Urging Congress To Do Their Job
Pass Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
July 4th Recess Letter Drop
Advocacy Toolkit
Table of Contents
1) Introduction and Background Information
2) Instructions for Letter Drop
3) Sample letter to your Representative to Pass Gun Violence
Prevention Legislation
4) Social Media
5) Primary Objectives of Letter Drop
Introduction and Background Information
After the historic and unprecedented Democratic sit-in on
the House floor Wednesday June 22 to urge the House to take up what it has long
ignored – preventing gun violence – it is now up to us, people of faith, to
take this message to our Representatives.
This is a perfect time for you to let your Representative
know that ignoring the epidemic of gun violence will not protect public safety.
Every day 91 people in the United States are killed by a gun. Yet, the House
and Senate continue to act as if this is not happening because of the stifling
grip of the gun lobby.
What is more, according to Everytown for Gun Safety gun
violence is becoming increasingly used as part of hate crimes directed towards
members of the LGBTQ community as we saw in Orlando. Consider these facts:
·
Data from the National Crime Victimization
Survey indicates that between 2010 and 2014, there were an estimated 43,000
hate crimes committed in the United States that involved guns.
·
More than half (52 percent) of hate crimes
motivated by sexual orientation are violent.
·
Between 2004 and 2012, the percentage of hate
crimes involving violence increased from 78 percent to 90 percent.
·
In studies going back decades, assaults
involving guns have proven to be five times more likely to end in the death of
the victim than those involving knives, and the difference is even greater with
high-caliber guns. (Taken from http://everytownresearch.org/the-orlando-shooting-hate-crimes-and-terrorism-in-the-u-s-and-the-connection-to-weak-gun-laws/)
Simple measures can greatly reduce many of the mass
shootings to which we have become accustomed. No one law will stop every
incident of gun deaths, but we can go a long way toward having a safer community,
a safer nation, a safer world. Simply put, universal background checks saves
lives. In states that require a background check for all handgun sales, there
are:
·
46 percent fewer women shot to death by intimate
partners,
·
48 percent fewer law enforcement shot to death
with handguns,
·
48 percent fewer people killed by firearms
suicide,
·
48 percent less gun trafficking, and
·
52 percent fewer mass shootings.
Eighteen states and Washington, DC go beyond federal law and
require background checks on all handgun sales. Six states have passed
background check laws since the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School,
including Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. Nevada and Maine will vote on
background checks in 2016. (Taken from http://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-and-background-checks-in-minnesota/)
Therefore, we must take this unique time to urge members of
Congress that gun violence can be drastically reduced and they must take
leadership in making this happen.
Instructions for Letter Drop
Use this toolkit with your congregation, faith group, or
coalition and invite them to join with you in making a powerful impact.
Materials Needed:
A sign on letter adapted from the below template (you can edit it), sign on
sheet, clipboards, pens, small table (optional)
1.
See the sample letter on the next page (which
can be edited). With others from your congregation or organization, read
through and modify the letter to best describe what you want to share with your
Representative for them to do on addressing gun violence. List yourself or
another point person’s contact information at the top of the letter or on a
cover sheet so you can receive the reply from the member of Congress.
2.
Find your member of Congress and the address of
their local office closest to you. Visit www.house.gov
to find your Representative.
3.
Work with others in your congregation or
community group to get signatures on the letter in a high-traffic area after a
worship service or event. You can send it around adult education classes,
Bible/book studies, youth groups, and college classes in addition to your
entire congregation. Ask the members you know are willing to sign first –
people are more likely to sign something when they already see other names. We
are encouraging groups to not drop it off until you are able to 10-15
signatures. The more you are able to gather, the more powerful it will be!
4.
Make sure an announcement is made about the
letter in the congregation bulletin, from the pulpit, and through social media.
The most effective way to get folks to sign is through personal invitation. You
and others should personally invite folks to sign the letter! Before you turn
in the signatures, make sure to scan them or take a photo with your phone in
order to capture the contact information for your future organizing efforts.
5.
Call your Representative’s local office to
either schedule a meeting with the Representative or a staff person, or even to
simply find out the hours when they are open, so you can drop off the letters.
When you get to the office here is a possible script: "Hi, my name is [NAME] and I am a member of
[Congregation/Group] in [City]. Many of our members signed this letter to urge
Representative [NAME] to pass gun violence prevention legislation on July 5th
when the current recess is over. Will you please make sure the Representative
and appropriate staff see this letter?"
6.
When you and a friend (or friends) take your
letter by your Representatives’ office take a selfie and tweet it out using the
hashtag #LetterDrop. (You can also use hashtags like #StopGunViolence or
#NoBillNoBreak as well.) That way we can see all who participate and those of
us in DC can collect the pics and use them in advocacy to get the House and
Senate moving. So, please tweet or send us your pictures!
7.
Share this toolkit with key leaders from 3-4
other congregations in your area and urge them to do this as well. This will
make an impact with a number of faith communities engaged. Make sure they also
post pictures on social media! Email them this message and then call them for the
best effect. Nothing beats a phone call to get folks moving!
Sample Letter Urging Congress to Pass
Gun Violence Prevention Legislation
Dear Representative ,
As members of (name
of faith community) we are
deeply concerned about the lack of progress by the Congress in addressing the
epidemic of gun violence. As the days, months, and years go by without any
action taken, more mass shootings occur and the needless loss of life
continues. We are writing to demand that action be taken to quell the terrible
epidemic of gun violence our society is suffering.
Virginia Tech, Tucson, Oak Creek, Aurora, Santa Clara, Fort
Hood, Newtown, San Bernadino, and now Orlando. The number of cities with mass
shootings spreads across the states in our nation and fills our hearts with
tremendous sorrow for the tragic and unnecessary loss of life. We are also
angry that these tragedies continue without any congressional leadership being
taken. No more time can be wasted. Gun violence is taking an unacceptable toll
on our society, in mass killings and in the constant day-to-day of senseless
deaths. It is long past time for action.
Not only are we concerned about gun violence, but it must also be mentioned that we are concerned about the rhetoric in this debate that scapegoats our Muslim sisters and brothers. Violence committed by people of any religious, ethnic, or racial profile for any intention is devastating – focus on the secretive, error-filled terrorist watch list as a substitute for meaningful gun safety legislation is a distraction. The vast majority of mass shootings in the U.S. have been committed by white males whose intentions to do violence would not have qualified them for inclusion on this list.
We need you to take action to ensure that:
- Every person who buys a
gun no matter where that takes place should pass a background check. No longer should we allow for a gun
show loophole.
- High-capacity weapons and
ammunition magazines should not be available to civilians. There is no
legitimate self-defense or sporting purpose for these military-style,
high-capacity weapons and magazines whose only purpose is to kill large
numbers of people in a short amount of time. We need an effective assault weapons ban now.
Public support for these measures is overwhelming. The time
for merely offering thoughts and prayers without necessary action is over.
Compromises that scapegoat a narrowly defined group of people for scrutiny is
an unacceptable distraction for a problem shared by our whole society. We need you to take action. We look forward
to working with you to enact these common-sense measures to reduce gun
violence. Our prayers are with you, our support is behind you. It is time for
you to lead.
Sincerely,
Social Media
Social media is a great way to spread the word about these
issues and to get your friends, family, and other community members involved.
Using popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we
encourage you to post a picture of your letters and/or your meetings with your
Representative using #LetterDrop. If you are not able to meet with your
Representative take a picture holding up the signed letter with #LetterDrop,
and you might also use the hashtags, #NoBillNoBreak or #StopGunViolence. And,
as always, encourage your friends and family to share on social media and join
the movement!
Letter
Drop Primary Objectives
We
want everyone everywhere, regardless of what district you are in to take part
in the Letter Drop during the July 4 recess. But these are the primary focus –
if we can get numerous houses of worship participating in the letter drop in
these districts then we can make a tremendous impact. So, if you are in one of
these districts please make sure your congregation participates and you
actively recruit other congregations to participate as well. If you are not in
this district please participate as well! But if you know a faith leader in one
of these districts please pass on this toolkit and have them participate as
well.
Speaker
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Janesville
Office
20
South Main Street, Suite 10
Janesville, WI 53545
Janesville, WI 53545
(608)
752-4050
Kenosha
Office
5031
7th Avenue
Kenosha,
WI 53140
(262)
654-1901
Racine
Office
216
6th Street
Racine,
WI 53403
(262)
637-0510
Majority
Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Bakersfield
Office
4100
Empire Drive
Suite
150
Bakersfield, CA 93309
(661)
327-361
Majority
Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Hammond
Office
1514
Martens Drive, Suite 10
Hammond,
LA 70401
(985)
340-2185
Houma
Office
8026
Main Street, Suite 700
Houma,
LA 70360
(985)
879-2300
Mandeville
Office
21454
Koop Drive Suite 2C
Mandeville,
LA 70471
(985)
893-9064
Metairie
Office
110
Veterans Boulevard Suite 500
Metairie,
LA 70005
(504)
837-1259
Conference
Chairman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
Colville
555
South Main Street
Colville,
WA 99114
509-684-3481
Spokane
10
North Post Street, Suite 625
Spokane,
WA 99201
509-353-2374
Walla
Walla
26
E. Main Street, Suite 2
Walla
Walla, WA 99362
509-529-9358
Policy
Committee Chairman Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN)
Muncie
Office
107
W. Charles St.
Muncie,
IN 47305
765-747-5566
Richmond
Office
Richmond
Municipal Building
50
N. 5th Street
Richmond,
IN 47374
765-962-2883
Shelbyville
Office
2
Public Square
Shelbyville,
IN 46176
317-421-0704
