounded 1.

(2) July 18, 1984 - McDonald's Restaurant, San Ysidro, CA - killed 21 (plus shooter = 22), wounded 19.

(3) January 17, 1989 - Cleveland Elementary School, Stockton, CA - killed 5 (plus shooter = 6), wounded 30.

(4) September 14, 1989 - Standard Gravure Corporation, Louisville, KY - killed 8 (plus shooter = 9), wounded 12.

(5) June 18, 1990 - General Motors Acceptance Corporation Office, Jacksonville, F - killed 9 (plus shooter = 10), wounded 4.

(6) October 16, 1991 -Luby's Cafeteria, Killeen, TX - killed 23 (plus shooter = 24), wounded 20.

(7) July 1, 1993 - 101 California Street Office of Pettit & Martin Law Firm, San Francisco, CA - killed 8 (plus shooter = 9), wounded 6.

(8) December 7, 1993 - Long Island Railroad, Long Island, NY - killed 6, wounded 19.

(9) June 20, 1994 - Fairchild Air Force Base, WA - killed 5 (plus shooter = 6), wounded 23. 

(10) December 18, 1997 - Caltrans Maintenance Yard, Orange, CA - killed 4 (plus shooter = 5), wounded 2.

(11) March 6, 1998 - Connecticut State Lottery Headquarters, Newington, CT -killed 4 (plus shooter = 5), wounded 0. 

(12) March 24, 1998 - Westside Middle School Jonesboro, AR - killed 5, wounded 10.

(13) May 20-21, 1998 - Thurston High School, Springfield, OR - killed 4, wounded 25.

 (14) April 20, 1999 - Columbine High School, Littleton, CO - killed 13 (plus shooters = 15),
wounded 23.

(15)September 15, 1999 - Wedgwood Baptist Church, Fort Worth, TX - killed 7 (plus shooter = 8),
wounded 7.

(16) November 2, 1999 - Xerox Office Building, Honolulu, HI - killed 7, wounded 0.

(17) December 26 - Edgewater Technology Office, 2000 Wakefield, MA -killed 7, wounded 0.

(18) November 21, 2004 - Hunting Camp, Meteor, WI - killed 6, wounded 3.

(19) April 16, 2007 - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA - killed 32 (plus shooter = 33), wounded 17.

(20) December 5, 2007 - Westroads Mall, Omaha, NE - killed 8 (plus shooter = 9), wounded 5.

(21) February 14, 2008 - Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL - killed 5 (plus shooter = 6), wounded 21.

(22) April 3, 2009 - American Civic Association, Binghamton, NY - killed 13 (plus shooter = 14), wounded 4.

(23) November 5, 2009 - Fort Hood, TX - killed 13, wounded 30.

(24) August 3, 2010 - Hartford Beer Distributor, Manchester, CT - killed 8 (plus shooter = 9), wounded 2.

(25) January 8, 2011 - US Rep Gabriel Giffords congress on Your Corner, Tucson, AZ - killed 6, wounded 13.

(26) July 7, 2011 - Grand Rapids, MI - killed 7 (plus shooter = 8), wounded 2.
 

(27) September 6, 2011 - Carson City IHOP, Carson City, NV - killed 4 (plus shooter = 5), wounded 7.

(28) July 20, 2012 - The Dark Knight Rises: Movie Theater Shooting, Aurora, CO - killed 12, wounded 58.

(29) August 5, 2012 - Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, Oak Creek, WI - killed 6 (plus shooter = 7), wounded 3.

(30) December 14, 2012 - Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT - killed 27 (plus shooter = 28), wounded unknown.

The resistance to Gun Control

Some Americans resist gun control for the following reasons: 

1. Individual resistance to Govt tyranny is aided by the possession of guns.
2. The right to bear arms is a civil right guaranteed by the Second Amendment.
3. Gun possession by law-abiding citizens helps in self-defence against criminals.
4. Gun possession by law-abiding citizens deters attacks from criminals.
5. Guns are needed for recreational purposes. 

My Four Pertinent Questions to Advocates of Gun Possession:

1. Is there an epidemic of mass shootings in the US? Yes (fact)!
2. Is an American 20 times more likely to be killed by a gun than a citizen from any other developed country? Yes (fact)!
3. Should we do something to change the status quo? I think we should.
4. If so, is some kind of gun control the best way to prevent further unnecessary loss of lives in America? I'll leave that for Americans to answer.

O, HOW I TRIED TO TELL THEM!

O, how I tried to tell them,
Using logic and every theorem.
But with ears they couldn't hear, 
Immune to reason far and near.

It doesn't matter how loudly I shout,
Or strain to scream my heart out.
With hearts and minds frozen by fear,
Just stony and indifferent they appear.

So, instead I tried to whisper,
Controlling my boiling temper,
While fighting back my every tear,
For this mission I love so dear.

Can we, at least, speak from the heart?
But there's reluctance on their part.
Their shells impenetrable front and rear,
To any form of verbal arrow or spear.

So, presently, I have fallen silent,
No more the intellectual dissident. 
For it is now exceedingly clear,
That there's no desire for a higher gear!

EXAMINING THIS SPECIAL PERSON CALLED JESUS CHRIST

Most biblical and modern secular scholars as well as historians are in broad agreement that Jesus as a historical figure is not in dispute.  Although debate is still continuing, the various arguments casting doubt on the authenticity of Christ's existence, constituting the so-called Christ myth theory, from Strauss onwards have largely been discredited.

So, the main question that remains is: if Jesus was a real person in history and had allegedly claimed or been worshiped as the Son of God, how should we judge C S Lewis' trilemma?

What is the trilemma?

In brief, the trilemma can be summarized as the "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" argument. It states that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and this leaves us with only 3 possibilities:

1. Liar: Jesus knew that he was not the Son of God, but yet, he said he was.
2. Lunatic: Jesus said he was the Son of God because he was mistaken. 
3. Lord: Jesus said he was the Son of God because that was the truth.

C S Lewis' original trilemma

C S Lewis used his trilemma to appeal to people who are already believers and who accept the accuracy of the bible to convince them that since Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, it is not logical to call him merely a great moral teacher.  He stated that the believer is compelled to choose between Jesus being either a liar, a lunatic or the Son of God; and between these 3 options, he argued that since Jesus' behavior was not consistent with being a liar or a lunatic, being the Son of God is the most probable conclusion.

Josh McDowell's use of the trilemma

After believing that he had established the reliability of the Bible, McDowell used the trilemma as an additional logical proof of the Christian religion to compel Christian belief.  

Is the trilemma compelling?

For it to be compelling, it needs to satisfy the 10 conditions below.  My personal judgement on each of these conditions are indicated as
      +  =  probable
      -   =  improbable
      ?   =  needs more evidence
     ??  =  we may never know

1.  Jesus, as an actual person, existed in history. + (there are good historical evidence of Jesus' existence)

2. The bible is a factually reliable document.  It must accurately record the existence of a real person called Jesus Christ, his behavior, his words and his miracles. - (few people believe in the literal truth of the bible any more)

3. Jesus must be found to have unequivocally claimed to be the Son of God. - (there are doubts that Jesus directly claimed that he is the Son of God)

4. Only an insane person can have the false belief that he himself is God. - (a person suffering from schizophrenia may have delusions, but a deluded person may not be insane)

5. Jesus was not insane. ? (psychiatric illnesses can be subtle)

6. A great moral teacher would not lie. - (a lack of personal truthfulness does not preclude the ability to conduct moral instruction)

7. Jesus was, in fact, a great moral teacher. + (no historical evidence pointing to the contrary)

8. Given the circumstances, the Liar, Lunatic and Lord possibilities are the only ones. - (these are obviously false choices as there are unlimited possibilities)

9. The trilemma is not self-contradicted or in itself not a circular argument. - (the trilemma presented 3 false choices precisely because it wanted us to reject the highly unlikely 'Liar' and 'Lunatic" possibilities)

10. Jesus' existence, character, actual words and actions are not a mystery. ?? (we may never know the true character of Jesus)

Conclusion

The trilemma does not stand.