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March 2, 2021Provided by OLG Justice and Charity Council, Gun Violence SubcommitteeLimiting Gun Violence
The first week of February was National Gun Violence Survivor week. It marks the approximate time when gun deaths in the United States surpass the number of gun deaths experienced by our peer countries in an entire calendar year. Tragically, our gun death rate is 11 times greater than other high-income nations. Behind every gun violence statistic, there are countless stories – parents who never got to kiss their kids goodbye, gunshot victims living with physical and emotional wounds, and entire families heartbroken by suicide.
In the fall of 2020, leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opened their annual meeting by calling on clerics to advocate for certain public policies, such as legislation that could limit gun violence. The opening session included a lengthy presentation on gun violence by Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida. He said the bishops' conference already advocates for several federal policies designed to curb gun deaths, such as an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, limits on large-capacity magazines, and laws about gun trafficking. The bishops consider this a pro-life stance.
Indiana is among 20 states with the highest rates of gun violence. Even though Indiana was one of the first states to enact an Extreme Risk law, Indiana has no law requiring background checks on unlicensed gun sales. (Source: www.Everytown.org) In Indiana, 7 permit-less carry bills are being proposed in the state legislation ( HB 1034, HB 1232, HB 1241, HB 1289, HB 1369, HB 1460, and HB 1544). States with permit-less carry see a 13-15% increase in gun violence. (Source: www.Everytown.org)
On a related note, permit fees help fund the police. We hope you will help us advocate, for common-sense measures that can save lives, by contacting your Indiana representative. How do I contact my State Senator or Representative? – IN.gov
If you are interested in learning more, come to an OLG Justice and Charity meeting or join the Flocknote group.
The USCCB site has some excellent reference materials on the church’s stance on gun violence. Here are just a couple of informative documents:
https://www.usccb.org/resources/responses-plague-gun-violence
https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/upload/gun-violence-backgrounder-01-2016.pdf