2002 Volume 4

EDITORIAL

Dear Reader

It was with much interest that I discovered in a press book review of 'Child of This Soil, My Life as a Freedom Fighter' by Letlapa Mphahlele (Letlapa was the commander of APLA that ordered the St James Massacre) that our meeting and church attendance after the St James Massacre was mentioned. I returned fire on that fateful night and wounded Gcinikhaya Makoma, one of the APLA attackers.

Letlapa and I enjoyed going out for lunch and he introduced me to Gcinikhaya when we visited him in jail together. We spoke about many issues and enjoyed a few good laughs together as we discussed racism and our different cultural backgrounds.

The word 'reconciliation' is still being bandied around but what difference does it make if one is reconciled to somebody who murdered your Christian brothers and sisters, if there is no true forgiveness? It was and is my Christian responsibility to forgive Letlapa and Gcinikhaya for their attack on my friends and I, which I have done as documented in my book 'Shooting Back - The Right and Duty of Self-Defence'. However, experiencing forgiveness from God is far more important than us forgiving each other. His forgiveness is, according to the Bible, conditional on us forgiving others and also repenting or turning away from our sin and no longer following that way of life but submitting ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is this message of forgiveness that must be remembered during this time of celebration at Christmas.

Letlapa and I have two very different worldviews - he believes that the end justifies the means (situational ethics) and that man is inherently good. The Biblical worldview teaches that there is one standard of right and wrong and that is given to us in The Bible. Bible believing Christians also believe in the inherent wickedness of man and that is why I carry a firearm - to protect my family and the innocent from those who believe that the end justifies the means and so justify murdering innocent people for a 'just cause'.

It is incredible that after the shooting back to protect the innocent at St James and also the East London Pub attack the same year of 1993, where an armed patron also returned fire, the government is still, through the infamous Firearms Control Act, wanting to declare gun-free zones. This merely makes the working environment of the criminals safer. We need to refuse to support any laws that leave us defenceless against murderers, robbers, rapists and arsonists.

From the staff and volunteers of Firearm News we wish you a blessed Christmas and a safe New Year.