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June 2 marks Gun Violence Prevention Day. Once a month during the summer, Pastor Nicholas’ Weekly Word will raise awareness of different forms of gun violence other than mass shootings.
Dear Church Hill Faith Family,
Over the past year, gun violence prevention has become a priority mission of our congregation. Each week, as part of our faithful response to the gun violence crisis in our country, we have been praying for healing of body, mind, and spirit for those directly affected by mass shootings. But it is important that our understanding of the gun violence crisis not be limited to mass shootings which comprise a small fraction of gun deaths in our country.
You may be surprised to learn that most people who are killed by a gun die by suicide. Pew Research reports that in 2021 (the most recent year for which we have complete data), “54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides”. Upwards of 90% of people who attempt suicide using a gun will be successful compared to an around 4% success rate for other methods. Gun violence prevention is also suicide prevention. In 2018, Massachusetts passed a red flag law which enables law enforcement officials and family members to petition to have a person’s access to firearms temporarily rescinded if evidence is presented that they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others. Unfortunately, only 19 states and D.C. have instituted this valuable tool to prevent self-harm. It is also regrettable that the red flag law is rarely utilized in the Commonwealth; since 2020, data shows that this law has been used only 12 times. Relatedly, it was also brought to my attention that there is a burgeoning movement to allow persons who are prone to suicidality to place themselves on a list of persons who are barred from purchasing weapons. (A link to a video report on “Donna’s Law” from CBS News can be found below).
The pain which is borne by the loved ones of a person who dies by suicide is unfathomable—as is the despair felt by the person who seeks to take their own life. We must remember that all these numbers and statistics represent real people whose lives have been irrevocably altered by the horror of gun violence. We are fulfilling our Christian mission to “bind up the brokenhearted” and “set the oppressed free” by doing all in our power to advocate locally and nationally for laws which have the potential to save lives.
In Christ,
Pastor Nicholas
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