As a parent, I can’t imagine having to bury one of my daughters after she had been gunned down at school. But this is the case for numerous families, yet again, after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

In the aftermath of another mass shooting, as if following a now-common script, there’s much talk about the mental health of the shooter, who knew what when, whether the firearm was purchased legally, whether those at the school were trained for such an event, how best to help those impacted and how better to secure our schools in the future.

The script also dictates, according to some, that we aren’t supposed to talk about gun rights too quickly, because that would be to politicize such a horrific event, coming across as insensitive to the grieving families. To remain silent about guns now or at any time, however, is simply irresponsible.

If Nikolas Cruz hadn’t owned a military-style rifle, he wouldn’t have been able to kill so many people in so short a time. In fact, if gun ownership had been highly regulated in this country, he probably wouldn’t have been able to kill anybody with a gun.

Of course, we’re told that the right to bear arms is a fundamental right for Americans, one that represents a whole slew of rights. To restrict the right to bear arms, some say, is to encourage the government to restrict other rights, ultimately threatening our freedom. How that could be the case eludes me, so I’ll leave that argument to others. Instead, I want to reflect on gun rights as a Christian and as a parent.

Even if we grant that Americans have a right to bear arms, including owning an assault weapon like the AR-15 rifle used in Parkland, why would a Christian want to do so? Perhaps a Christian might want to own an AR-15 as a gun enthusiast, as a hobby. Perhaps such a person enjoys shooting an AR-15, appreciating the engineering of the rifle or exhibiting a desire to excel at marksmanship. That’s understandable. And I can imagine that we could set up secure and safe shooting ranges where gun enthusiasts could enjoy their hobby, even when it comes to military-style weapons. But after that, why might a Christian want to own such a weapon? To that I have no answer.

Rather than championing a blanket right to own guns, what if Christians saw the issue of gun rights, and the now commonplace gun violence in our schools and elsewhere, as an opportunity to practice Jesus’ command to love our neighbor? What if the love of neighbor, and especially the love of some of the most vulnerable among us, like children, was greater than any supposed political right?

Why wouldn’t Christians, out a profound sense of love and not entitlement, work to restrict guns in America to the point that we feel confident that the wrong people won’t get them? Why for so many Christians does the right to bear arms seem more important than Jesus’ command to love and care for our neighbors, especially the children in our midst?

As a Christian and as a parent, I am more than willing to give up certain rights or freedoms in order to work toward protecting my and everybody’s children. I’m okay with seatbelt laws, building codes, food safety policies and a host of other such “restrictions” because I believe they are put in place for the wellbeing of my family and my neighbors. In the same way, I’m okay with highly regulating gun ownership.

No amount of gun regulation will put an end to gun violence in America. It’s a complex problem that requires a multifaceted response. But I absolutely can imagine that strict gun regulations will significantly lower gun violence in our country. The issue, then, centers around what matters most to us, especially as Christians. And as Christians, there should be no question.

But here we are again, facing an all-too-common tragedy, so it has to be asked: Why wouldn’t we opt for love over guns?