The earth also was corrupt before God,
and the earth was filled with violence.
Genesis 6:11
Violence and displays of man's inhumanity to man is nothing new...
and the earth was filled with violence.
Genesis 6:11
Violence and displays of man's inhumanity to man is nothing new...
Since man has been on the earth, and from the time sin first entered into the human family, violence has been with us. The first recorded homicide was when two siblings, Cain and Abel, met in a field where Cain slew his brother in cold blood (Genesis 4:8).
Yet as time went on, things only got worse. As the human family multiplied, so did the crime rate. In fact, the levels of violence increased to such an extent that God was grieved in His heart. So much so, that He said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth." From this came the biblical story of Noah's ark and the great flood (Genesis 6:7).
Fast-forward to the present, and many of America's largest cities are experiencing high levels of violence, especially gun violence. I know that in New York City, for instance, the news media reports daily stories about violent crime, much of it being committed by young adults and adolescents using handguns. Their victims will often include innocent bystanders who get mowed down by stray bullets.
Back in 2012, however, I gave a rare interview to a reporter from the New York Daily News by the name of Tanyanika Samuels. She was doing a story on the 35th anniversary of my arrest. I rarely give interviews, and I was very hesitant to grant this one. But I prayed for what God's will would be. He said, "Do it." So I did. I stepped out in faith, and with a degree of normal human fear, trusting in the Lord for a good outcome.
Interestingly, around the time of the interview, New York City was experiencing a wave of gun violence. It had become a big topic, and so Ms. Samuels pressed me about it. Thus, a large portion of the Daily News' article focused on what was then the current wave of gun related crimes, and my thoughts about it.
For many years prior to the interview I had been trying to dissuade young persons from turning to crime. I was writing messages with regards to this topic for various church youth groups, as well as for those in juvenile detention. So, the questions Ms. Samuels asked were not new to me. The topic of gun violence was something I'd been focusing on for a while.
My initial response was that society needs to take the glory out of guns. Youth are very impressionable. They will seek out adult role models even though they're not conscious of it. Adolescents do this naturally. Thus, an adult with a gun, in today's culture, is seen as a means to manhood. Having a firearm becomes something of a status symbol that he thinks will help to set him above his peers, as well as a means to intimidate rivals. In the hands of an immature and inexperienced individual a gun becomes an exceedingly lethal weapon.
For many impulsive, easily angered youth who will oftentimes react without weighing the consequences, one could only imagine the outcome. The unfortunate victim lying dead or seriously wounded, with the shooter now on his way to jail. Two victims. One a victim of gunshots, the other, from his own reckless actions. One young man goes to his grave, the other to a prison cell, possibly for the remainder of his life. It's a tragic waste on both ends.
The bottom line is, the glamour of owning and carrying a gun needs to stop. Young men need to realize that a gun has nothing to do with manhood. A real man seeks ways to be a help to his family and community, while a foolish man seeks to wreck his neighborhood, brings heartache to his family, and destroys his own life in the process.
To be continued.
D. B.
New York Daily News
August 10, 2012
"Son of Sam Speaks"
Tanyanika Samuels/"Exclusive Interview"
NYDailyNews.com
Yet as time went on, things only got worse. As the human family multiplied, so did the crime rate. In fact, the levels of violence increased to such an extent that God was grieved in His heart. So much so, that He said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth." From this came the biblical story of Noah's ark and the great flood (Genesis 6:7).
Fast-forward to the present, and many of America's largest cities are experiencing high levels of violence, especially gun violence. I know that in New York City, for instance, the news media reports daily stories about violent crime, much of it being committed by young adults and adolescents using handguns. Their victims will often include innocent bystanders who get mowed down by stray bullets.
Back in 2012, however, I gave a rare interview to a reporter from the New York Daily News by the name of Tanyanika Samuels. She was doing a story on the 35th anniversary of my arrest. I rarely give interviews, and I was very hesitant to grant this one. But I prayed for what God's will would be. He said, "Do it." So I did. I stepped out in faith, and with a degree of normal human fear, trusting in the Lord for a good outcome.
Interestingly, around the time of the interview, New York City was experiencing a wave of gun violence. It had become a big topic, and so Ms. Samuels pressed me about it. Thus, a large portion of the Daily News' article focused on what was then the current wave of gun related crimes, and my thoughts about it.
For many years prior to the interview I had been trying to dissuade young persons from turning to crime. I was writing messages with regards to this topic for various church youth groups, as well as for those in juvenile detention. So, the questions Ms. Samuels asked were not new to me. The topic of gun violence was something I'd been focusing on for a while.
My initial response was that society needs to take the glory out of guns. Youth are very impressionable. They will seek out adult role models even though they're not conscious of it. Adolescents do this naturally. Thus, an adult with a gun, in today's culture, is seen as a means to manhood. Having a firearm becomes something of a status symbol that he thinks will help to set him above his peers, as well as a means to intimidate rivals. In the hands of an immature and inexperienced individual a gun becomes an exceedingly lethal weapon.
For many impulsive, easily angered youth who will oftentimes react without weighing the consequences, one could only imagine the outcome. The unfortunate victim lying dead or seriously wounded, with the shooter now on his way to jail. Two victims. One a victim of gunshots, the other, from his own reckless actions. One young man goes to his grave, the other to a prison cell, possibly for the remainder of his life. It's a tragic waste on both ends.
The bottom line is, the glamour of owning and carrying a gun needs to stop. Young men need to realize that a gun has nothing to do with manhood. A real man seeks ways to be a help to his family and community, while a foolish man seeks to wreck his neighborhood, brings heartache to his family, and destroys his own life in the process.
To be continued.
D. B.
New York Daily News
August 10, 2012
"Son of Sam Speaks"
Tanyanika Samuels/"Exclusive Interview"
NYDailyNews.com