The recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has made us all pause and ask, “Why have mass shootings, or even daily shootings on a smaller scale, become normalized in the US? Why isn’t it occurring in other developed countries? Why do we feel helpless and afraid at seeing what is occurring in our country?”
The Church & Society/Social Justice Committee believes that we are not helpless and that we all need to take action to whatever extent we can. Pastor Jeremy wrote a compassionate response to the recent news and included links to Washington-state organizations focusing on gun responsibility, such as the Alliance for Gun Responsibility where you can read their Policy Agenda and take action by writing a letter to our Senators through a link on the website.
Grandmothers Against Gun Violence is a grassroots advocacy organization that has a diverse membership of not only grandmothers but others who are pressuring legislative members to enact various gun regulation laws. Anyone can be involved! The GAGV Foundation has also funded research at the University of Washington to learn more about gun violence while the federal government was unable to fund this kind of research until recently.
One of the national organizations advocating for sensible gun regulation is Every Town for Gun Safety. The “Take Action” link on the website informs us of actions we can undertake.
Another national organization, the Giffords Law Center, founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, tracks legislation in all 50 states and provides valuable research data. In a recent statement the Giffords Law Center issued the following:
“Enough is enough. Leaders in Washington—Democrats and Republicans—have a moral obligation to come together and curb gun violence in this country. The families in Buffalo and Uvalde and countless communities across the country deserve nothing less. We’re calling for a swift, focused and impactful response: First, the Senate must act on safer gun laws like universal background checks. Second, the Senate must swiftly confirm the president’s nominee for ATF. Third, the Biden administration must roll out a robust executive action agenda. Americans are watching, and they will remember who met this moment with courage and resolve, and who allowed violence to continue because of their own fear and cowardice.”
Specifically, we need to demand the following* in advocating for national legislation:
- Universal background checks on all gun purchases
- Ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers
- Prohibiting gun purchases for those under restraining order due to threat of violence and those with serious mental illness who pose a danger to themselves and their communities
- Ensuring greater access to services for those with mental illness
- Establishing a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession
- Banning large capacity ammunition magazines and weapons
- Promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety
We are not helpless. We have many ways to respond. Most certainly we need to pressure our Senators to enact sensible national gun legislation and not succumb to the pressure of the National Rifle Association. We must not allow our schools to become armed fortresses.
On another front we need to pay attention to those who are in the “depths of despair.” We need to listen to those who seek attention by committing desperate acts as a form of suicide. (Most mass shooters have no exit plan.) We need to pay attention to social media posts. We need provide mental health services for those in need. And we need to keep dangerous weapons out of their hands.
*You can read more on what the United Methodist Church is doing to prevent gun violence here.