We Are Not Anti-Gun, We Value Life

This op-ed appeared online at https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2021/02/we-are-not-anti-gun-we-value-life-opinion.html and in print on February 18.

The Rev. Sandra L. Strauss

On an extremely hot summer evening in 2017, the deafening sound of gunshots and the sound of squealing wheels jolted my husband and I out of what had been a peaceful evening at home. We ran to the door to see a black SUV speeding away as children screamed on the city playground across the street.

Hearing gunshots in the distance had been a disconcerting part of my life since moving to uptown Harrisburg in late 1996, but it never happened so close to home. The shooter, firing from a vehicle passing in front of our house, emptied an entire clip in the direction of a crowded basketball court. Miraculously only one youth was hit, a non-life-threatening injury to his lower leg. The cars—dented and windows shattered from bullets—probably prevented more injuries to those on the court, damage that might not have been so easily repaired.

Gun violence has long been an intractable problem in cities like Harrisburg. Many guns used in crimes have been purchased illegally with the owner claiming they were lost or stolen. In one Pittsburgh study, 33% of crime guns fell into this category. Others are in the hands of people who for various reasons shouldn’t have them.

We aren’t lacking solutions to this flow of deadly weapons, just political will. State lawmakers, citing “Second Amendment rights,” have for years refused to move bills that would save lives across the Commonwealth. They’ve gone even further, preventing local governments like Harrisburg from passing their own ordinances.

A new coalition of faith leaders, community groups, medical experts and citizens with experience addressing gun injuries and/or advocating for mechanisms to reduce gun violence has come together with a common agenda to address the violence. The cornerstone policies are something everyone should be able to rally around:

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs)—While I have addressed gun violence on our streets above, it must be noted that suicides make up around 60% of gun deaths. ERPOs would empower family members or law enforcement officers to temporarily remove firearms from those at risk of harming themselves or others. ERPOs have been successful in lowering suicides by gun in states that have passed them.

Closing the Private Sale Loophole—Buyers can avoid background checks for purchase of long guns, including semi-automatic assault rifles (the weapon of choice for many mass shooters), from private sellers. Closing this loophole would reduce the number of guns that get into the hands of those who would use them to do harm.

Reporting of Lost or Stolen Guns—The number of stolen guns has been growing over the last few years. However, lack of a reporting requirement opens the door to straw purchases and the illegal transfer of guns from irresponsible owners to prohibited purchasers. Police found a majority of 23,000 stolen guns recovered between 2010-2016 were connected to crimes. More than 1,500 of those were used in violent acts including murder and armed robbery.

If these kinds of legislation had been in place, the playground shooting we experienced nearly four years ago might have been prevented.

Many of us in the faith community have long supported legislation cited in the common agenda, not because we are anti-gun, but because we value life. There are many responsible gun owners who are also people of faith that understand the need for reasonable legislation—legislation that protects their rights and reduces the potential for gun violence. And with the high rate of gun suicides—the most lethal method–clergy and lay leaders would welcome legislation aimed at reducing suicides. They are the ones who face addressing these deaths with families and friends and helping their congregations make sense of them.

With around 1,600 deaths by gun violence in Pennsylvania each year, it is well past time for our elected officials to act to prevent further unnecessary deaths. Let’s make this the year of action.

The Rev. Sandra L. Strauss is the Director of Advocacy & Ecumenical Outreach for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. For more information regarding the Council, please CLICK HERE.