Republican wants guns in churches

There were two mass shootings in U.S. churches I can think of. In 2015 in Charleston, SC a deranged white supremacist opened fire and killed nine people in a black church. Then in 2017 26 people were gunned down and killed at a church in Sutherland Springs, TX.

If this is an epidemic, it's no more an epidemic at churches than it is at nightclubs, schools and offices across the country. Nonetheless we have Assemblyman Ron Dancer coming to the rescue of this threat. He's written legislation which allows the state's churches to select a "qualified person" to carry a concealed weapon during church services. Sort of like an air marshall, this would be a God marshall.

Ironically no current law disallows a church from hiring an armed guard for their protection. Dancer says, "It provides an opportunity for all houses of worship that may not have the resources to hire armed security to now have an individual who more than likely is retired from law enforcement."

Is this truly necessary? State Sen. Steve Sweeney says no. "Oh my god. You're kidding me. The philosophy 'if everyone has a gun, we're safer' is not a good philosophy. ... Will they give guns to high school kids now?"

Well, Steve, that would be a bit different, wouldn't it?

Are you going to feel safer going to church if you know someone among you has a weapon? Is it even something you think that much about? My gut tells me this is a politician who knows a progressive governor like Murphy is never going to sign this even if it got to his desk, and that this is just a way to get out another press release and his name in front of constituents. You can read the bill for yourself here.

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