From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
Addressing violence
From
Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>
Date
28 May 1999 09:15:59
For more information contact:
Episcopal News Service
Kathryn McCormick
kmccormick@dfms.org
212/922-5383
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens
99-080
Killings trigger new kind of gunfight in Utah
by Jeff Sells
In its zeal to protect the members of religious
communities in the State of Utah, the State Legislature in
January passed a statute addressing Utahns' closely held right to
carry concealed weapons. Churches--and private homeowners, for
that matter--who feel that their buildings are not places to
carry concealed guns are now required to post notices
specifically prohibiting people from carrying weapons inside.
"How else are you going to determine who is liable if
someone comes in and starts shooting up the place?" said one
legislator, explaining the reasoning behind the change in the
law.
In response to the new statute, the Diocese of Utah
has produced a sign stating that guns are not welcome in its
church buildings. Each congregation in the diocese has been asked
to put the sign in a visible place on its property, in keeping
with the requirements of the new statute.
"I think the State Legislature should feel ashamed
that this is going on," said Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish of Utah.
"I am greatly saddened that we must put up these signs," Irish
said. "It makes [the Legislature] look foolish, and it is very
sad indeed."
The context of violence
Earlier this year, Salt Lake City experienced the
random killing of a woman in a downtown business and, later, one
man's rampage that killed two and wounded several others in the
Mormon Family History Library, in downtown Salt Lake, only a few
days after the shootings in Columbine High School in Littleton,
Colorado. After all of these events, there has been a groundswell
of calls for a special session of the State Legislature to
reevaluate weapons laws in the state.
In response to these local violent incidents,
representatives from 11 denominations of Salt Lake's religious
community met April 24 to draft a resolution regarding firearms
and their concealment, purchase, and penalties for infractions.
The resolution adopted calls for Governor Michael Leavitt to
convene a special legislative session to deal with specific
issues related to weapons.
The religious leaders asked that legislators repeal
the statute requiring churches to notify people that guns are not
welcome there. Their resolution also calls for the designation of
a place or places where instruments of violence may be deposited
by anyone, with subsequent destruction of the items.
"We understand that there is both hardware and
software of violence," said Irish. "The hardware are the guns,
but also other instruments of violence. The software could
include violent computer games or videos."
And finally, the resolution is a call to action for
the religious community to work together on other issues
impacting our society as we approach the next millennium.
Congregations in the Diocese of Utah have been asked
to present the resolution to their members, offering these
congregants the opportunity to support the resolution by signing
it as well. They then would pass the signed resolution on to the
office of the governor.
Churches are not alone in the paradox of laws in the
state. For instance, in Utah it is currently legal to carry a
concealed weapon onto school grounds. Some have even advocated
the arming of a number of teachers in schools in Utah in order to
protect the schools from violence.
Vigil honors victims
On April 29, the religious community organized a vigil
on the steps of the State Capitol. With music, prayer and
reflection, victims of violence, both gun violence and other
kinds, were remembered. During the vigil, which was attended by
more than 200, all those who spoke were under the age of 21.
Reflections included those of a person who had witnessed
shootings in a school last year and others who felt unsafe in
schools as a result of the recent shootings.
One woman who attended the vigil carried a picture of
her teenaged daughter, killed last fall in a drive-by shooting by
someone who thought, mistakenly, that she was a gang member.
Although some people have said the current concern
about gun laws is a knee-jerk reaction, Irish pointed out that
"we have been concerned with issues of spouse abuse for several
years. This is just one more example of the growing threat of
violence in our society."
"We are not na<ve in Utah," said Irish. "We are aware
that strengthening gun control laws, even if all changes that
anyone wants are implemented, will not in itself change the trend
in violence in our society."
Other areas that need attention in society, she said,
include family life, safety in the schools, issues of violence
and the media, and renewed commitment to honoring the essential
value of every person.
--The Rev. Dr. Jeff Sells is editor of The Diocesan
Dialogue, the newspaper of the Diocese of Utah.
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