Minute on Gun Violence from Northern Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
We call on all Friends to denounce the prevalence of gun violence and work to heal our communities though true, peaceful fellowship. We have crafted the following minute to share with our elected officials as one action we can take, following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This minute intentionally does not endorse specific legislative goals. Friends are urged to send this minute to their senators and representatives with a letter stating the gun safety recommendations that they feel are needed.
As Quakers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and North Dakota gather for our Annual Meeting on Memorial Day weekend 2022, our hearts are broken by the killing of 19 children, two teachers, and a young man barely older than his victims in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and the racially driven murder of ten people at a Buffalo New York grocery store the week before. We hold everyone affected by these attacks in the healing Light of God. While such mass shootings grab the headlines, the much greater gun violence toll from daily individual acts of domestic violence, retribution, suicide and accidents receives little attention.
For over 300 years, peace and non-violence have been at the center of our witness as a religious body. We know that we live in a society that glorifies guns as symbols of power, manliness, and rebellion. We also know that gun violence will only truly end when we can touch and heal the broken hearts of those who feel that shooting people is a heroic or necessary act, or is the only way to get attention.
Research shows that most of the death and injury from gun violence can be prevented if we are willing to act, and act we must, in many ways. We call on our state and national legislators to pass meaningful legislation to reduce access to guns. We call for an increase in access to counselling, social services, and mental health care to support the prevention of these violent acts. We call on all citizens to work for the cultural change necessary to end the allure of gun violence.
Approved in NYM Annual Session meeting for business on 5/29/2022
Approved in NYM Annual Session meeting for business on 5/29/2022.
We call on all Friends to denounce the prevalence of gun violence and work to heal our communities though true, peaceful fellowship. We have crafted the following minute to share with our elected officials as one action we can take, following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This minute intentionally does not endorse specific legislative goals. Friends are urged to send this minute to their senators and representatives with a letter stating the gun safety recommendations that they feel are needed.
As Quakers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and North Dakota gather for our Annual Meeting on Memorial Day weekend 2022, our hearts are broken by the killing of 19 children, two teachers, and a young man barely older than his victims in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and the racially driven murder of ten people at a Buffalo New York grocery store the week before. We hold everyone affected by these attacks in the healing Light of God. While such mass shootings grab the headlines, the much greater gun violence toll from daily individual acts of domestic violence, retribution, suicide and accidents receives little attention.
For over 300 years, peace and non-violence have been at the center of our witness as a religious body. We know that we live in a society that glorifies guns as symbols of power, manliness, and rebellion. We also know that gun violence will only truly end when we can touch and heal the broken hearts of those who feel that shooting people is a heroic or necessary act, or is the only way to get attention.
Research shows that most of the death and injury from gun violence can be prevented if we are willing to act, and act we must, in many ways. We call on our state and national legislators to pass meaningful legislation to reduce access to guns. We call for an increase in access to counselling, social services, and mental health care to support the prevention of these violent acts. We call on all citizens to work for the cultural change necessary to end the allure of gun violence.We call on all Friends to denounce the prevalence glorification of gun violence and work to heal our communities though true, peaceful fellowship. We have crafted the following minute to share with our elected officials as one action we can take, following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This minute intentionally does not endorse specific legislative goals. Friends are urged to send this minute to their senators and representatives with a letter stating the gun safety recommendations that they feel are needed.
As Quakers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Norththe Dakotas gather for our Annual Meeting on Memorial Day weekend 2022, our hearts are broken by the senseless killing[BM1] [LJ2] murder of 19 children, and two teachers, in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas, by andby and a [BM3] [LJ4] young man barely older than his victims in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and the racially driven murder of ten people at a Buffalo New York grocery store the week before. We hold everyone affected by theise attacks in the healing Light of God. While such mass shootings grab the headlines, know that the much greater daily toll of gun violence toll from daily in individual acts of domestic violence, retribution, and suicide and accidents receives little attentionis much greater.
For over 300 years, Quakers have testified that pPeace and nNon-violence have been are at the center of our identity witness as a religious body. We know that we live in a society that glorifies guns as symbols of power, manliness, and rebellion. We also know that gun violence will only truly end when we can touch and heal the broken hearts of those who feel that shooting people is a heroic or necessary act, or is the only way to get attention.
We knowResearch shows that most of the deaths and injury from gun violence can be prevented if we are willing to act, and act we must, in many ways. . Therefore, wWe call on our state and national legislators to pass meaningful legislation that willto reduce access to guns. gun violence. prevent access to the guns used in these attacks.
Therefore, we call on our state and national legislators to pass meaningful legislation that will prevent access to the guns used in these attacks.
We also know that this violence will only truly end when we can touch and heal the broken hearts of those who feel that shooting people is the only way to get attention, the hearts broken hearts of those who have come to believe that shooting people is a heroic act for some twisted cause.
To that end wWe also call for an increase in access to counselling, social services, and mental health care to support the prevention of these violent acts. We call on all citizens to work for the cultural change necessary to end the allure of gun violence.to reach those who would shoot to kill, before they reach for a gun.
[BM1]I actually like this word. What is sensical about it? Although I suppose one could argue (and I would agree) that all murder is senseless.
[LJ2]I am interested in using descriptive language that is not judgmental or emotionally charged. To describe something as “senseless” indicates that a judgment has been made and that it should not have happened. It is also emotionally charged in its implication that the occurrence was a needless waste and caused indefensible harm. Which it did – but I think it is better to let others make that evaluation rather than tell them how to interpret the situation.
[BM3]This I also wouldn’t change since he did it and that is fact. Using “and” indicates he was murdered. Is that what all police killings are now called? I guess I can see that.
If we want to indicate he was killed by the police then I would perhaps modify the sentence to read something like this, “ . . . our hearts are broken by the [BM3](senseless) murder of 19 children and two teachers in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas (and) by a [BM3]young man barely older than his victims. This young man was later murdered by the police as they worked to end his rampage.
[LJ4]Another reason I suggested removing the word “senseless” in the sentence is that although the killing of the children and their teachers was senseless, the killing of the shooter was not senseless. I was trying to point out that 22 people were killed in this incident, not 21, without going into too much detail. Perhaps the word “murder” should be replaced by the word “killing.” I don’t like the added sentence in this suggested edit for two reasons, the use of the words “murder” and “rampage” and the drawing attention to using violence to end violence. Although this school shooting is the catalyst for writing this minute, the problem of gun violence is much broader than this incident. I would prefer to spend as few words as possible on referring to this incident while remaining accurate.
Worship Opportunities
Find a Quaker Meeting near you
Books and Pamphlets about Friends
Challenge Racism
Build Intergenerational Community
Spiritual Deepening Library
Sign up for Gathering information
About FGC
Publish with FGC
Donate