wfn.org | Gun control urged

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01-July-1996 
 
 
GA96045 
 
    Gun control urged 
 
 
ALBUQUERQUE - An overture calling for gun control prompted the most 
impassioned debate and only close vote of the day Monday in the National 
and Urban Issues committee. 
The overture, from the Presbytery of National Capital, calls for the church 
to send a message to elected leaders in this country that concealable 
handguns and assault weapons have no "redeemable social purpose" and that 
further manufacture of such weapons should be prohibited.  The committee 
did amend the original overture by adding a confirmation of the "Resolution 
on Gun Violence" as the current church policy (adopted in 1990 by the 202nd 
General Assembly). 
 
    As the committee wrestled with amendments, they rejected one that would 
have eliminated specific references to weapons and replaced it with a 
concern about gun violence. That vote was the only really close vote of the 
day, with the amendment losing by a handful of votes. 
 
    Several committee members shared personal stories of gun tragedies 
suffered by their families or friends, including the shooting of a teenage 
family friend, and a grandson who got his father's handgun, only to have it 
end up in the hands of another youth who killed someone. 
Jim Atwood, overture advocate, told the committee, "The church needs to 
state a strong opposition" to guns, adding that society has become a "gun 
culture." He cited a statistic compiled by the Children's Defense Fund that 
found on any given day, 130,000 children and youth carry guns to school. 
 
    The concerns with the overture as expressed by committee members 
included defining concealable weapons and assault weapons, and whether 
current laws already addressed the issues. 
 
    The overture (96-19) now goes to the floor of the Assembly. Other 
overtures endorsed by the committee to go to the Assembly floor are: 
 
    Overture 96-46 from the Synod of the Trinity that calls for a study of 
issues relating to gambling and games of chance "in order to provide 
scriptural, theological, historical, economic and sociological background 
to thoughtful Presbyterians." The study is to be done with congregations, 
presbyteries and synods and will include representation from Native 
American tribal governments. 
 
    Overture 96-115 from the Presbytery of Alaska that urges support for 
Alaskan Native and Native American Tribal Rights. The issue as expressed in 
the overture is one of tribal sovereignty, or in other words, the right of 
tribal governments not to have U.S. government legislation or actions 
imposed on them. A specific concern expressed was that of the U.S. 
government taxing revenue raised through gaming within tribal 
jurisdictions. 
 
    Overture 96-110 from the Presbytery of Grand Canyon that asks the 
moderator of this Assembly to appoint an additional Native American 
representative from Grand Canyon Presbytery to the Native American task 
force. The appointment is to be a lay woman to enhance balance on the task 
force. 
 
    The committee also concurred with recommendations from General Assembly 
Council that call for this Assembly to commit itself to meaningful dialogue 
on racial justice issues and "provide opportunities for interracial and 
intercultural conversations" among Presbyterians and  with other 
denominations. The Racial Ethnic Ministries program area is  directed to 
prepare resources and plan regional training events to prepare leaders to 
facilitate such conversations. 
 
    Another set of recommendations call for affirmation of "responsible 
participation" in politics and urges study of the biblical and theological 
ramifications of "politics and faith." 
 
    These two sets of recommendations were approved by the committee to be 
considered by the Assembly as a whole. 
 
 
Nancy D. Borst 

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