Where do we draw the Line?
June 2, 2008
Community | Ethics
(1 comments)
By Elise May
Imagine sitting in synagogue during Rosh Hashanah services, the choir is singing, the sun is setting and casting a beautiful glow on the stained-glass windows, and suddenly a deafening sound pierces the voices of the choir. Everyone looks around and the whispering begins, "A chair must have fallen over. A table might have tipped over. Perhaps there was a car accident right outside." Then, the unmistakable smell of gunpowder is noticed. All the while, the choir keeps singing much like the sailors on the Titanic.
Sounds like a dream, right? Well, this happened at my Temple last year. A member had brought his gun to services, and it fell when he stood for one of the prayers. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, but the man's daughter was slightly injured.
Having received and even taught security training for many years, I was trained in how to recognize a threat and respond accordingly. My first thought was, "Are we under attack?" I wondered if there were other people with guns. I wanted to get my son out of the sanctuary, but there were so many people. The odd thing was, no one was moving. I think everyone was in shock. Our Rabbi, to his credit, did not miss a beat and kept right on with the service. They took the injured congregant quietly out of the sanctuary to an awaiting ambulance.
I don't remember the rest of the service. But, I do remember feeling very venerable. If a gun can go off during High Holy Day services, anything can happen. How did someone even get into our Temple with a firearm? Was that allowed?
It seems the gentleman had a permit for the gun and always carried it for protection. But, if you can't feel safe in your own house of worship, where can you feel safe? Why do you need a gun at Temple?
What about the Commandment that states, "You shall not murder?" Does that also apply to protection? Our society is accepting of people who carry guns, and there are probably more of our friends and neighbors doing so than we know.
This situation made me realize how easy it would be for someone to enter our Temple and do harm to many innocent people. Things like this happen all the time in other places and to other people, but not to me and the people I love, right?
Luckily, this was not a terrorist activity or a display of anti-Semitism. However, I think it made everyone realize how venerable we are as a society. What do we have to do to make our world safe for the next generation?
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Unfortunately accidents happen, even when undercover police carry weapons.
There have been a number of shootings in churches by someone who terrorized and murdered many unarmed members of the congregation. Because no one in those congregations was armed, many people needlessly lost their lives. A deranged gunman at a cafeteria murdered dozens men, women and children peacefully having dinner years ago when the customers were not allowed to have concealed weapons with them (pistols outside in their cars couldn't save their lives of the lives of their families). That led a survivor to get a law passed allowing the carrying of concealed weapons by law abiding adults who underwent a background check and firearms safety and law classes. The danger of an attack by a person who is nuts or just evil cannot be prevented by armed police who can't be everywhere or by rules against guns which cannot be enforced. Only law abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment right to bear arms can deter attacks and limit casualties.