Earlier this month, Matt Sessums, from Oxford, Mississippi, was visiting his local Walmart when he saw something that made him look twice. At the entrance to the store he saw tables staffed by three children, who looked like they might be about ten, and two adults, who were doing a fundraiser for their church, the Oasis Church of All Nations, (or, to be more precise, its Transformations Life Center, a discipleship program for people living with addiction). “All proceeds go toward the program to reach the hurting and broken of society,” claimed a post on the church’s currently hidden Facebook page.
But this wasn’t a cake stall, like we might have in my parish, or a charity sausage sizzle, like we see most Saturdays outside some of the bigger stores in my town. This was a raffle. A raffle in which the prizes were two AR-15 military style semiautomatic rifles.
Now before I go any further, let me make it quite clear that I have no issue with private ownership of firearms for legitimate purposes, such as hunting. And—apologies to any vegetarians or vegans who may be reading—I am very partial to wild goat, rabbit, and venison. But I can see no legitimate reason for private citizens owning weapons that are specifically designed to kill the maximum number of people in the shortest possible time.
The timing could not have been much more insensitive. Not even a week had passed since 58 people had lost their lives and about another 500 were wounded in Las Vegas in the deadliest… [Read more…] about American Idol
