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Photo supply: Time Magazine
‘Guns don’t kill folks. People kill folks.’ This is the worn-out phrase utilized by politicians who can’t provide options to curtail the extent of violence on this nation.
When mass faculty shootings began, the politicians have been in all probability hoping that it was only a fluke and that the issue would go away by itself. We are witnessing a management that’s unable, or unwilling, to do something about this disaster, and the steadfast refusal of many to significantly talk about the problem.
Mass shootings have grow to be widespread within the USA. We dwell in a society the place assault rifles are prolific. Of course, that is the Kali-yuga – the age of hypocrisy, greed, lies, and anger. Today, there aren’t any actual ksatriyas or leaders. No one actually needs to guard the residents, or they solely need to shield the residents who agree with them and vote for them.
First, a have a look at the spin. In talking about restrictions, one devotee talked concerning the course of she underwent to obtain a license as a therapeutic massage therapist in Texas. It required 300 hours of training, an SSI quantity, a background examine, and two million {dollars} of insurance coverage simply in case the therapist hurts somebody. But there aren’t any restrictions for an immature or disturbed 18-year-old to buy a gun in Texas.
One nefarious technique used to deflect consideration from the issue is to level to gun violence in interior cities which takes the lives of so many youngsters. Politicians will inform us that gun legal guidelines don’t work as a result of these cities are in states the place the gun legal guidelines are probably the most strict. But they don’t inform us that criminals simply go to close by states to buy weapons.
And there’s the much-quoted, ‘The solely factor that can cease a nasty man with a gun is an efficient man with a gun.’ But there have been good man officers, lingering on the Texas faculty with their weapons for an hour earlier than anybody moved in on the shooter. Perhaps they mistakenly thought it was a hostage state of affairs.
Again, within the aftermath of the capturing, many politicians declare that it’s not the weapons or the gun legal guidelines which can be the issue however now level to psychological well being points because the “actual” downside. But we should ask if that’s the case, why are there no legal guidelines proscribing weapons from falling into the fingers of those that are mentally disturbed?
Ultimately, there is no such thing as a silver bullet (pardon the expression) to gun violence. It can solely be a multileveled answer. At colleges, it’s not solely concerning the variety of youngsters and academics useless or wounded. It’s additionally concerning the impression on the survivors at these colleges, and the numerous youngsters throughout the nation who go to highschool feeling unprotected.
Krishna Consciousness is, at its core, an academic motion meant to offer folks with the instruments they should enhance and deepen their lives. Of course, the Krishna Consciousness motion, contemplating the sacred Bhagavad Gita was spoken on a battlefield, doesn’t espouse pacifism. But contemplating the gravity of the problem, we should search our scriptures to supply an answer to the persevering with tragedy. For a Vaisnava, no matter conclusions one involves should be based mostly on scriptural reference. Below is a four-pointed answer, each lengthy and quick time period:
1) If authorities leaders have been really accountable they’d guarantee that the deadliest weapons don’t get into the fingers of the incorrect folks. This was the priority of Drona. In the traditional historical past present in Mahabharata, Drona taught the navy arts to the royal, younger males of Hastinapura. His greatest pupil was Arjuna, who he lastly taught using a most threatening weapon – the brahmastra. He didn’t train it to others, even to his son Aswattama. Aswattama angrily objected, “Why have you ever taught using this weapon to Arjuna, however to not me, your individual son?” Drona knew his son was impetuous by nature and immature to deal with the weapon.
Here is the precept and instance from shastra. One shouldn’t be allowed to own a lethal weapon if one will not be accountable for their senses and doesn’t know find out how to use it responsibly. This is simply widespread sense. The neatest thing is to limit navy weapons by establishing a two or three-level answer regarding gun licenses. It might be in comparison with getting a driver’s license. Anyone can get one, but when they need to drive semi-trucks, then that requires further coaching and a particular license. It is the accountability of leaders, politicians, judges, and directors from stopping lethal weapons from falling into the fingers of the untrained, irresponsible, immature, and mentally disturbed. Switzerland is an efficient instance of a society that has taken the lead in public security and gun possession.
2) Arjuna was an amazing warrior. There is an account in Mahabharata when he was visiting a neighboring kingdom. There, he heard the complaints of a person whose little one had died shortly after the kid was born. The man was vehement, saying there should be one thing incorrect with the leaders of the dominion for such a factor to occur. And his newborns once more died on a number of different events. Arjuna took up the person’s trigger, vowing to guard his subsequent little one. If he failed, Arjuna vowed to commit suicide by getting into the fireplace. (KRSNA Chap 34) So that is the measure of a pacesetter and a warrior – to offer safety in any respect prices and at any private expense.
3) The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna explains in Bhagavad Gita (14:4), “It needs to be understood that every one species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made doable by beginning on this materials nature and that I’m the seed-giving father.” The reverence and compassion for all life is a Vedic precept. Protection should particularly be given to ladies, youngsters, cows, the aged, and the saintly brahmanas who assist information society.
Why the cows? one might ask. The cow is taken into account a mom to all of us and is a crucial animal for our prosperity. She gives us together with her milk, manure, and urine, which all have outstanding advantages for human society. But as an alternative of defending cows and different animals, society is sustaining horrific slaughterhouses to kill them. Srila Prabhupada explains, “These vastly sinful acts are chargeable for all of the troubles in current society.” Srimad Bhagavatam 1:17:3, Purport. The slaughter of human beings can’t be curbed till we deal with this important, societal flaw: the operation of slaughterhouses.
4) To keep a peaceable and affluent society, the youth, tomorrow’s residents and leaders, require an training based mostly on the common rules of Dharma. These rules are most concisely discovered within the Bhagavad Gita, which describes itself as “the king of training.” The function of training is to assist younger folks acknowledge their God-given propensities and to grasp one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord: the everlasting witness to our actions, our information, and well-wisher residing throughout the hearts of all residing beings.
An essential facet of training is to grasp that we’re not the short-term physique, however we’re the everlasting soul, the person consciousness, residing throughout the physique. We usually are not meant to be overwhelmed by the pushings of the thoughts and senses. Neither ought to we decide others based mostly on their bodily identification. When politicians, police forces, and different directors perceive the rules of Dharma (justice, truthfulness, self-discipline, compassion) solely then can justice be equally out there to all? Without a transparent understanding of Dharma, we can not count on our authorities to be environment friendly.
In closing, our nation has grown from a land-based tradition to a extremely commercialized, high-stress tradition, a tradition the place now we have to be petrified of being lied to and cheated. In all facets of our lives, now we have grown suspicious and really feel unprotected. These qualities are all symptomatic of the Kali-yuga. With the current mass shootings, the hypocrisy of our materialistic tradition has reared its ugly head as soon as once more. Were the teenaged shooters a part of a “well-regulated militia” because the 2nd Amendment meant? Can we declare to be a civilized tradition when assault rifles can be found to the untrained or mentally unstable?
Of course, there might be no failsafe safety for anybody on this harmful world. But if we need to safe the cheap security of our kids and residents, step one is to guarantee that all youngsters are protected and that all of them obtain an training that’s each materially and spiritually stimulating. This will put together them for the challenges they have to face. To assist humankind in these instances of disaster, devotees of Krishna should current Krishna Consciousness in a approach that any clever particular person can see the need to implement the common rules of Dharma into their lives.
Sankirtana Das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, is a longtime resident of New Vrindaban Community and an award-winning creator and storyteller. His most up-to-date ebook, Hanuman’s Quest, has obtained a Storytelling World Resource Award. For extra information about his work go to www.Mahabharata-Project.com
