God is Love
A Statement on
Gun Violence in the United States
This statement was
given by Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson at a press conference held in
Washington, DC, on January 15, 2013. Religious leaders and Faith Against Gun
Violence came together to press for tighter gun regulations to stop gun
violence in the United States.
First, let me give honor and praise
to our Creator for the opportunity to speak with the press today regarding the
eradication of gun violence in the United States. I am the Reverend Dr. J.
Herbert Nelson, Director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness
in Washington, DC. I represent nearly two million members of our denomination.
I also represent today the National Council of Churches which includes 37
Christian denominations and their over 100,000 congregations and 45 million
persons in the United States. Our collective presence of interfaith leaders
gathered today is a witness to our belief in the need for faith leaders to bind
ourselves together on both national and local levels. We are aware that
pressure from the gun lobby and gun owners continues to mount around this
issue. But we believe that political leaders in Washington can resolve this
problem and achieve meaningful gun reform if only they have the will.
As we celebrate the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. on his birthday today, it is imperative for us to be
reminded that he was a man who advocated for peace and justice. I am convinced
that if he were here today, this issue would be the priority of his leadership.
In the United States today, since 1997 we are witnessing gun deaths of more
than thirty thousand persons per year. From the Revolutionary War in 1775 to
the Persian Gulf War in 1991 which totaled 116 years there were 650,858 persons
killed in combat. In the eighteen years from 1979 to 1997 we have experienced
651,697 deaths by guns. There were 839 more persons killed by guns during this
18 year period in the United States than in 116 years of foreign wars involving
the United States.[i] No
longer can faith communities stand idly by and commit to performing burials
while bowing to lobbyists whose motivations are driven by a false standard of
profit and power. We stand today on the premise that faith does have something to say about life and death. Therefore, it is
imperative that we declare that our Creator affirms life abundantly while
giving leadership to those of us who will challenge the false choice between
guns and freedom.
We have gathered to call for 1) a ban
on all assault weapons. These are weapons of war and there is no reason for
common citizens to purchase or possess them. We do not use AK-47’s to hunt
deer! Therefore, we are calling for the reinstatement of the assault weapons
ban which lapsed in 2004. 2) We are calling for universal background checks.
Presently, there is no federal provision for background checks and some states
that do not require them at all. Therefore, persons that are mentally ill or do
not know how to fire a gun or possess criminal records can make gun purchases. 3)
Gun trafficking should be made a federal
crime. Currently, prosecutions only happen through a law that prohibits
selling guns without a federal license, which carries the same punishment as
trafficking chicken or livestock. We must empower law enforcement to
investigate and prosecute straw purchasers, gun traffickers, and their entire
criminal networks.
We must not minimize the struggle of
families who mourn the loss of those children and teachers killed at Sandy Hook
Elementary School. The Newtown community tragedy brought this issue of gun violence
to the forefront in public debate. However, it is a greater tragedy that we
live in a culture of violence that self-perpetuates and makes gun violence
acceptable. According to one journalist,
each evening on the eleven o’clock news many television stations wait until two
to three minutes before the broadcast to determine the lead story, because they
are waiting for the possibility of a late night shooting. The common term in
the media for this is “if it bleeds, it leads.” Newtown is representative of a
long list of tragic community killings through gun violence. Our purpose here
today is to declare that our faith perspectives and holy books call us, first
and foremost, to love one another, not to protect ourselves against one
another.
In inner city and some rural
communities today, the criminal element connected to guns is rampant due to a
lack of economic opportunity – dismal job prospects; low wages; and historic, flawed,
and failing public education. Without opportunities, children are forced to
choose gangs, guns, and incarceration over graduation. All of these dismal realities
of community life are perfect for drugs, trafficking, prostitution, and other
public safety issues stemming from illegal activities that create an
environment for guns to neutralize the affects among criminals in a community. If
the real truth is exposed, we would realize that none of us are safe in this
country. Shopping malls, political rallies, temples, mosques, churches, schools,
including college campuses, and a host of other public venues are all potential
sites for gun violence at any given time. The challenge of eradicating gun
violence is that there must be a change of heart and Spirit in our nation. This
issue of creating peace for our nation is tied to justice and how we treat our
neighbors and whether each person has an opportunity for economic livelihood.
If Dr. King were alive today, he
would remind us that the United States is a great nation, when it measures its
greatness on its moral and ethical actions. “Let us be first in love,” he would
declare. Guns must be brought under tighter legislative restrictions for the
purpose of saving lives and restoring the integrity of our commitment to
promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We stand together today,
because we know beyond all else that God is love. Let our love bind us together
to challenge the onslaught of gun violence in our nation. Tell Congress and our
President to pass legislation that will tighten gun laws in this country. God
is love!
View the video of this morning's remarks:
View the video of this morning's remarks:
[i] James Atwood, America and It’s Guns: A Theological Expose (Eugene Oregon: Cascade Books, 2012) Appendix p. 227-228.
