Maine faith communities demand gun safety laws

Gun safety advocates stand outside the state House chamber earlier this year. Briana Soukup/Press Herald Staff Photographer

On the heels of a new mass shooting that claimed the life of Kansas City radio DJ Lisa López Galván and injured 22 others, people of faith began using guns over the weekend of February 16-18. They rallied together as a worshiping community to stay safe. Conscious Sabbath. They did so not only to pray for the victims of gun violence, but to demand changes to laws that do little to curb violence in our state.

Many in Maine have long believed that our laws are sufficient to protect us from the gun violence plaguing our nation. Robert Card shattered his false sense of security when he arrived at Just in Time Recreation and Ski Menzies Bar and Grill in Lewiston on Oct. 25. At one point Mr. Card was in possession of a semi-automatic Ruger AR-10 style rifle, a Smith & Wesson handguns and Smith & Wesson AR-15 style rifles. How would this situation have been different if stronger gun laws had been in place?

The gaps in Maine’s current gun laws are clear. Maine has:

• There is no law requiring a background check to be initiated when transferring a firearm to a private seller who is not a licensed seller.

• There are no laws imposing a waiting period before purchasing a firearm.

• There are no laws prohibiting assault-style weapons or high-capacity magazines.and

• There are no red flag laws to more effectively temporarily remove firearms from the hands of dangerous people.

Additionally, Maine is one of about 20 states that allow concealed weapons to be carried in public without a permit.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, Maine ranks 27th in the nation for the strength of its gun laws, and the Giffords Law Center gives Maine a D- rating on its Gun Control Score Card.

If we want to have a society where people can go to parades, go to school, the movies, and places of worship without fearing for their lives, we all need to do everything we can to make a difference. It won’t.

There are many arguments for maintaining the status quo when it comes to gun control.

“Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”

“Enforcing the gun regulations that are already in the law is enough.”

And these days, “hunting requires assault-style weapons.”

But the evidence supporting the need for changes in gun laws is strong. According to the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, “Stricter gun laws passed in 40 states between 1991 and 2016 reduced gun deaths by nearly 4,300 in 2016, about 10% of the total in the United States.” %.” The Giffords Law Center notes that “of the 15 states with the highest gun death rates, 12 received an F on gun control.”

People of faith have had enough.

They want more than the thoughts and prayers that politicians typically offer after mass shootings. Just as members of faith communities did during the civil rights movement, people today are looking to faith communities for guidance on how to end the injustice of gun violence. Groups such as Farmington Area Ecumenical Ministries, the National Council of Jewish Women, and Bishops Against Gun Violence are all advocating for legislation to reduce gun deaths in the United States.

The UCC United Church of Christ Main Conference’s Social Action Committee hosted gun safety conversations in Bangor, Auburn, and Waterville, giving participants an opportunity to consider honest responses to gun control.

On January 3, people of many faiths were among the hundreds of people who gathered at the state Capitol for Gun Safety Action Day, hosted by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, to urge lawmakers to strengthen gun safety. They demanded that the law be passed immediately.

The First Church of Maine (UCC) in Belfast has created a task force on gun control to let state legislators know they expect action, not platitudes.

It’s time to make our voices heard about the need for common sense changes to Maine’s gun laws.

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