How Long O Lord?

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.

                                                                                                                                ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In the wake of yet another mass shooting, I’ve heard many folks of good faith saying that we need to have a “national conversation” concerning the proliferation of guns – specifically the easy availability of assault rifles in our country.  Conversations are all well and good, but we need to know with whom to have these conversations. 

With the help of the Center for Responsive Politics and figures provided by the Federal Election Commission as of May 16, 2017, I’ve put together a list of elected leaders on both sides of the political aisle who received campaign contributions indirectly from the National Rifle Association through PACs, their individual members, or employees or owners, and those individuals’ immediate families.

Perhaps our conversations should start here with phone calls and handwritten letters to those elected to represent us saying we’ve had enough; saying that what we do to the least of these, we do to Christ;  We can have all the conversations we want, but until elected officials hear from us, our conversations are in vain.  How many more children have to die by assault rifles before we take our “thoughts and prayers” and put them into actions and policies?

By the way, the monies listed below do not include the millions of dollars spent by the NRA to defeat those who advocate for background checks and the outlawing of military grade assault weapons.  According to the Center for Responsive Politics, since 1990 Political Action Committees associated with the National Rifle Association have given over $20 million to political campaigns of both parties.  This is madness; and it has to stop.  As people of faith we must take a stand.  How can we do anything less?

Blunt, Roy (R-MO) Senate$11,900

Comstock, Barbara (R-VA) House$10,400

Burr, Richard (R-NC) Senate$9,900

Coffman, Mike (R-CO) House$9,900

Grassley, Chuck (R-IA) Senate$9,900

Guinta, Frank (R-NH) House$9,900

Hardy, Cresent (R-NV) House$9,900

Hurd, Will (R-TX) House $9,900

Katko, John (R-NY) House $9,900

Mills, Stewart (R-MN) House $9,900

Paul, Rand (R-KY) Senate $9,900

Poliquin, Bruce (R-ME) House $9,900

Portman, Rob (R-OH) Senate$9,900

Rubio, Marco (R-FL) Senate$9,900

Zeldin, Lee (R-NY) House$9,900

Heck, Joe (R-NV) House$8,900

Hoeven, John (R-ND) Senate$8,450

Isakson, Johnny (R-GA) Senate$8,450

Blum, Rod (R-IA) House$7,450

Goodlatte, Bob (R-VA) House$7,450

Johnson, Ron (R-WI) Senate$7,450

Young, Don (R-AK) House$6,950

McSally, Martha (R-AZ) House$6,500

Ayotte, Kelly (R-NH) Senate$5,950

Boozman, John (R-AR) Senate$5,950

Culberson, John (R-TX) House$5,950

Faso, John (R-NY) House$5,950

Garrett, Scott (R-NJ) House$5,950

Ryan, Paul (R-WI) House$5,950

Shuster, Bill (R-PA) House $5,950

Smucker, Lloyd (R-PA) House $5,950

Tenney, Claudia (R-NY) House $5,950

Young, Todd (R-IN) House $5,950

Cole, Tom (R-OK) House $5,000

Lankford, James (R-OK) Senate$5,000

Thune, John (R-SD) Senate$5,000

Bacon, Donald John (R-NE) House$4,950

Bergman, John (R-MI) House$4,950

Boehner, John (R-OH) House$4,950

Boustany, Charles Jr (R-LA) House$4,950

Comer, James (R-KY) House$4,950

Crapo, Mike (R-ID) Senate$4,950

Gallagher, Mike (R-WI) House$4,950

Hudson, Richard (R-NC) House$4,950

Kennedy, John (R-LA) Senate$4,950

Mast, Brian (R-FL) House$4,950

Mullin, Markwayne (R-OK) House$4,950

Scalise, Steve (R-LA) House$4,950

Shelby, Richard C (R-AL) Senate$4,950

Smith, Lamar (R-TX) House$4,950

Tarkanian, Danny (R-NV )House$4,950

Vitter, David (R-LA) Senate$4,950

Young, David (R-IA) House$4,950

Calvert, Ken (R-CA) House$4,500

Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK) Senate$4,500

Scott, Tim (R-SC) Senate$4,500

Bishop, Rob (R-UT) House$4,000

Dent, Charlie (R-PA) House$4,000

Loudermilk, Barry (R-GA) House$4,000

McHenry, Patrick (R-NC) House$4,000

Mica, John L (R-FL) House$4,000

Walberg, Tim (R-MI) House$4,000

Yoder, Kevin (R-KS) House$4,000

Zinke, Ryan K (R-MT) House$4,000

Aderholt, Robert B (R-AL) House$3,500

Bishop, Sanford (D-GA) House$3,500

Chabot, Paul (R-CA) House$3,500

Joyce, David P (R-OH) House$3,500

Lewis, Jason (R-MN) House$3,500

McCaul, Michael (R-TX) House$3,500

Nunes, Devin (R-CA) House$3,500

Olson, Pete (R-TX) House$3,500

Taylor, Scott W (R-VA) House$3,500

Tipton, Scott (R-CO) House$3,500

Valadao, David (R-CA) House$3,500

Bishop, Sanford (D-Ga) House $3,500

Budd, Ted (R-NC) House$3,000

Cook, Paul (R-CA) House$3,000

Cuellar, Henry (D-TX) House$3,000

Duncan, Jeff (R-SC) House$3,000

Ferguson, Drew (R-GA) House$3,000

Graves, Tom (R-GA) House$3,000

Hunter, Duncan D (R-CA) House$3,000

Jenkins, Evan (R-WV) House$3,000

Knight, Steve (R-CA) House$3,000

LaHood, Darin (R-IL) House$3,000

Latta, Robert E (R-OH) House$3,000

Love, Mia (R-UT) House$3,000

Newhouse, Dan (R-WA)House$3,000

Paulsen, Erik (R-MN)House$3,000

Reed, Tom (R-NY) House$3,000

Stewart, Chris (R-UT) House$3,000

Tiberi, Pat (R-OH) House$3,000

Black, Diane (R-TN) House$2,500

Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN) House$2,500

Carter, John (R-TX) House$2,500

Collins, Doug (R-GA) House$2,500

Curbelo, Carlos (R-FL) House$2,500

Davis, Rodney (R-IL) House$2,500

Fareed, Justin (R-CA) House$2,500

Granger, Kay (R-TX) House$2,500

Collins, Chris (R-NY) House $2,000

Hanna, Richard (R-NY) House $2,000

Peterson, Collin (D-Mn) House $2,000

Stefanik, Elise (R-NY) House $2,000

Walz, Tim (D-MN) House$2,000

Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL) House$50

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Doug