ACTION ALERT: Take a Stand Against Gun Violence

Jesus’ call to his followers to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) echoes God’s dreams for peace for all of creation as expressed in Micah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken” (Micah:3-4). 

In this vein, the United Methodist Church calls upon all United Methodists to lead as peacemakers and prophetic witnesses to make our communities safer from gun violence. This includes weeping with those who weep, as well as pushing for positive change from our elected officials. 

As Resolution #3212 “Our Call to End Gun Violence” calls on United Methodists to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence, below is a list of legislation to support in this Congress: 

• The Assault Weapons Ban (H.R. 3115/S. 1531) 
• Ethan’s Law to regulate safe storage (H.R. 1564/S. 726) 
• Inclusion of funding for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) in the budget 

And legislation to oppose: 

• Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act that would create a national system of permitless carry (H.R. 38/S. 65) 
• Hearing Protection Act that would deregulate firearm silencers (H.R. 404/S. 364) 
• Any legislation that permits sales of Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs) that essentially turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns 

United Methodists must regularly remind their elected officials how their faith informs their advocacy to prevent gun violence. Write to your Representatives and Senators today.