Faith Community Responses to Gun Violence Across Our Nation
In response to the May 24 school attack that killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, the Rev. Phil Hodson, Conference minister of the South Central Conference of the United Church of Christ, offered this reflection. It appeared as a blog entry at the Conference website under the title, “Waiting on a Miracle.”
The elementary school slaughter in Uvalde marked at least the 30th shooting at a K-12 school in just the first five months of this year.
Just days before, on May 15, a gunman walked into a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, shooting 5 and killing one man.
On May 14, another gunman wrote a white supremacist anti-Black/anti-Semitic manifesto, drove several hours, and shot thirteen people in Tops Market in Buffalo, New York, killing ten people. Eleven of the people shot were Black. Read The Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago Statement on the Massacre in Buffalo and Extremist Rhetoric.*
On May 11, another gunman open-fired at a salon in Koreatown, Dallas, Texas, injuring 3 Korean women. He is also under investigation for other shootings near Asian businesses in the Dallas area.
We grieve these, and the many other shootings that have not garnered the attention required to curb gun violence. We pray for comfort for the families and friends of those touched by these horrific acts.
Gun violence is a public health crisis. It is an issue that needs to be addressed comprehensively. Though there are many reasons people commit acts of gun violence, no longer can we sit idly by and watch precious lives be taken prematurely because of racialized and politicized hatred. Read and sign the AACC Statement on the Dallas, Buffalo, and Laguna Woods Shootings.*
Chicago Had 971 Shootings In First 5 Months Of The Year. Read the Letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot Regarding Responses to Violence in Chicago which CRS joined in signing.
Enough is enough! Now is the time!
Now is the time to prioritize legislation advocating for bans on assault weapons and implement stricter gun laws across all ages. Tell your Senators to take bipartisan action on background checks. Now is the time to organize and engage in voting rights advocacy in federal, state, and local municipalities. Contact your Senators asking for their full support and swift passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so we can make sure that each person’s voice and vote are protected. Read Honoring Sacred Souls: The Shooting in Buffalo and the Image and Likeness of God and find more ways to take action.
Additionally, here are some resources on How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings and what parents can do to aid scared kids in processing grief and fear in a healthy way.
*CRS is a coalition member of these organizations.