Tolerance has its limits … as in 9mm’s worth

I believe I am a tolerant person. I am not a gun owner. I am not a hunter. I don’t even eat meat. But I live with three people who eat meat. I tolerate people who eat meat. I understand that some people like to hunt.

But I don’t like guns. I don’t understand the idea that some people feel safer because they go to sleep at night with a gun in the bedside table. That would not make me feel safe. But I try to be tolerant of people who feel safer with a licensed gun in their bedside table.

However, I must confess, I was a bit shocked when I saw a news story on CNN this week about Gabby Giffords, the former United States member of Congress from Arizona who was the victim of gun violence and her husband, Mark Kelly retired American astronaut and U.S. Navy captain. Mark Kelly was doing some target practice in the back yard as Gabby and her mother watched and cheered him on. Kelly said he was using a 9mm Glock, the kind of gun that Jared Loughner used to shoot Giffords in front of a supermarket in Arizona.

Kelly said he had given Giffords the Glock years ago as a gift. The CNN reporter asked the same question I would have asked. “Why does Mark Kelly still shoot guns” after his wife was almost killed with a gun? Why even own a gun after such a horrific event? They explained that they enjoyed target shooting as a sport, as do many Americans. They grew up in the West and it is part of the culture.

I don’t get it, but I don’t have to. As a Christian I value diversity and tolerance. If Giffords and Kelly want to own guns and use them for sport that is their choice. However, I do believe there is a place to draw the line, and so do they. That is why they founded the organization http://americansforresponsiblesolutions.org/. Their first goal is universal background checks.

Congress is debating universal background checks right now. To me, this is a no-brainer.  They tell me, however, that the next two steps, are going to be tough going in Congress and I do not understand why. As I said, I want to be a tolerant person. I want to understand. But I do not understand why any civilian needs to own military grade assault weapons or high capacity magazines. And at this point I have to pull the “Jesus card” into my argument. Seriously? What would Jesus have to say to about this? I do not understand how any Jesus-follower can possibly argue in favor of laws which allow civilians to own military grade assault weapons or high capacity magazines. Enough.

These laws need to be changed immediately. No more excuses. No more bowing to the pressure of the NRA. Seriously! What would Jesus say?

Cheri Holdridge is the founding pastor of The Village Church, a unique partnership of the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church near Toledo,  Ohio and blogs for Toledo Faith & Values.