The Armor of Light sigue el viaje del ministro evangélico Rob Schenck, que intenta encontrar el valor para predicar sobre el creciente número de víctimas de la violencia con armas de fuego en Estados Unidos, y de Lucy McBath, la madre de un adolescente desarmado que fue asesinado en Florida y cuya historia puso en evidencia las leyes estatales de "Stand Your Ground".
ROB SCHENCK: Oh, this is starting to feel familiar
Funny, how you can still feel things in your body that are 20 and 30 years old
My heart rate goes up
We were always steeling ourselves for what was about to happen here
We always knew it was gonna be dramatic, difficult
Maybe even literally physically painful
[CROWD SHOUTING] Go home! Go home! REPORTER: It's another day of street demonstrations for and against abortion rights in Buffalo, New York
We hate you
[WOMAN LAUGHING] You love us and we hate you
REPORTER: The anti-abortion group known as Operation Rescue has targeted the city for an extended campaign
SCHENCK: 1992 was The Spring of Life and we had thousands of people here
[CROWD CHANTING] On this very street
Main Street
We shut it down completely
[CROWD CLAMORING] The code was you did not comply with police orders, but you were always peaceful, always prayerful
[SINGING] SCHENCK: We are bringing about a crisis of conscience and that will bring about the resolution
MAN: That is the sickest thing I have ever seen in my life
SCHENCK: Isn't it? MAN: That is sick what you're doing
Is that horrible? MAN: That is sick
What you're doing, it is horrible
Is that sick?MAN: That is unbelievable
We are no longer talking
MAN: Where in the fuck did you get that? We are no longer talking about a political issue
This is not a political issue
This is not an issue of rights
This is not a social issue
This is a dead baby! [ALL ARGUING] SCHENCK: Of course, the commitment to non-violence was uppermost in my mind
But there came a turning at some point, where people started appearing within the movement, who had a very different set of principles
[GUNSHOT] REPORTER: It was an execution-style killing
One bullet fired from a high-powered rifle crashed through the window of Dr
Barnett Slepian's suburban Buffalo home, striking him in the back
Dr
Slepian, an obstetrician, performed abortions at this Buffalo clinic
In the past four years, four abortion providers were wounded by gunshots from high-powered rifles at about the same time of year
SCHENCK: When that shooting occurred, I was more than shocked, I was stunned
I was stunned
In fact, the widow of Dr
Slepian actually blamed me in part
She felt maybe that I had contributed with my language to inciting the violence against her family
That was very, very hard to hear
I thought no one in our world would ever perpetrate such a thing
I was naive
And then to see that they would left me in doubt
Our own people are capable of this
People under my spiritual care are capable of this
That probably means I'm capable of it
REPORTER 1: At least one person is confirmed dead and several others hurt after shots were fired in Gary, Indiana
REPORTER 2: Four others injured in an early morning shooting happened at the Rendezvous
REPORTER 3: Residents in the area say they heard about 10 gunshots ring out
REPORTER 4: A 33-year-old woman and her boyfriend were shot in a minivan
REPORTER 5: Someone shot at least three people overnight
REPORTER 6: It happened outside
REPORTER 7: A high school junior died in the bloody attack
REPORTER 8: Three separate shootings
REPORTER 9: Four people have been shot
REPORTER 10:
was shot to death behind a
REPORTER 11:
multiple times yesterday
REPORTER 12: And ultimately led to the shootings
REPORTER 13: Two young children and mother-in-law, where they found the body of Maureen Keen
SCHENCK: I'm an Evangelical Christian
That goes to the core of my identity
REPORTER 14: One woman and two men were shot at
REPORTER 15: The third shooting in the 11th
REPORTER 16: One student is dead, three other people injured
SCHENCK: The real organizing ethical principle of my life and ministry has been what I refer to as the sanctity of life
REPORTER 17: Seven people were shot and killed
REPORTER 18: 13 people gunned down
REPORTER 19:
came inside and opened fire
SCHENCK: In my community, we talk about the value of every human life
Usually that's in the context of abortion
REPORTER 19: Police now telling us a number of people have been shot at
SCHENCK: And if we believe life begins at conception, there's a whole lot of life beyond conception until natural death
LUCY MCBATH: Jordan was a blessing for me
He was such a joy to raise
And he loved life
Jordan was so easy
I could say, "Jordan, "we're leaving the house in 15, 20 minutes
" "Okay, Mom
" You know, he'd run in and get his clothes on, 'cause he loved to just go
In a sense, he was like my little shadow, I mean, everybody always says wherever I was, Jordan was right there with me
My whole focus was raising Jordan and serving God
Ron and I divorced when Jordan was four
And of course, when he was that young, he didn't quite understand why Mommy and Daddy weren't living together anymore
Then when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, Ron and I decided that it was best for Jordan to come live with him
Jordan receiving money on his birthday when he was smaller [LAUGHING] And, uh, this is me and baby Jordan
MCBATH: And at 16, it was time for Ron to take him and transition him into manhood
RON DAVIS: And, uh, three generations of me and Jordan, and my father was a World War II veteran
MCBATH: But it was one of the hardest things I ever, ever had to do
This is Jordan in the backyard, and that's his favorite spot, sitting in the chair on the patio, looking over the water
[BIRDS CHIRPING] [WIND CHIME CLINKING] MCBATH: We were in Chicago
It was the day after Thanksgiving, and my phone was sitting on top of the dresser and I remember it lighting up and, you know, I saw "Ron Davis" and so I picked up the phone and said, "Hey, Ron
"How you doing? What's going on?" You know, "Happy Thanksgiving
" He's like, "Where are you?" And I'm like, "I'm here in Chicago "at, you know, Terry and Earl's house
" And he's like, "Well, where are you in the house?" And I said, "I'm here in the bedroom, why?" He says, "Well, where's Earl?" And I said, "Well, he's downstairs with Terry
" He said, "Go get Earl
" And I said, "Well, why? "Why do I need to go get Earl
" He said, "Just, I need you to go get Earl
" And I said, "Why do I need to go get Earl? "What's wrong, where's Jordan?" And there was just silence
[SOBBING] And I said, "Where's Jordan? "What's wrong with Jordan?" And he said, "I need you to go get Earl
" I said, "No, you need to tell me right now
"What's wrong with Jordan?" And he said, "Jordan's in the hospital
" He said, "Jordan's been shot
" And I just started screaming
And I was like
"What's wrong with Jordan, is he okay?" And he said, "I need you
"I need you to get on the first plane and come down here
" [BELL TOLLING] SCHENCK: I'm a preacher, I'm a minister
I knew at 17 years old, after I had experienced what I can only describe as a profound religious conversion, that I would give the rest of my life to preaching the message
Praise be thou, oh, Lord God, King of the Universe, who gives us bread from the Earth
I'm actually commissioned as a missionary in Washington
"Eat," he said
And my job is to convey the Christian message of the Gospel to those who are in the highest levels of government office
My natural constituency, if you will, uh, would be conservative
Very conservative, as a matter of fact
And that's where I spend most of my time, with Republicans, more and more with Tea Party Republicans
Those are the people who I have a natural affinity with
[TELEPHONE RINGING] NATE: Hello, this is Faith and Action
May I help you? SCHENCK: I founded an organization called Faith and Action, which is located immediately opposite the Supreme Court
I can look out my office window into the chambers of the Chief Justice, it's that close
My ministry is primarily Capitol Hill and federal government, but I go where we find allies and friends
I've been with thousands of pastors, I chair the Evangelical Church Alliance
I'm responsible for 3,000 pastors across this country
I've preached countless sermons, thousands of them, over a 30-year career
Because whether or not they accept the truth does not change the truth
As part of my ministry, I often am asked to help people in crisis
That's why we took the stand that we did
REPORTER: A tragic timeline over the course of just one week
A 16-year-old shot dead in Colorado
A high school principal gunned down in Wisconsin
And now, five young girls murdered in Pennsylvania
SCHENCK: One day, I received a call from people we knew in the community in the wake of the tragic killing of the Amish girls in their schoolhouse
He apparently told the kids to line up in front of the blackboard
SCHENCK: I was taken to the farms where the Amish prepare their dead for burial
And so, I saw the girls laid out
You know, I saw their gaping wounds
REPORTER: Nearby, the community prepares for burials, embalming their own
The little girl's mother
REPORTER: Evangelical minister Rob Schenck observed the process in the home of 13-year-old Marian Fisher
SCHENCK: It was truly one of the most moving experiences of my life, to see the tender love of a mother for a child
But the most memorable part of that trip, was being taken to the home of the shooter and watching the Amish elders come from their community to offer forgiveness
Which is difficult to even tell the story
The human drama playing out there will affect me the rest of my life
And that never left me, although I kind of managed to kind of put it in that little compartment to the side
But then came plenty of other episodes like that
The way I was assuaging my conscience was to sort of say, "Well, I've got a slate full of other concerns
"I don't have room for this in my life
" But there are things that nag you in your subconscious that start coming to your conscious mind
And then finally, something happened and it would not be ignored any longer
[SIRENS WAILING] REPORTER: The first call at the shooting came in shortly after 8:00 this morning from building 197 with 3,000 employees
We're following the breaking news, the shooting rampage here at the Washington Navy Yard
REPORTER: Security was tightened around the capital city, schools locked down
Reagan National Airport grounded all air traffic
At least 12 people were killed and the gunman also is dead
We are confronting yet another mass shooting
As he was moving through the building
REPORTER:
saw victims killed before their eyes
SCHENCK: What happened at the Navy Yard was a very shocking episode of violence on a scale that was almost unthinkable inside a military complex
But that military complex happens to be within sight of my own apartment
So I grabbed my prayer stole and my Bible and did the only thing I could do
And the thing I thought most meaningful to do
And I knelt and I prayed
REPORTER: 51-year-old Arthur Daniels, 51-year-old Mary Knight, 58-year-old Gerald Read, 54-year-old Martin Bodrog
SCHENCK: There were at least 12 dead people of gunshot wounds in my neighborhood
REPORTER: 62-year-old Kathy Gaarde, 73-year-old John Johnson
SCHENCK: And I realized I have to address it
REPORTER: 46-year-old Kenneth Proctor, and 61-year-old Vishnu Pandit
SCHENCK: I'm not sure precisely what I'm gonna do about it, or even if there's anything I can do about it
Here's what I want to ask generally
How comfortable are you guys with my taking this on as an issue and Faith and Action taking it on as an issue? And up until now, I'll be very candid, I haven't felt that it's our issue, until we end up kneeling in prayer outside the Navy Yard gates in my neighborhood, where my apartment building was in lockdown
So suddenly, it goes from theoretical to very realistic
I'm starting my conversation with my colleagues
The big questions are, when is a Christian permitted to use a weapon in a lethal fashion to take a life? And I'm taking a big risk, because this is a very sensitive subject for a lot of people
I'm a concealed carry permit holder, so
SCHENCK: Excuse me? Hello? What?[LAUGHING] I have one, too
SCHENCK: Patty!I do
NATE: I've had mine since I was 21, so
SCHENCK: Really?
but I grew up, I had my first rifle when I was five, a
22 rifle
I mean, like, we've had guns in my family since I was a small child, so
And then, I own
SCHENCK: So, you're not intimidated by them? No, yeah, of course, I mean, I own multiple guns
SCHENCK: One individual, whom I trust enormously, warned me not to move too quickly, lest I end up being marginalized
Within the Christian family there's passionate advocates of Second Amendment rights that see any encroachment on that as the camel's nose under the tent
So it does give me pause
At the same time, I've taken big risks and I had to remind myself of that, and my wife had to remind me of that
"Honey, you've always been a big risk-taker
"Why not do it again?" Uh, so, I'm praying this through and asking God for courage to speak my mind and my conscience
You understand that a lot of people have neck or back injuries and they have pain in their neck or their back
I hate the term "ambulance chaser
" In my field, it comes with the territory
With the brain, it could hurt in your feet, or you could, you know, you could be tired and not know the reason why
An ambulance chaser is someone who solicits or chases down injury victims
If your injury was caused at the fault of somebody else, do not hesitate to give us a call at the law office of John Phillips
I am guilty by association, I guess
Good morning
Growing up, the Second Amendment was somewhat sacred
Dad had the largest revolver I think I've still ever seen
The big silver gun in between his mattresses
So I've always been favorable of gun rights, and people to have guns
A local neighborhood is on edge tonight, after a burglary spree
Fox 30 Action News, Alex Hill has that story, all new tonight
ANGELA: I had taken the day off of work and then I had come home and our house was ransacked
I mean, just destroyed
I had Bennett with me
We think that we probably just missed him by a few minutes
We had been violated
And it wasn't going to happen again
Not on our watch
PHILLIPS: This is a Glock 9mm
It's a very popular, very powerful gun
There was honestly not a lot of discussion about it
It was just kind of like
John said, "I'm gonna get it
" PHILLIPS: This is a
380-caliber Smith and Wesson
[GUN CLICKING] They call it "the Bodyguard
" It's got a laser pointer
It's meant to just sit in your pocket in case anything happens
John said, "I'm going to get a permit to carry
" You know, you had to show that you could, you know
You didn't put your finger on the trigger, you used it safely
And then when you were ready to fire he handed it to you, it was his gun, you put it in the hole and you pulled the trigger
[GUN CLICKING] And that was you showing you're proficient with a gun
That's it
And so, that one maneuver that I just did, let me do it again
[GUN LOADING] You know, you're handed the gun, you show that your finger's safe
He gives it to you almost at the hole
[GUN CLICKING]You shoot the bullet
And that shows that you're proficient and you're
According to the state of Florida, allowed to carry in public
We have new information tonight on a shooting that left a high school senior dead
The suspect was just booked into jail, 45-year-old Michael Dunn
He was charged with shooting and killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a Baymeadows gas station last night
REPORTER 1: Police say Dunn and Davis began arguing about the volume of the music coming from the teen's SUV
REPORTER 2: Investigators say no one inside Jordan Davis' SUV had a weapon on them
REPORTER 3: According to police, Dunn pulled out a gun and shot into the SUV eight or nine times
All he sees are heavily-tinted front windows that are up, and the back windows that are down, and the car has at least four black men in it
I've never been so scared in my life for somebody to be
REPORTER 4: For the first time, you're seeing Michael Dunn describe to police what happened the night 17-year-old Jordan Davis was shot and killed
Tonight, I watched the interview with the Davis family attorney, John Phillips
PHILLIPS: I saw the tragedy unfold and watched it all weekend
It never crossed my mind that I would be involved
The trajectory, given Michael Dunn's car, is lower and further ahead
ANGELA: John was contacted by Bennett's godmother, who was family friends with Jordan, with Jordan Davis' dad, with Ron
And I said, "Yeah, we're gonna need an attorney, "because we have all these news people "camping out in front of our house
"I don't know what to do, what to say, "I'm just so upset, "and I don't want to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing
" So he came right over
I looked at him and I thought, "Why, he seems awfully young
" You know, and I wasn't sure how many cases he'd tried and how experienced he was
But he seemed to have a heart
I was almost embarrassed to tell Ron and Lucy, if it ever came up, and it finally did, months later, that I had a concealed weapons permit
You know, it's like, the last thing I wanted to do, was be one of the ones like Michael Dunn
ANCHOR: Today Michael Dunn was indicted for the capital murder of Jordan Davis, and three counts of attempted murder in the first degree of the other kids in the car
Joining me now, for their first national television interview, the parents of Jordan Davis, Lucia McBath and Ronald Davis, along with their attorney, John Phillips
Lucia, in Florida there seem to be two things that come together here
This, um, determination to have concealed weapons and this "Stand Your Ground" law
This notion that there comes a moment in a confrontation where you have a right to pull a trigger and it is up to citizens to make that judgment
MCBATH: I had no idea what it meant
Standing your ground, what is that? REPORTER 1: A trial begins today in a case that once again puts a spotlight on Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law
JUDGE HEALEY: We are ready to begin with the opening statements
We'll hear first from Mr
Guy on behalf of the state
REPORTER 1: The law came to national attention a couple of years ago, when a neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, fatally shot an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin
ATTORNEY: Michael David Dunn pointed a semi-automatic pistol at four unarmed kids
REPORTER 2: That law allows a person to shoot someone they believe is threatening them
And with two hands he pointed out his window, back at Jordan Davis' door
REPORTER 2: The architect of "Stand Your Ground" is a longtime lobbyist for the National Rifle Association in Florida
PHILLIPS: Michael Dunn was a proud gun owner
He was a member of the NRA, so he knew what "Stand Your Ground" was
I really wasn't worried about the law, sir
Self-defense, you can't change it into murder
So whether I waited 10 hours or 10 days, it didn't matter
MCBATH: It was absolutely grueling and excruciating, because I had to face, you know, what actually happened
ATTORNEY: Three of those bullets had found their target
One of them had entered his right side, tore through his liver, passed through both of his lungs and shredded his aorta
MCBATH: I was one of those people that, when I would hear about shootings and gun violence and everything, I would pray for the people
But I never thought it would ever happen to us
I never thought
ATTORNEY: And then the blood that for 17 years had run so naturally through Jordan Davis' veins and arteries, was pouring out of them
[GUNSHOT] SCHENCK: I don't like dealing with subject matter entirely theoretically
I like to have hands-on experience with whatever I'm dealing with
So I wanted to feel this experience
I wanted to know what it was like to feel a weapon in my hands, to fire one
[INDISTINCT] MAN: Do you feel comfortable with it?No
[LAUGHS] Okay
But I'm ready to start nonetheless
SCHENCK: There's a certain adrenaline blast that goes with it
And I can see why people enjoy this sport so much
Well, I was ready to be pretty, uh, discouraged
You hit a lot of holes in that target
But, uh, looks like I hit it a few times
Well, not only did you hit the target, looks like the round went through the stand, too
Cut it in half
Oh, look at that! Okay
So
Yeah, I didn't see that
Well, not bad there, close to the mark there
I do realize, of course, that these weapons are very powerful and you can feel how lethal they are when you fire them
[GUN FIRING][SHELL CASING CLATTERING] SCHENCK: You realize how, with just a turn, both figuratively and literally speaking, suddenly that weapon becomes extremely devastating, dangerous
So I also deliberately took myself through a mental exercise
I mentally put myself in that schoolroom at Sandy Hook
[GUN FIRING] And thought about those children, and the sound, the crack of that weapon is so intimidating, so overwhelming, so frightening
And I thought of those bullets flying rapid fire at children and that thought wouldn't leave me
WAYNE LAPIERRE: I wanna say to all of you that are members of the NRA right now
You, and NRA members like you, all over this country have made a real difference in making this nation and our freedoms in this nation safer
The life or death truth, that when you are out there on your own, the surest way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun
You know it! [AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] LAPIERRE: All over America, there are more than 100 million good guys and good gals, too
Good Americans with guns
And a bunch of us are here right now
Hello! LAPIERRE: The National Rifle Association
WOMAN: Very good
all we believe in and fight for, has become a metaphor for the core American freedoms that we all want preserved
SCHENCK: I'm very aware that an awful lot of our Evangelicals are members of the NRA, and supporters of the NRA
And they are a very large factor in this
LAPIERRE: There is no greater freedom, believe me, than the right to survive
To protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns that we want
SCHENCK: And I'm learning about the NRA
I'm looking at it, and trying to come to some conclusions about the place of the NRA and its role in this national conversation and its role in the church
That's a
338 Lapua bullet, 275 gram
SCHENCK: You know, one of the great philosophical conundrums is, can bad people do good things and can good people do bad things? So, can good people come together and yet contribute to bad outcomes? Of course
Of course
And we should all be ready to accept that about ourselves and ask that question of ourselves
No matter who we are
LAPIERRE: Firearms in the hands of good people save lives
Welcome back to the breaking news here on CNN
Viewers, I'm Don Lemon
I cannot believe what is going on down in Florida
But the jury has come back in Florida in this Dunn trial and they have said they have reached an agreement on four of the charges
We the jury find the defendant guilty of attempted second-degree murder, a lesser-included offense
LEMON: But the big charge, the one that has to do with the value of a teenager's life, they somehow can't come to some sort of agreement on
Because this guy invoked "Stand Your Ground
" Based on the jury's inability to reach a verdict as to count one, I will declare that mistried
MCBATH: It's been a long, long road, but we will continue to stand and we will continue to wait
I wanted to speak out
I wanted everybody to know that the law allowed this to happen, and it's not right and we've got to do something about it
We all know standing here that this that has happened is way beyond us
We know that God has a greater purpose for Jordan's death and for what we're now doing
I want my son's legacy to be something that lives long after me
I want my son's legacy to be something that makes a difference for everybody
This is not just for Jordan, this is for Trayvon, this is for Sandy Hook, this is for Aurora, this is for Virginia Tech
I want my son's legacy as well as my legacy tied to my father's legacy
You know as well as I that it is virtually impossible for anyone to, uh, if killed by a policeman, to have any action taken against the police
MCBATH: My father was a dentist, he had his own dental practice as well as being the president of the Illinois branch of the NAACP
So Daddy was gone a lot
Giving speeches with Martin Luther King, all the marches
JOHN LEWIS: So I've said to you, my brothers and sisters, we cannot give up
We cannot give up
We cannot give in
[CROWD CHEERING] MCBATH: I think my father's need to make sure that everyone's civil rights were abided by, and that they were able to live freely the way our constitution says that we're supposed to be able to live, I know those genes kinda filter right on through me
CROWD: [CHANTING] Amen! Amen! MCBATH: I used to say, "Jordan, I think you're going to be a social activist
" He knew how to bring people together and I knew he would expect me to speak out, he would expect me to stand up
He would expect me to fight
'Cause those are all the things I was teaching him to do
What's the matter? What's the matter? There's so much I wanted Jordan to see
And I want
I want him to be here
[SOBBING] It's all right, it's all right
MCBATH: When I broke down a few minutes ago, I was really realizing that the past is completely the past, and I see my future
And I always thought I knew what I was supposed to do
There is no mistake
And I think I just became overwhelmed, because this is really the rest of my life
As a young woman, I wanted to be a lobbyist
I was so enthralled with politics
I was so enthralled with government and how it worked
I wanted to be a lobbyist
After college, I fell into being a flight attendant
Said to myself, "I'll only stay there a year," and 30 years later I'm still there
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen
It is indeed our pleasure to welcome you onboard Delta service to Honolulu
If there's anything that we can do to make your flight more enjoyable, or your stay just a little bit more comfortable, please don't hesitate to let us know
On behalf of Delta Airlines, welcome aboard
In light of everything that has happened over the last year and a half, it just feels different when I come to work now
I feel like I'm supposed to be moving elsewhere
It just seems like God keeps putting in place more and more opportunities for me to do what I really believe he's calling me to do
I'm joined now by Jordan Davis' mother, Lucia McBath
She has been very outspoken about "Stand Your Ground" laws
It's all based upon your perception
A perception of fear
That is the ambiguity, that is the problem with the law
How have we gotten so far with the laws that the law doesn't value human life? "Stand Your Ground" defines
Defies all reason
It goes against the sound system of justice established long ago on this very hill
Honorable men and women of the Senate, you can lift this nation from its internal battle in which guns rule over right
You have the power to restore hope to a nation crying out for justice
And I pray that you hear the will of the Lord
Thank you
PHILLIPS: You know what you're going to say? Nope
I just pray to God
[LAUGHS] I just let him tell me what to say
This is it
MCBATH: A friend of mine told me about this pastor in Washington that was struggling with his ideas and thoughts and emotions about the gun culture and where our country's been headed
And so I thought, "Wow
" You know, "He's just the kind of person I would love to meet
" SCHENCK: Hello
Welcome
This is Reverend Schenck
MCBATH: Hi, Reverend Schenck
What an honor to meet you
Such a pleasure to meet you
It's an honor to welcome you here
[LAUGHS] Thank you so much
And think about your courage and all you've been through
So, welcome
You have just as much courage
Uh, not yet
But let's say we're all searching for our courage
Yes, you do
[LAUGHS] Finding our courage
Hi, Rob Schenck
It's a pleasure
Welcome, welcome
Well, why don't we sit and talk?Thank you
SCHENCK: Tell me about your journey and, I mean
What you're doing now is almost mind-boggling to me, out of your
Your own pain and loss
And it is mind-boggling to me as well
Um, I know only it's by God's grace that I'm able to do this
I know that, unequivocally, without a doubt, I know that
I suspected that
That you were a person of Christian faith
Am I right?I
Absolutely
Absolutely, without a doubt
The Lord has said to me they must see my face
Mmm-hmm
And they must turn back to me
And he has specifically said to me, "I will open doors for you
"I will take you places where you've never been
" Because they need to see my face
We're deceived into believing that we are so powerful because we have something that will protect me
Instead of looking to God, righteously, as the protector, we have replaced God with our guns as the protector
Wow
That's a very bold and courageous thing to say
Jesus never advocated violence
Despite how bad it gets, we're never to advocate violence
Ever
Particularly with the "Stand Your Ground" law
You do everything you possibly can to retreat before you use that violence
Yes, you have a right to protect yourself, but you don't have a right
God did not give you the right just to shoot to kill because you think that you're threatened, or because you're empowered 'cause you have a gun? That's not the will of God
I assumed we all thought that way
I mean, that we just all thought the same about this
Of course, in any confrontation, if given the opportunity to safely retreat, you retreat
Because you
First, you prefer another life above your own
Even if it's
[STAMMERS] A malefactor
Even if it's a miscreant
Even if it's a criminal
Even if it's a
You know, an evil person
You
You err on the side of preserving life
Which is the reason I am pro-life
The reason that I
I think this is all of a piece
Is because we
We talk about, for example, uh, well, you know, we've used the argument in the pro-life movement that I've been a part of for a long time now
MCBATH: I don't condone abortion, but I would never infringe upon a woman's right to choose for herself what is best for her
But I don't think it would be difficult for me to work with anyone such as Rob Schenck that is so pro-life, simply because I understand that pro-life is what I'm fighting for
I agree with you 100%
A love for life
That's what this is all about
Fighting for life
You know, that's what Jesus wanted us to do
That's the whole reason why we're here
It's so important, it's so vitally important that you help
They will listen to you
And I know it's going to be hard for you
And I know that there may be people that don't follow you anymore because of the stand that you take
But it
Isn't it far better to stand before God and know that you've done everything in your power to do what you know in your heart is right? SCHENCK: Lucy's personal experience moved me past a kind of point of inertia
I knew this issue required critical attention
But I couldn't get past that point of inertia
But her story was so compelling that it pulled me across the threshold
CHORUS: ? Praise God from whom all blessings flow ? SCHENCK: And I'm hoping to persuade some people that there's a better path to take in all of this
That there's something closer to what Christ taught and modeled for us
Oh, gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for this evening of fellowship
Growing more closely to you through your Holy Spirit, we ask this in Jesus' name
Amen
ALL: Amen
SCHENCK: This is what we call a fellowship dinner
We have all of our board members and their spouses around the table, just for an evening of casual conversation
Tonight is my focus group
I feel very safe with these folks
But if it starts a food fight, I may get hit with a few sweet potatoes
I don't know
I'll take whatever comes
If I can put a rather delicate subject on the table for your prayerful consideration and good counsel, uh, the question on the table is really Christians and gun ownership and use
And for me, this is not a question of the politics, but the theology, the ethical, the moral
That's the sphere we all deal with
It's not guns that kill people
They've never
No, no guns killed anybody
It's like outlawing our automobiles, there's more killed by automobiles than there are guns, but we don't outlaw those
MAN: It's in our DNA
It's part of our freedom
It's part of what our founding fathers established
There's evil in the heart of man
And that's why we need a savior
To come and change our hearts so that we can respond to one another in love and we can resolve conflicts and we don't have to turn to violence
If we take guns away, people are just gonna kill people with something else
So what we need is Jesus and the Gospel? And a sidearm? Right? Right? We need Jesus for the conversion side, but failing conversion and obedience to the commandment, you need a weapon
What bothers me is
SCHENCK: If you see the world as very narrow and there's a certain narrow category of good people whose lives should be preserved
And then there's all these other very bad creatures whose lives don't matter or can be easily taken
That contradicts God's view of the world
Because his love is equal even for the menace, even for the enemy, even for the bad actor
God's love is immense
And permanent
So, uh
That affects everything, about how you believe, how you practice, how you interact with other human beings
How you treat them, and that's the point
I mean, keep looking at the life and teaching of Christ, he keeps going back to how you treat others
So this is a long and complicated road
As a Christian, as a believer, what are your feelings when I say the phrase "Christians and guns?" And I would like to put this out as a question because I think it's one Christians ought to ask prayerfully, carefully, and biblically
So what do you have to say about guns? What do you have to say about Second Amendment rights, gun control, gun rights? What do you have to say about the escalating gun violence in America? This is the question I'd like to put out on the table
Pastor, please
MAN: Seems that we have an obligation
If there's a child, an innocent child that is being forced into a vehicle by somebody that's intending to harm them, what should a Christian do? Should a Christian try to defend an innocent child? What's the right thing to do? The Bible's very plain about a man who don't protect his wife and kids is worse than an infidel
So, you know, I think in those situations or in the situation where we have an innocent life, I mean, we sit here and say we wanna
Abortion's wrong because those kids are innocent
Well, how is it any different for a guy to pull a gun and protect a kid getting pulled into a van? They're all innocent lives
Whether it's at conception or whether they're walking the street
So, you know, the situation
SCHENCK: I knew that American Evangelicals, being conservatives, being Republican, I knew where we kind of fit in the demographics and the statistics
But I've been surprised at how much guns factor into their lives, into their thinking, even into their spirituality
Into their understanding of things as a Christian
MAN: You know, yeah, Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek," but yet Moses was the meekest man in all the
All the earth, and the children of Israel
Did they, did they rise up and lay down their weapons, or did they take weapons and take, you know, the land that was promised to them? SCHENCK: I grew up with a very, very different view of guns, gun ownership, gun use, than most Evangelicals
MAN: As far as bearing arms, I taught my children how to handle firearms
Not to go out and shoot somebody, but to teach 'em right
SCHENCK: I grew up on an island
Grand Island, New York
It sits in the Niagara River between the U
S
and Canada, three miles upstream from Niagara Falls
Hi, Col
Hi
Good to see you
Back in the neighborhood
Yeah
I don't know how many years it's been since I've been
On this street! Have you been here? I haven't, and I'm just around the corner
Yeah, it's bringing back a flood of memories
I remember this house here because of what happened on the porch
I was playing with a toy, it was a model, and I'm sure I built it
Anyway, it was the Starship Enterprise
Were you a Star Trekfan back then?No
Paul and I certainly were
I think we watched it with Dad
And I was playing with that toy and I broke
Somehow, I broke a little piece of it off and I was so frustrated, and I said, "Oy vey!" And the mom who was standing at the door reached out and swatted me
And she said, "Don't say that
Only Jews say that
" And that's a vivid memory from that porch
Yes
I was raised in what I would call a very typical suburban, blended Jewish home
My father was Jewish by birth, my mother was Jewish by conversion
She was born and baptized Catholic
Do you know where that photo
I don't, but I know they used to go
Sometimes they'd go places to listen to music
SCHENCK: All four children, I have an identical twin brother, two older sisters, we were all raised with Jewish identities
With, I would say, a culturally Jewish orientation
The Nazis start showing up
My father kept a contemporaneous scrapbook during the Nazi horrors in Germany
This is one I remember from childhood
Some of my earliest visuals were mass graves, bodies stacked up like cordwood, and an explanation of what was happening
And I, through that, learned to place the highest value and absolute respect for the value of human life at every stage
I think that's what he set out to teach us with this
SCHENCK: And I do remember Dad using the phrase, "This happens when good people do nothing
" SISTERS: Right
[SINGING IN HEBREW] Hear, oh, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one
And when I would hear that creed in Hebrew, and the name of God pronounced
"Adonai," we called him
Master
When it came time for Bar Mitzvah, my father by that time was very disaffected with Jewish temple life and withdrew from that
He said, you'll make your own choices religiously and otherwise
You go out, explore, find what appeals to you and embrace it
But that wasn't how Charlie knew God, Charlie knew God
In that exploration, I met the son of a Methodist minister and he spoke very warmly and very personally about his relationship with Jesus Christ, as if this man were still alive and that was intriguing to me
And I finally begged him to take me to his church
I didn't know what to expect going into a church
I couldn't imagine what happened inside of a church
I'd never been to a church
I imagined, you know, hooded monks intoning Latin prayers, and instead I walked into a congregation just like this
I remember it vividly
Walking through the parking lot, I could hear the crunch of the gravel under my feet
I was a nervous wreck
I sat in the back row and I imagined if they discovered I was Jewish, that the ushers would catapult me out the back door
I was very nervous
And instead, the people were warm and loving and accepting and welcoming
I felt a presence in that sanctuary
I couldn't articulate that it was God, but later I came to the conclusion that that was somehow God present in those people and among those people
And I said, "Dear God, I want to know you
"And I want to know what you want of me
" And that was 40 years ago this month
I think Evangelicals have better answers on all these things than anybody else does
And the reason that I think that's true is because we have this
And I would challenge anyone who would say, "Yeah, but this doesn't speak to that
"Speaks to a lot of things, but not to that
"Second Amendment speaks to that
" Well, is the Constitution the last word? Or is there another word on these things? How can we defend our families without the right to guns, with the Second Amendment right, and to allow the government to take away the Second Amendment, uh, to me is giving up all of our rights, and
SCHENCK: People forget that many generations of Evangelicals became pacifists, conscientious objectors
Up until very recent times
We want to protect, uh, the Second Amendment
SCHENCK: We were largely Democrats
I will make a public confession, maybe for the first time
I voted for Jimmy Carter
And what doth the Lord require of thee
SCHENCK: In fact, that was true of a lot of Evangelicals
Evangelicals were overwhelmingly Democrat until the campaign of Ronald Reagan
with thy God
NARRATOR: It's morning again in America, and under the leadership of President Reagan, our country is prouder, and stronger, and better
SCHENCK: It was in the Reagan era that massive numbers of Evangelicals came into the Republican Party
I did, too
I had my religious conversion and then I had my political conversion
REAGAN: Those of you in the National Association of Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work
SCHENCK: Ronald Reagan engaged Evangelicals in a brilliant and very successful way
Thank you for your prayers
Nancy and I have felt their presence many times in many ways
SCHENCK: If you were an American Evangelical in the 1980s and 1990s, virtually to a one, we were card-carrying Republicans
Thank you very much, my fellow members of the National Rifle Association
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] SCHENCK: And I can't pretend to understand all the dynamics of what brought the Republican Party and the NRA together in the kind of pact that they have, but whatever that was certainly brought Evangelicals with the Republicans to the table with the NRA
[CROWD CHEERING] LAPIERRE: Welcome to the Stand and Fight Rally
I'd like you to join me in welcoming the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Reverend Franklin Graham
SCHENCK: And Evangelicals were brought into that what I called a Faustian pact of politics and the church
GRAHAM: Let's pray
Our dear Heavenly Father
We praise you and we give you glory tonight
The world in which we live is in trouble
Our country is in trouble
Father, we know there's a lot of people in this country that would like to register guns and take 'em away
But Father, we know that you register every name that belongs to you
Everyone who has repented of their sins and called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have registered their name in the Lamb's Book of Life
SCHENCK: When faith becomes inseparably linked to a political position, when those lines of distinction become blurred, in a sense, maybe this is very strong language, but at least we become vulnerable to selling our souls
And Heavenly Father, we pray that you will bless America again
AUDIENCE: Amen
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] MAN: You know, uh, I'm a life member of the NRA, and I am convinced that there are those individuals in Washington, D
C
and also in Columbus, here in Ohio, are determined to take our guns from us
SCHENCK: I think sometimes conviction can turn quickly into contempt
Contempt for others
MAN: And for some reason they don't want to protect the Second Amendment like they do the First Amendment, or the Fourth Amendment, or the Fifth Amendment
SCHENCK: Especially if they're suspicious about the motives of the other
We thank you, Father
Bless us now as we
SCHENCK: And of course you can't ignore the racial dimensions to this whole subject
For Christ's sake we pray
ALL: Hallelujah
WOMAN: I work as a nurse at University Hospital, where multitude of patients that come to shock trauma are African-American men
SCHENCK: It's the giant elephant in the room that must be addressed
You don't have to have the same conversations with a white male that you have to have with a black male
The fear is always in the back of your mind that your son may get shot
SCHENCK: These questions divide black, Bible-believing, spirit-filled Christian believers from white, Bible-believing spirit-filled Christian believers
If Obama were white, the NRA would not be attacking him as hard as they're doing, the public would not be out there fearful that the government is going to come in their house, violate their Second Amendment right to bear arms and come and just devour them
SCHENCK: That division should not exist, but it does
WOMAN: I don't think the Bible calls for us to be active warriors
And to me, that's what carrying a gun is doing
It's saying, "I'm ready for war
I'm a warrior
" We have very little trust for this person, that person, this group, that group or whatever the case might be
SCHENCK: And maybe I'm much closer to the way the folks think here than I am to a lot of the other places I visit and preach in
We are not to be the judge, the jury, and in some cases, the executioner
Ephesians tells us to have our full armor on, and our full armor is in the Lord Jesus Christ and our sword is the Bible, the Word of God
SCHENCK: So, for me, this has been a very difficult journey to take
At times a very painful one, looking at myself, my colleagues, my friends, the people I've kept company with
MAN: Okay, gentlemen
How are you doing?Good, man
Good seeing you
Thanks
Hey, buddy
ALLEN CHURCH: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together as brothers in Christ and we pray for your leading us in this fellowship and in this table
And we ask that you be given all the glory in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit
Well, you guys know, uh
You know, I've talked to each of you individually on a pretty tough subject
We've all done pro-life work in different ways for decades
We've all taken very strong pro-life stands
And it has troubled me that the number of pro-lifers that have, in my estimation, jumped on a bandwagon of, you know very pro-gun pro-Second Amendment
Is that a pro-life ethic? TROY NEWMAN: I think it absolutely is, Rob
People of conscience and people of faith have responsible gun ownership in order to protect innocent human life
More so than their own life
And we need to have people in our congregations armed
You may have somebody walk in that yesterday was a perfect parishioner, excellent, but they're in a fight with their wife, maybe they're on psychotropic drugs, and they're coming off it and they're going crazy and they have homicidal tendencies
They pull out their gun and they say, "I'm gonna take out the entire church
" He's gonna only be able to get off about one or two rounds
It's not going to be a mass homicide, it's not gonna be a slaughter house until he runs out of ammunition, because the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun
You're painting one picture of the story, but the other picture more likely is
That's an accurate picture
No
You don't know any
It's not an accurate picture
No, at Ted Haggard's church
[INDISTINCT ARGUING] You're living in a delusional fantasy land that you've created for yourself in the ivory towers of Washington, D
You don't live in the real world
SCHENCK: Troy, I would say
MAHONEY: What in the world
If you wanna hurl that kind of accusation, I could easily say you're living in a delusional world of men in white hats and black hats and the white hats know where to fire and how to fire and they win
Every time they take out the bad guy
The way I perceive it, that's not the way it happens in a violent confrontation when bullets are flying
Drawing a bead and firing the silver bullets and ending the melee and everything comes back to peace and quiet does not comport with reality
Don't own one, okay, Rob? You're afraid of firearms, don't own one
You're afraid of guns, you leave them to other people
Troy, listen
I'm not afraid of guns
You know one of the reasons that I'm afraid of them? Because I don't trust myself
In the moment of crisis when I'm awash in adrenaline, I do not trust my judgment and I'm amazed at how much you trust yours
I'm amazed by that, Troy
I trained myself, Rob
You have to train yourself, just like you train
Why not have that training mandatory for everyone?
to go and buy a lock
[STAMMERS] And do you
Because I'm not, because I don't turn to government to solve all my problems, that's why
I'm not gonna turn to the nanny state, 'cause I don't like something, I'm gonna say
You said we're the government
An armed society is a polite society
If you and I are walking down the street
MAHONEY: What? And we bump into each other and you don't know if I'm armed, I don't know if you're armed, we say, "Excuse me, I'm so sorry, "please forgive me
" "No, no, please forgive me
" Okay? As a Christian, I don't treat people any differently if I think they have a firearm, for crying out loud
That's ridiculous
I'm not saying that most
But there's a lot of people, the criminals are not Christians, that's the problem
If everybody lived in a perfect utopia, a Christian world, we wouldn't need firearms
Let's put that question on the table
I don't think violent criminals should have 'em
But here's the point
You can't keep 'em from getting 'em
But that's not the question I'm asking
I asked you, should the government make it that a person cannot own a firearm unless they are reasonably trained in it? CHURCH: No
You have to be trained to operate machinery
Guns kill thousands of people
It's a killing instrument
CHURCH: No, the guns do not kill thousands of people
It's people with a will to kill, kill thousands of people
Allen, that's the most delusional pile of crap I've ever heard in my life! Guns kill people
Delusional people
[INDISTINCT ARGUING] Knives kill people
SCHENCK: I love and respect the folks that are my family
But it gets harder to reconcile these two conflicting positions of being pro-life and what I'm gonna call pro-gun
There is a certain irreconcilable difference between these two positions and yet we're trying to hold them together like two opposing magnets and they're not fitting well
[ARGUING CONTINUES] SCHENCK: I used to think that the most risky part of this venture was being marginalized, or worse, condemned as one of those guys who started thinking like the elites
You know, "Schenck caught the disease "and now he's talking like them
"And pretty soon, you know, he'll be off in Liberal land "and he will have worse than left us
"Betrayed us
" If ever I were given the scarlet letter "L", I could lose financial support, which would mean my organization is at stake, and possibly my career
[SKYPE RINGING] Hi, Lucy
It's Rob Schenck
MCBATH: Hello? Yeah, hi
Now, let's see, I've got you
All right, uh
Well, it's good to connect with you again
You, too
For me this is a
This is a deep theological and moral crisis for Christians
Me, too
And I wanna address it as such
And all of this is kinda tumbling through my soul as I think about the message that needs to be communicated
And I know that by you stepping out, Reverend Schenck, there'll be so many more that will look upon you and your courage and your strength and your fortitude to do what God would call you to do, and they will join you
You won't be by yourself
Let me ask you, uh, another difficult question, if I may
There was a time in my activist years when I wore a jacket because of the threats that were coming
You know, written threats and phone threats and so on
Do you have concerns about your personal safety? You know what? If I have to give my life
If I end up giving my life for this cause, then that, that will be my life
That will be my life
Because I will be doing exactly what I know God has called me to do
[CROWD CHEERING AND APPLAUDING] SARAH PALIN: Thank you, NRA! Thank you
Whoo! NRA leadership is needed now more than ever and you all are needed now more than ever
Because every day we are seeing more and more efforts to strip away our Second Amendment rights
SCHENCK: When pastors, preachers, Bible teachers ignore these questions, it creates a vacuum and other voices fill that vacuum
[CROWD APPLAUDING] PALIN: Speaking of which, Joe Biden, remember this, telling women before an assault, uh, "Just, uh, fire a warning shot
"Just aim up in the air
" That was his directive, his advice
SCHENCK: The NRA has come in on the question of guns and attempted to provide all kinds of ethical and moral commentary on the use of lethal force
Gals, you know that nowadays ammo's expensive
Don't waste a bullet on a warning shot
[CROWD CHEERING] SCHENCK: I sometimes wonder about the ethical dimensions of even having a constant defensive posture
We know in the world that surrounds us there are terrorists, home invaders, drug cartels, car-jackers, knockout gamers, rapers, haters, campus killers, airport killers, shopping mall killers
SCHENCK: And the gun is almost an invitation to give into the temptation of fear
And fear should not be a controlling element in the life of a Christian
So I ask you this afternoon
Do you trust this government really to protect you and your family? AUDIENCE: No! LAPIERRE: We're on our own, that's a certainty
No less certain
MCBATH: I want people to understand that the NRA of today is not the NRA of 20, 30 years ago
I want the general public to know that it's a symbiotic relationship between gun manufacturers and the NRA
Because the gun manufacturers make far more money if the NRA does exactly what they're doing
They're the ones that are holding up progress
They're the ones that are keeping our citizens from being safe on the streets
And I feel like I have to help expose that, otherwise more people will die
Like my son
OFFICER: [OVER POLICE RADIO] Shots fired! Shots fired! 31, Code 33! We have three down at the corner of Segovia and Del Norte
I need three ambulances here
Frank 14, we need a second ambulance for another gunshot wound
Frank 2, we have another gunshot victim
Frank 19, we have CPR in progress
It was a dark-colored BMW
One occupant, a male wearing a white shirt that was firing as he drove by
REPORTER 1: A night of terror in Isla Vista, a community of mostly students near UC Santa Barbara
A rolling rampage of gunfire left seven dead, including the shooter, seven others injured
REPORTER 2: Moments later, police say he killed Chris Michael-Martinez, his father saying he had spoken to his son minutes before
Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA
They talk about gun rights
What about Chris' right to live? When will this insanity stop? SCHENCK: I spoke to Mr
Martinez on the phone and it was a gut-wrenching, gut-wrenching conversation to talk to a man in his raw grief
SCHENCK:
contributing factors that result in actions that end in violent death
I believe we should all be deeply concerned about the increased presence of firearms
But the toughest thing to hear him say on the phone was, "Where the hell is the clergy on this?" As is often said, guns don't kill people
But as we're reminded by these incidents, people do use guns to kill others
That tore into my, my soul, when he said that
Is it sufficient for us as Christian leaders to simply say, "Well, these things happen and there's nothing we can do about it"? I don't think so
I am Reverend Rob Schenck of Washington, D
We are here in Isla Vista, California at the site where a terrible crime was committed, where unspeakable loss happened
My comments today are not intended to be political but moral
We are in crisis in America
And saying and doing nothing in the wake of this kind of horror and loss is not right or good
I am here today to challenge my fellow clergy
To step forward now and speak their hearts and minds on this subject
To courageously offer clear spiritual, moral and ethical guidance on this life and death matter
The time for the clergy to be brave is now
There is no more time to wait, no more time to be silent
May God help us
BOTH: Our Father, who art in heaven
SCHENCK: Maybe the greatest temptation for me over the years was to rely on simple answers
And simple answers can be like heroin in your vein
In an instant, you're relieved of all that tension
But in the end it's very harmful, very dangerous, can be fatal
So this journey has been like gaining sobriety, like suddenly becoming sober and seeing things the way they really are
Maybe for me for the first time in many years
There are many people, many Christians, who are arming themselves because they're fearful
Terribly fearful about potential or imagined threats to them, to their families, even to their churches
When God's people are in bondage to fear I think we, as pastors, shepherds of souls, should be concerned
I've asked pastors where and how they get their information on gun issues
Most tell me Fox News or the NRA
Brothers and sisters, Fox News and the NRA are not spiritual authorities
I'm concerned about the NRA promoting the idea that the best way to solve the most vexing problems in our society is to be prepared to shoot people dead
That doesn't sit well with me as a Christian moral vision
And when we champion the Second Amendment over and above the Word of God, then we must be very careful that in respecting the Second Amendment we don't violate the Second Commandment
You want to know what the meaning of all this is? All 66 books of the Bible? Put it all together, all of Church tradition
Love God, and love the person next to you
It's as simple as that
[CROWD CHEERING] SCHENCK: "The night is far gone," Paul says
"The day is at hand, so then let us cast off "the works of darkness, "fear, ignorance, hatred, vengeance, "and put on the armor of light
" Let's pray
It demands a lot of lamentable patience, because I do know lives are on the line
Certainly what I would call the spiritual health of the church is on the line
PHILLIPS: Daddy doesn't need to do it
CHILD: Boo![GASPS] PHILLIPS: Jordan's death profoundly affected me, affected my family, affected my business model
I've gone from just saying all right I'm a personal injury lawyer to, you know, we're not worried about really profit
We're worried about changing laws and, you know, doing whatever that takes
It's generally not a good way to operate a business, but it's, uh, you know, it's something that's so profoundly a must right now
And if you don't think your child could be next, you're blind
REPORTER 1: It took two trials and nearly two years, but the parents of Jordan Davis finally have the verdict they hoped for in the murder of their son
REPORTER 2: After five-and-a-half hours of deliberations, a jury found Michael Dunn guilty of first-degree murder
REPORTER 3: Pending an appeal the 47-year-old will spend the rest of his life in prison without a chance of parole
MCBATH: Words cannot express our joy, but also our great sorrow
Because with the verdicts of all counts being guilty for Michael Dunn, we know that Jordan has received his justice
We know that Jordan's life and legacy will live on for others
But at the same time we're very saddened by the life that Michael Dunn will continue to live
We are saddened for his family and for his friends and the community that will continue to suffer by his actions
But we are very grateful that justice has been served, justice not only for Jordan, but justice for Trayvon
And justice for all the nameless faces and children and people that will never have a voice
And Ron and I are committed to giving our lives to walking out Jordan's justice, and Jordan's legacy
PHILLIPS: It's not often you get to meet a person like Lucy
She's re-dedicating her life to this
I've had other families and they get involved and then they're like, "Well, wait
"No, let me back off
" And Lucy never backed off
You know, she's still on the accelerator
Before us today stands the Goliath of the gun lobby and we are the Davids called to protect and serve those that cannot protect themselves
Collectively together, let's aim to keep our communities free from laws that infringe upon our right to live without fear of unnecessary gun violence
And today, we are calling on the NRA's leadership to pay heed to the 90% of American citizens who believe that one's Second Amendment rights must be tempered with common sense safety measures
Moms, stand up
[CRYING] Speak out
For the lives that you save very well may be your own
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING] I may never see change, but that's okay
I'll live the rest of my life knowing that I did my best, and that whatever I've done has helped somebody
In whatever way, small way, I know I've done what I was supposed to do
So as long as I'm living my life doing that, I'm okay
I may never see the change, you know, but that
That's okay
That's just like, you know, believing in God even though I've never seen him
SCHENCK: From the deep pain of her experience, I thank you for today and I pray as Lucy shares her heart, that others will hear her heart and her passion and feel her pain, so they can see through a different lens
We pray in all things, your will be done, not our own
In Jesus' name
Audio:
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