How many must die?

In 2015, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) there were 16,121 homicides in the United States.

 According to https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/counted-us-police-killings there were 1246 citizens killed by police in 2015.

42 LEO's, http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/29/461402091/number-of-police-officers-killed-by-gunfire-fell-14-percent-in-2015-study-says

6855 uniformed U.S. and civilians in military operations, 2001-2015 https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22452.pdf.

17,502 civilian deaths in Iraq 2015 http://www.statista.com/statistics/269729/documented-civilian-deaths-in-iraq-war-since-2003/

6 in Dallas, 5 police officers and 1 civilian, 7 July 2016

28 U.S. executions, 5th in the world.  5th, that doesn't even qualify for a bronze medal.

Total: 41,800,  only 34,945 with the 14 years of military deaths excluded.

If the United States of America was other than a peaceful, Christian nation where would we be?  We kill each other.  We kill family members, strangers, foreign nationals, prisoners, soldiers, and civilians.  At least in this case our commitment to diversity cannot be questioned.

However, I have had it explained the VAST majority of these killings are justified.  I love all of the people who attempt to comfort me in my anguish and grief.  I even admire and respect many of them.  Unfortunately, rationalization masquerading as justification does not make it so.  A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/active-military-manpower.asp indicates the United States has the 2nd largest military force in the world based on active military personnel.  http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.asp rates the U.S. military to be the most powerful in the world.  In 2014 military spending accounted for 54% of the entire U.S. budget.  We are the 3rd most populous nation in the world.  Depending on your source of reference our economy ranks anywhere from 1st to 3rd in the world.  Our northern and southern borders are Canada and Mexico, respectively.  On our east we have the Atlantic Ocean and on the west the Pacific Ocean.  There is no credible land based threat to our security.  Yet we spend our treasure at a level that exceeds that of the next 11 most "defense" minded nations, http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-spending-budget.asp.

This is not indicative of a peaceful nation.  Rather, it appears to be symptomatic of a country suffused by fear.  According to Carl Von Clausewitz, "to secure peace is to prepare for war", and, "war is merely an extension of diplomacy by other means".  Is this a philosophy that we as a nation have come to embrace?

In preparing for war you have not secured the peace.  You may delay aggression but if your definition of peace is merely the absence of conflict then I find this to be a hopeless situation.

The God of the Old Testament was certainly capable of violence to achieve His ends.  See Genesis 19:24-26, Exodus 15:3-7, Numbers 21:3, Joshua 6:20-21.  This is not meant to be a comprehensive list.

 However, once we proceed to the New Testament, the genesis of Christianity, there is a new paradigm.  Peruse Mathew 5:1-12.  I find verses 7 and 9 to be particularly germane if one is to make a claim to Christianity.  You also have Mark 12:30-31 as a reference for Christian living.  One may wish to read Luke 10:25-37 for a disclosure concerning who is a neighbor.

How many more?  How many more must die?