Toward Reducing Gun Violence in the United States
Resolution of First Congregational UCC. Naperville
January 2016
Theological Basis:
As the United Church of Christ, we covenant together in justice and peace. From the Bible:
· Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder." From the 10 Commandments
· Mathew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers”
· Matthew 5:43: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
· Matthew 22:39 "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
· II Corinthians 13:11“Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you”
In loving our neighbor we trust in God and declare that we will live peacefully.
Rationale:
Whereas, in an average year, 100,000 Americans are shot or killed with a gun with over 30,000 deaths annually are caused by civilians shooting and killing other civilians, whether these shootings are intentional, accidental, suicidal, criminal or otherwise.
Whereas, responsible gun ownership is consistent with our constitutional rights, with most fatal and non-fatal shootings resulting from abuse or misuse of guns.
Whereas, in the decade following the Federal Assault Weapons Act of 1994 there was a 66% decline in assault weapon use.
Whereas, the Federal Assault Weapons Act of 1994 was not extended by Congress once the legislation expired in 2004.
Whereas, (1) annually, there are 1.5 million crimes committed where firearms were used; (2) 68% of murders are gun-related; (3) 55% of suicides are by using guns; and (4) more than 69,000 shootings each year are non-fatal, yet still leave in their wake a trail of pain, suffering, disabilities and/or disfigurement, and anguish and grief for family and community.
Whereas, African-Americans and Latinos are victims of gun violence at significantly higher rates than the rest of our society.
Whereas, guns account for more murders of women by their intimate partners than all other methods of killing women combined.
Whereas, an average of 1,333 guns are recovered in criminal investigations each year that were traced back to a licensee who claimed it was lost or stolen but was never reported.
Whereas, having a gun in an environment makes people:
• 3 times more vulnerable to a homicide,
• 3-5 times more vulnerable to a suicide and
• 4 times more likely to have an accidental death;
Whereas, a child in the US is 17 times more likely to die of gun violence than in 25 other high-income countries;
Resolution:
Be it resolved that we, the Members of the First Congregational UCC of Naperville:
· Call upon our local, state, and federal legislators to enact reforms that limit access to assault weapons and handguns;
· Call upon state and local law enforcement agencies to explore the purchase of "smart gun" technology for officers;
· Prayerfully, financially, and otherwise support the National Council of Churches in ecumenical efforts for gun violence reduction, including preparing educational materials about the magnitude of gun violence, developing avenues for dialogue among gun owners and gun safety advocates within our congregations, insisting that commercial sellers adopt and adhere to responsible sales practices, and offering a faithful witness in cooperating with inter-faith and nonreligious anti-gun violence advocacy organizations; and
· Support President Obama's 1/5/2016 "Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer" including; improved and more comprehensive background checks, system whereby gun sellers report lost or stolen firearms, increase access to mental health treatment and removal of barriers to reporting relevant mental health issues to background check system, and conducting or sponsoring research into gun safety technology.
References
"Gun Violence by the Numbers", Every Town for Gun Safety, http://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/#foot_note_1 (uses data provided by the Centers for Disease Control)
"Gun Violence in America by the Numbers", Whitehouse, https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/gun_violence_in_america_by_the_numbers.pdf
"FACTSHEET: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer", Whitehouse, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/05/fact-sheet-new-executive-actions-reduce-gun-violence-and-make-our
"How to Build a Smarter Gun", Fortune, https://fortunedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/gun1-05-01-15.jpg?quality=80