The Church & Society/Social Justice Committee held a Zoom discussion of gun violence on October 16. Sponsored by Meaningful Movies at First Church Seattle, registrants were encouraged to watch ahead of time the 2016 documentary film Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA that may still be accessed at no charge
The link to the recording of the October 16 discussion may be found at:
Passcode: %9Wqg%A2
Guest speakers included:
• Margaret Heldring, Acting Chair, Grandmothers Against Gun Violence
• Washington State Senator David Frockt, 46th Legislative District-Seattle, who has actively promoted sensible gun legislation.
Several immediate actions emerged from the discussion:
• Call Maria Cantwell (202-224-3441) to ask her to co-sponsor the Assault Weapons Ban Bill, Senate bill 736. You can also go to her website (cantwell.senate.gov) to express your opinion.
• Register for Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, in partnership with MOHAI, Grand Conversation 3.0: Women on Guns, October 25, 5:00, Zoom webinar (grandmothersagainstgunviolence.org). The program will explore the alarming rise in women’s gun ownership, its significance, and what’s next.
• Vote for candidates at the state and federal levels that support sensible gun regulation. You can see the list of candidates for the Washington State Senate and House by district recommended by Grandmothers Against Gun Violence on their home page (grandmothersagainstgunviolence.org).
• Support the work of grassroots organizations such as Grandmothers Against Gun Violence by making donations. You may also support much-needed research funded by their Foundation (foundationgrandmothersagainstgunviolence.org).
• Spread the word that 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. More deaths by guns are caused by suicide than by homicide annually.
Margaret Heldring, Acting Chair of Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, set the stage for our discussion with an overview of the history of individual rights vs. rights to public safety. With the slaughter of children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, the movement for sensible gun regulations and the grassroots organization, Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, were launched. However, gun violence is growing with more than 47,000 deaths in 2021 according to the CDC. Gun ownership is also increasing especially among women. Access to guns increases the risk of death by suicide or homicide.
In the mid-1990s the CDC was prohibited from conducting research on gun violence as a public health concern. However, recently the CDC has funded research related to deaths from gun violence revealing that firearms have been the leading cause of death in children ages 1-19.
Washington State Senator David Frockt, 46th Legislative District-Seattle, spoke about legislative efforts especially in the last five years. Because of the inaction at the federal level in the Senate, and with the recent Supreme Court decision based on originalism, most of the firearms regulation laws have occurred at the state level. Washington State is a leader in this effort passing 16 bills that were all opposed by the NRA. Senator Frockt reported that now bump stocks to increase the deadliness of the AR15 can’t be sold. He also spoke of Intimate Partner Violence and mental illness as disqualifying conditions for gun purchases. Ghost guns made with 3D printers are now illegal as is open carrying of firearms at the State Capitol.
More research is needed to document what laws are working and what can be improved. The state has funded several studies at the University of Washington. The Grandmothers Against Gun Violence Foundation has also funded five studies at the UW. Two 2022 studies involve research to protect youth from firearm suicide and research on the effects of firearm-related Intimate Partner Violence on youth. Summaries of the findings of these and other funded research are presented on the Foundation’s website (foundationgrandmothersagainstgunviolence.org).
In addition to research we also need to build coalitions especially in communities where violence is an everyday occurrence. For example, King County’s “Shots Fired” data-gathering public health project seeks to learn who is shot, why they are shot, and how we can prevent future shootings (kingcounty.gov). Quarterly reports of the data collected may be seen on the website under the Prosecuting Attorney, Criminal Division, Gun Violence Data-Crime Strategies Unit. Additionally, we need to work with our local officials, for example, with the King County Council and Seattle City Council. Sensible gun regulations can begin locally and move to the state. Finally, we can vote for candidates who support commonsense regulations. That involves studying their platforms and their past actions and funding sources.
A small group watched the event in Fellowship Hall and held a very active discussion during the Zoom breakout rooms. Thanks to Jackie Celin, student pastor liaison to the committee, for setting up the Zoom and coordinating the onsite discussion.