'He wanted to stay near me'

Maggots and blowflies, creatures that feast on dead human bodies, serve highly useful purposes by returning organic matter to the soil and removing potential sources of disease. So, it's possible that Chris Murphy might also be of some social utility -- although it's hard to see him as other than a self-promoting ghoul after a shooting. Even the left-leaning Politico has named Murphy, the Democrat junior senator from Connecticut, as one of "The 7 Most Shameless Attention-Seekers in Congress." And sure enough, just hours after the mass shooting at Brown University, there was Murphy on CNN's State of the Union.  Inevitably, Murphy made his pitch for more gun control. And in doing so, Murphy unleashed a scurrilous accusation against President Trump: "Over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country . . . He has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country." Host Dana Bash is no fan of the Second Amendment. At the beginning of the segment, she made sure to establish her lefty bona fides. When Murphy claimed that "we don't have the leadership in Washington to do anything, anything, to respond to the shooting this weekend," Bash oozed empathy: "We haven't had the wherewithal to do anything in Washington . . . for years and years and years." Even so, Bash seemed at least a bit taken aback by Murphy's accusation against Trump. But her pushback was meek and mild: "That's a pretty big statement. He's in a campaign to make violence more likely?" A "big" statement? How about an outrageous one, Dana? Murphy doubled down: "Of course!" So much for "fact checking in real time"!  Murphy's argument in support of his accusation is that Trump is supporting various measures that supposedly make violence more likely. Central was Murphy's claim that: "[Trump] is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns . . . He's knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people . . . When you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence." Murphy would have viewers believe that Trump has, across the board, restored gun rights to felons, and in particular, to "dangerous" ones. He's lying, and Bash didn't push back. She turned the focus back to recalcitrant Republicans: "Do you think that there is any appetite for any discussion right now?"   Per Grok and Google Gemini: President Trump has not restored gun rights to all felons. Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)) continues to prohibit anyone convicted of a felony (a crime punishable by more than one year in prison) from possessing firearms. This categorical ban remains in effect and has not been repealed or universally lifted. The Trump administration has taken steps to revive a long-dormant federal process for individual relief from this prohibition: In February 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing a review of gun policies to protect Second Amendment rights. The Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Pam Bondi, published rules and proposals to restart the relief program under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c). This program, defunded by Congress since 1992, allows certain prohibited persons (including some felons) to apply on a case-by-case basis for restoration of federal gun rights. The DOJ emphasizes that relief is for individuals deemed not "likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety," with presumptive ineligibility for violent felons, domestic abusers, sex offenders, and others considered high-risk. Focus is primarily on non-violent offenders (e.g., white-collar crimes, drug possession, or property offenses) who have shown rehabilitation. As of mid-2025, the DOJ has granted relief to a small number of individuals, around 10 reported cases. It is not a blanket restoration — violent felons and those posing ongoing risks remain barred.  Under the proposed "relief from disability" program, several categories of individuals and specific types of felonies would be presumed permanently ineligible for gun rights restoration, absent extraordinary circumstances.  The categories that face this strong presumption of denial include individuals convicted of crimes involving violence. This includes offenses such as: Homicide/Murder Sexual Assault/Rape Kidnapping Burglary Robbery Arson Crimes that involve physical force or an element of violence Threatening or stalking offenses Any firearm-related conviction involving violence Sex Offenders Fugitives from justice Unlawful users of controlled substances Individuals subject to active domestic violence restraining orders Unlawfully present aliens Individuals with recent mental health commitments or adjudications  To label as a scurrilous lie Murphy's accusation that Trump has engaged in a deliberate campaign to increase violence by restoring gun rights to violent felons would be a gross understatement.  Chris Murphy faces a steep path to rise to the social utility level of maggots and blowflies. But in the spirit of the Christmas season, we'll hold out a modicum of hope for him.  CNN State of the Union 12/14/25 9:05 am ET CHRIS MURPHY: Unfortunately, right now we don't have the leadership in Washington to do anything, anything, to respond to the shooting this weekend.  DANA BASH: Yeah, well, we haven't had the wherewithal to do anything in Washington of, I mean, we did a little bit a few years ago, but of means for years and years and years.  . . .  MURPHY: Over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country. He is restoring gun rights to felons and people who have lost their ability to buy guns.  He eliminated the White House Office of Gun Violence Protection. And he has stopped funding mental health grants and community anti-gun violence grants that Republicans and Democrats supported in that 2022 bill.  So he has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country. And I think you're unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America.  BASH: That's a pretty big statement. He's in a campaign to make violence more likely?  MURPHY: Of course. I mean, he's knowingly restoring gun rights to dangerous people. He is cutting off grants that have bipartisan support to try to interrupt violence in our cities or to try to get necessary mental health resources to families and children in need. The evidence tells you that when you stop funding mental health, when you stop funding community anti-gun violence programs, when you give gun rights back to dangerous people, you are going to have an increase in violence that is knowable and that is foreseeable. 

Something has gone wrong. After years of being told they are toxic and problematic, many men have simply cowed in deference to the spirit of our age. They imbibed the poisonous slogans and succumbed to what the world says about them. Those who live day after day in a state of passivity give themselves over to a lie.Some men attempt to punch back either by embracing their “toxicity” or ideologies that are slapped onto them. The temptation in such an age is for men to become passive. This passivity is not a new temptation for men. It is the same temptation that Adam failed to defeat in the garden. Passivity is that peculiar behavior that gives into evil, often standing back and doing nothing. It is the soul bowed in deference. The passive man does not resist the evil doer, he gives in, and doesn’t stand firm in the faith. Even in reacting against the spirit of the age, men can become passive and allow the enemy to set the terms of the engagement. The more common expression of passivity is the man who becomes “nice” in order to placate like a dog who cowers and tucks its tail hoping to stave off any harm. The passive man is an agreeable man. He wants to keep his head down. He would rather be dead than ever appear intimidating to anyone or anything.The man who rejects passivity, on the other hand, is often perceived to be arrogant. He is something who can be accused of “thinking too highly” of himself. But the opposite of passivity is not arrogance but agency. We need men of agency. Men who act, initiate, and change what is within their power to change. Agency is taking responsibility and pushing forward in the face of opposition and obstacles. It is faith in motion. As James 2:17 says, “Faith without works is dead.”There are two main contentions that keep Christian men particularly from taking agency. First, they are told that control is a dangerous idol. Christians, men included, are often taught that if they try to exercise control, then they are not trusting God. This is reflected in surveys of pastors who claim that control is a top idol among their churches. Pastor Eric Geiger, for example, identifies “control” as a “root idol.” For Geiger, control is “a longing to have everything go according to my plan.” Heaven forbid that people want things to go according to plan. Second, they are told that power is inherently bad. Therefore any accumulation of or dispensing of power is considered dangerous and harmful to others. Geiger also frames power itself as a number one root idol that he defines as "a longing for influence or recognition." He encourages Christians to repent of their longing for power and control.Both of these spurious notions are not rooted in scripture but in the upside-down world of the enemy who desires that Christians control nothing and have no power. RELATED: Dear Christian: God didn't call you to be a 'beautiful loser' RomoloTavani/iStock/Getty Images PlusCan a Christian idolize power? Sure. Can a Christian idolize control? Yep. But there is very little nuance when these pastors and Christian leaders speak. They simply wish to denounce power and control, both key ingredients in exercising agency. People who excel at agency — let's call it "high agency" — know what is within their power and control and how to maximize it for good. People with passivity or low agency instead fall back and behave as if nothing is within their control and that they cannot change anything. Sadly it seems that low agency is what is required in some churches today. It is often reframed as a virtue where one is fully trusting God when, in reality, they have relinquished control. Much of the depression, anxiety, and despondency we witness in our world is better understood as passivity and low agency. It is the posture of the soul that just gives itself over to obstacles. Rather than exhibiting resiliency and exertion when in duress, the passive person simply gives up. Consumerism only enables this type of low-exertion lifestyle where people become habituated to quick fixes and easy solutions. Those who live day after day in a state of passivity give themselves over to a lie: They cannot change, nothing will change, they are helpless. When believed en masse, this kind of population is easy to control because they have forsaken control themselves. They are always looking for a strong person, ideology, or drink to fix their problems.This is particularly problematic in Christianity. We believe in providence and human responsibility. We are to love the Lord Jesus Christ by obedience, walking in righteousness and putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Our faith in God should always move us to act in courage as we do not doubt the goodness of God. Agency works along the path of God’s providence and faith. It is the car on the road — and we are called to accelerate.God may give you more than you can handle. He is generous in this way. In our feelings of being overwhelmed or swamped, God invites us to take action and trust in Him. If things do not go as planned, we trust the God who is in total control.We need men today who gain power and control. They must first master themselves to worship the master, Jesus Christ. By the Spirit, we are able to exercise discipline and control over our bodies and put them to good use for God’s glory. One of the quickest ways to slip into passivity is to wait to act until everything is easy. This day is probably not coming for you. Let’s say you want to get married. The man of agency will take the first step he can in finding a bride instead of just waiting around until she appears. Passivity often leads to thinking like a victim. It invites jealousy and contempt for others because others seem to be in control and have power. It creates anxiety because it is always worried about failing or things not working out. Instead the agentic man trusts God’s providence, looks at what he has been given, and works out the problem. In our age of anxiety, agency is the answer. Agency works along the path of God’s providence and faith. It is the car on the road — and we are called to accelerate (and brake when necessary). Men who exude agency will be misperceived today. They will be called prideful, toxic, power-hungry, and controlling. But none of these descriptions are necessarily true. They are simply the reaction strong men receive in an age of passivity. The strong men that are needed in our hard times are ones who take the initiative, assume responsibility, and never give into evil. They are men of high agency.

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