Sun. June 6 & Background Checks

Gun Violence Prevention News for Congregations May 2021 In this Issue: -- Sun. June 6 Gun Violence Awareness Day -- Background Checks Stalled in US Senate - Act Now! With gun violence engulfing our nation and with our hearts at risk of numbness, we must keep faith. Please join us in the actions below and let us know how God calls you to save lives. In Christ, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Gun Violence Prevention Ministry  Sun. June 6 Gun Violence Awareness Sunday Encourage your Congregation to Wear Orange to support survivors and remember victims of gun violence. • Here is a Minute for Mission for June 6 for your church from Rev. Deanna Hollas and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Learn about the two action steps she suggests at RAWtools (turning guns into garden tools) and AskDayJune21 (child gun safety). • On June 4-6, 2021 Wear Orange Weekend calls forth creative action across the nation: vigils, blood donation drives, advocacy for Background Checks legislation, acts of service to communities hard-hit by gun violence. See wearorange.org • Idea: Use orange paper to hold an Offering of Letters service on June 6 on the Background Check legislation below. See the PPF Congregational Toolkit HERE for the "Offering of Letters" in the Section "Take Action!" Adapt to online worship or fellowship time. Background Checks Bills Stalled in Senate Act Now! These life-saving bills have been stalled in the US Senate for 2 months. During that time, approximately 6,700 Americans have died from gun violence: --HR 8 The Bipartisan Background Check Act of 2021, requires background checks on all gun sales, including online and gun shows. HR 8 has already passed in the House of Representatives. --S 529 The Background Check Expansion Act, introduced in the Senate with the same goals as HR 8. It has 46 Senate Sponsors. --HR 1446 The Enhanced Background Check Act of 2021, closes the "Charleston Loophole," which currently allows gun sales to proceed unchecked if a background check takes more than 3 days. This is especially important for preventing domestic abusers from buying guns during a risk protection order. HR 1446 has already passed the House of Representatives. See Myths & Facts about Background Checks HERE See the Presbyterian Washington DC Office of Public Witness statement "Enough - Gun Violence Must End" HERE What happens now? All 3 bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Is your Senator on that committee? Please reach out to them to support comprehensive background checks on all gun sales through HR 8, HR 1446 and S 529. Senate Judiciary Committee: Chairman: Richard J. Durbin, of Illinois Patrick J. Leahy, of Vermont Dianne Feinstein, of California Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota Christopher A. Coons, of Delaware Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut Mazie K. Hirono, of Hawaii Cory A. Booker, of New Jersey Alex Padilla, of California Jon Ossoff, of Georgia Chuck Grassley, of Iowa Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina John Cornyn, of Texas Mike Lee, of Utah Ted Cruz, of Texas Ben Sasse, of Nebraska Josh Hawley, of Missouri Tom Cotton, of Arkansas John Kennedy, of Louisiana Thom Tillis, of North Carolina Marsha Blackburn, of Tennessee Contact Senators HERE General Assembly Witness on GVP - Good News. Though the Covid-era General Assembly in 2020 was not able to consider overtures on gun violence prevention, the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program are taking action now to fulfill one overture by updating the PCUSA 2010 policy, Gun Violence, Gospel Values. The original overture to update the policy came from Chicago Presbytery with support from other presbyteries. The updated version will be ready for the GA to consider in 2022 and will reflect new thinking about the intersection of poverty, race and gun violence, police gun violence and the church's role in the larger nation-wide movement to prevent gun violence. PPF stands ready to help and to support an updated policy. Stay tuned! Ecumenical SPOTLIGHT: Episcopalians Offer New Resource EACH OTHER'S KEEPER - The Church's Response to Violence New Adult Curriculum by Rev. Marc D. Smith, Bishop's Deputy for Gun Violence Prevention, Episcopal Diocese of Missouri Six sessions with complete online resources for each session, including: Violence in Scripture, Violence in Popular American Culture, the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic, Youth Bullying and Suicide, Domestic Violence and Sexualized Violence, with a final session on Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Available free at EachOthersKeeper  Gun Violence Prevention Ministry Presbyterian Peace Fellowship 214-702-2265 gvp@presbypeacefellowship.org Rev. Deanna Hollas, Coordinator deanna@presbypeacefellowship.org presbypeacefellowship.org  ‌  ‌  ‌

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship | 17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point, NY 10980