NCC renews call for gun control and civil discourse

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of Churches renews its calls
for control of guns and for non-violent discourse

New York, January 10, 2010 -- Less than eight months after the 
National Council of Churches governing board called for action to 
end gun violence, a U.S. Congresswoman lay in critical condition 
after a 9mm bullet passed through her brain, six people lay dead 
and 14 were recovering from wounds.

But the January 9 attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and innocent 
bystanders in Tucson was only the most visible eruption of gun 
violence in the new year, said the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, NCC 
general secretary.

"Death and suffering from guns -- legally and illegally attained -- 
is virtually a daily occurrence in the cities and villages of this 
country," Kinnamon said. "This latest tragedy in Tucson is just the 
latest reason we should reexamine how guns are so easily attained by 
unbalanced people like the accused assailant. Surely the Second 
Amendment was not intended to provide indiscriminate access to guns 
without more effective vetting and control."

The NCC's member communions and the millions of congregants they 
represent "are united in prayer for the recovery of the 
Congresswoman and the other wounded persons, as well as for the 
families of the six who tragically died," Kinnamon said.

Police said the weapon used by the shooter was a 9mm Glock, a 
semi-automatic pistol that fires multiple rounds in rapid 
succession. The tragedy in Tucson was compounded by the use of the 
weapon, which enabled the assailant to fire as many 31 rounds 
without reloading or cocking the weapon. Witnesses said a second 
31-round magazine of bullets jammed before additional shots could be 
fired.

The organization Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence is asking its 
members to add to note the number of rounds this weapon could hold. 
The organization has added to its Prevent Gun Violence Resolution a 
call for action to "decrease the firepower available to civilians by 
prohibiting high capacity ammunition magazines of more than 10 
rounds."

Kinnamon also expressed concern that the nature of political debate 
in the U.S. "has become increasingly vitriolic with overtones of 
threats of violence. It may be free speech to use of words like 
'targeting' to identify candidates whose political views differ from 
other individuals or groups," Kinnamon said. "But in the current 
climate they add nothing to political discourse and can be dangerous 
provocations."

Reports say Rep. Giffords, a Democrat, was occasionally the 
recipients of threats because of her support of national healthcare 
legislation and was "targeted" for defeat by her opponents in the 
recent campaign. The motivations of her accused assailant are 
unknown.

"Ending Gun Violence: A Resolution and Call to Action by the National 
Council of Churches," adopted unanimously by the NCC Governing Board 
on May 2010, calls upon local, state and federal officials "to enact 
reforms that limit access to assault weapons and handguns, including 
the so-called federal 'gun show loophole,' which allows for the 
purchase of firearms from private sellers without submitting to a 
background check, or providing documentation of the purchase."

The resolution also calls upon the NCC's member communions to 
"prayerfully, financially, and otherwise support the NCC staff in 
coordinating ecumenical efforts for gun violence reduction, 
including preparing educational materials about the magnitude of gun 
violence, developing avenues for dialogue among gun owners and gun 
control advocates within our congregations, and offering a faithful 
witness in cooperating with inter-faith and nonreligious anti-gun 
advocacy organizations."

The full text of the resolution can be downloaded at 
http://www.ncccusa.org/NCCpolicies/gunviolence.pdf

In September 2009, alarmed by the intensity of angry and sometimes 
violent language coming out of public meetings on healthcare and 
other issues, the Governing Board called for "civility in public 
discourse."

"This clash of views demeans the dialogue and ultimately risks 
subverting the democratic process itself," the Governing Board said 
in the statement that passed without dissent. "Individuals cannot 
express their best hopes and acknowledge their deepest fears within 
a climate of intimidation and character assassination, and all too 
often this climate is the product of racism and xenophobia."

The message calls on churches, political leaders and persons of good 
will to reflect "on the ways we might restore dignity and civility 
to the national discourse." 

Two prayer-hymns on gun violence by the Rev. Carolyn Winfrey 
Gillette, for use in worship, can be found at 
http://www.ncccusa.org/news/110110gillettehymnprayers.html

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of 
Christ in the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical 
witness among Christians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member 
communions -- from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, 
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace 
churches -- include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact: Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 (cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org