October 18th, 2009

Conservative Christians have been particularly sensitive to this issue since President Obama’s comment during the campaign about people turning to guns and religion (watch the Daily Show clip about that below), with some even resorting to bringing guns to town hall meetings (read our earlier post for more on that). Also check out the new Lynyrd Skynyrd “God & Guns” CD (it’s excellent), or download it for free with the Real SuperPass free trial.
 

The old refrain

Of God and guns—

Through political discourse

Often runs.

That they come and go together

Is not uncommon,

Given that the two

Have so much in common.

Both inspire passion,

And love (after a fashion).

In return for supporters’ adoration,

Both offer them self-validation.

Both can be misused.

Both can be abused.

Both issues are often confused.

And by the GOP reused.

Supporters of both resort to them

For problems hard to fix

But neither God nor guns

Go well with politics.

When politicians publicly pray

For many it’s only an empty display,

Like when they put on camo

And to the NRA kowtow.

The Constitution protects

Religion and the Right to Bear Arms

But it recognizes that if misused,

Both things can also cause harms.

That’s why the Constitution also requires

Separation of Church and State

And qualifies the Second Amendment

With the words well regulate.

When God and guns rule,

And politicians become their compliant tool,

Society looses the ability

To treat them with responsibility.

America was founded

By those who freedom propounded.

So please be so kind as to let me be free

To keep your God and guns away from me.

***

Here’s the gaffe by then-candidate Obama that seems to have inspired the song (as reported 4/14/08 by Jon Stewart).

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Headlines – Gaffe-In
www.thedailyshow.com
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And here’s the song. I don’t agree with the politics, but it’s a great song anyway. Please be assured that neither President Obama nor I want to take either your guns or God away—just to keep you from forcing them on the rest of us. And I know that not all Skynyrd fans support the Stars and Bars and what they stand for (I don’t), but some still do.

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Comments

2 Responses to “God and Guns”

1. Newsericks » Blog Archive » We Do Big Things Says:
   January 27th, 2011 at 1:00 am

   [...] Something Obama stumbled on during the 2008 campaign. [...]

2. Newsericks » Blog Archive » Mirror, Mirror (or, Republican Parallel Universe State of the Union for the “Real America”) Says:
   February 20th, 2011 at 1:18 pm

   [...] And everybody owns (and carries) a gun. [...]

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