FAITHS UNITED TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES

WHEREAS:

Each of our faiths teaches us that all human life is sacred and must be protected;

Clergy, laity, and religious representatives of all faiths and denominations are called upon to comfort friends and families of victims of gun violence and see firsthand the loss and pain caused by firearms;

Every day in the United States approximately 300 people, including 65 children and teens, are injured or killed with guns in murders, assaults, suicides, and accidents;

Among high-income populous countries, the United States accounts for 80% of all firearm deaths, including 86% of women killed by firearms, and 87% of all children from birth to 14 years killed by firearms;

Preventable gun violence drains our country of $100 billion every year in medical, criminal justice, and security costs;

An estimated 40 percent of gun sales occur without a Brady criminal background check;

Background checks for private sales reduces gun trafficking within a state by48 percent; strong, enforced gun dealer licensing laws reduce gun trafficking within a state by64 percent; and licensing and registration make it more difficult to obtain crime guns locally; and

While the Supreme Court has held that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to “keep and bear arms”, they have also made it clear that this right is “not unlimited”.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
That the undersigned national faith organization believes it is a moral imperative to reduce death and injury from gunfire and endorses comprehensive and effective public policy measures such as those recommended by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and other experts, including:

Keeping guns out of the hands of prohibited persons by closing gaps in the background check system, including requiring Brady criminal background checks for all sales at gun shows;

Decreasing the firepower available to civilians by prohibiting large capacity ammunition magazines;

Implementing a common sense, comprehensive approach to help law enforcement prevent gun trafficking that will decrease the availability of illegal guns, including licensing handgun purchasers and strengthening the regulation of gun dealers;

Strengthening record keeping of gun transfers, and requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns to law enforcement to ensure better accountability of guns for persons involved in the supply of guns to the illegal market;

Supporting efforts to increase resources and capacity for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and repealing existing statutory restrictions that hamper the agency’s ability to combat illegal gun trafficking;

Supporting new technologies to help law enforcement more effectively trace crime guns and supporting development of safety features to childproof guns;

Encouraging local efforts to prevent and reduce gun violence;

Urging firearms retailers to implement protocols aimed at preventing the sales of firearms to prohibited purchasers and preventing “straw purchases”; and

Improving the National Violent Death Reporting System Data, and restoring firearms research funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

FAITHS UNITED TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

As of December 6, 2012 (39 endorsers)

African Methodist Episcopal Church (Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker)

Alliance of Baptists (Carol Blythe)

American Baptist Churches of the South (Dr. Walter Parrish)

American Friends Service Committee (Elizabeth Enloe)

Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (LeDayne McLeese)

Catholic Health Association of the United States (Mike Rodgers)

Catholic Health Initiatives (Laura Krausa)

Catholics In Alliance for the Common Good (Fred Rotondaro)

Church of the Brethren (Nate Hosler)

Church Women United (Djamillah Samad)

Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) (Father Michael McNulty)

Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). (Kaye Edwards)

Dominican Sisters of Peace (Sister Judy Morris)

The Episcopal Church (DeWayne Davis)

Franciscan Action Network (Patrick Carolan)

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) (Ruth Flower)

Health Ministries Association (Marlene Feagan)

Heeding God's Call (Bryan Miller)

International Parish Nurse Resource Center (William “Butch” Odom)

Islamic Society of North America (Dr. Sayyid Syeed)

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (Roni Berkowitz)

Leadership Conference of Women Religious (Sister Ann Scholz)

Mennonite Central Committee, Washington Office (Jesse Epp Fransen)

National Advocacy Center, Sisters of the Good Shepherd (Larry Couch)

National Council of Churches Of Christ in the U.S.A. (Cassandra Carmichael)

National Episcopal Health Ministries (Matt Ellis)

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby (Marge Clark)

PICO National Network – Lifelines to Healing Campaign (Rev. Michael McBride)

Presbyterian Church USA (J. Herbert Nelson)

Progressive National Baptist Convention (Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas)

Rabbinical Assembly (Jan Kaufman)

Union for Reform Judaism (Michael Pasek)

Unitarian Universalist Association (Taquiena Boston)

United Church of Christ – Justice and Witness Covenanted Ministry (Sala Nolan Gonzales)

United Methodist Church -- General Board of Church and Society (Bill Mefford)

United Methodist Church – United Methodist Women (Julie Taylor)

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (Rabbi Steven Wernick)

Women of Reform Judaism (Jeanne Kahn and Sarah Krinksy)

World Sikh Council – American Region (Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia)

Perspective Check

Twas 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38,
When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
Those children all flew into the arms of their King
And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
One small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."
Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA