Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey (of all places) takes the position that all Americans should give up their 2nd Amendment rights as a way to achieve peace over violence. I guess I can stop right there considering the absolute idiocy of the statement. But, I’ll go on.

The Cardinal believes the right to bear arms is “eclipsed” by the responsibility to protect innocent people, secure public safety, and establish good order. What he plainly does not recognize is the fact that your 2nd Amendment right does EXACTLY that for not only you but those around you. Although rather cliche, it remains outright truth, the bad guys will always have access to guns.

Now before you start believing this is simply Catholic bashing, let me state I am a practicing Catholic, member of the Knights of Columbus and member of the 4th Degree of the Knights, and head usher at my Sunday morning Mass. I go to church every day except Saturdays.

The Cardinal goes on to say that only peace and never violence is the only truth. Hmmm, tell that to any of the remaining Holocaust survivors. Also reflect upon Great Britian’s appeasement policy in negotiating peacefully with Nazi Germany in the late 1930s / early 1940s only to have long range bombs dropped on them. So much for peace. The “real” truth is that sometimes you do indeed need to either respond with violence or act preemptively with violence to defeat evil. And, your 2nd Amendment right provides you with that ability.

He further goes on to say that only peace can build a free society. Hmm, again, apparently not a history buff. Our free society was built upon the need for guns and violence to defeat evil. Think the Revolutionary War; the Civil War; the First World War; the Second World War; the Invasion of Iraq. Free societies all over the world were built upon the need to use violence, not peace, to defeat evil.

He believes more gun laws and access control regulates our behavior in order to protect the vulnerable and ensure the common good. That statement in and of itself is ridiculous. No one, in the history of mankind, have ever protected vulnerable people without the need for violence. And, what “common good” does he refer to? Do you think any one living under an oppressive Communist, Socialist, or Dictatorship regime believes not having guns is good? Come on.

Every law abiding and legal concealed or open carry citizen gets sickened every time some nut shoots up our fellow Americans. And, perhaps that’s a point. You never hear that the shooter obtained his guns legally, or if he / she did, he or she didn’t have some kind of long term mental problems. Good people will not be saved from more “gun control”.

Here is example of what more gun laws and more “gun controls” looks like: There is a sign in your favorite coffee shop: “NO GUNS ALLOWED”. You’re a law abiding citizen. So, you take your holster off and lock your gun in your car. You go inside to enjoy your favorite brew. 10 minutes later three mutts come in and hold up the store and everyone in it. That sign, that gun control, just made you a sitting duck. But, not to worry, just act peacefully and you’ll be passed over like, well, Pass Over. No you won’t. You’ll be vulnerable and you’ll be a victim of violence.

There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people in our country who don’t believe guns are the answer. They don’t believe violence defeats violence. Fortunately, for them, they are protected by those of us who do.

Cardinal Tobin, stay in your lane. You have enough to fix without making ridiculous statements that endanger your flock.