Last evening, 16 people gathered online to be enlightened on ways towards gun violence prevention (GVP), to make for a more gun safe Minnesota. The FOCUS EVENT was sponsored and hosted by ENGAGE. Leaders from several GVP organizations: Joan Peterson (Brady), Maggiy Emory (Executive Director of Protect Minnesota), Dr. Dawn Einwalter (Moms Demand Action), and Rev. Dr. Ron Letnes (ENGAGE), each addressed three questions: 1) What life experiences drew you to work for GVP?; 2) What laws do you believe the Minnesota Legislature should pass?; 3) What are strategies to influence passage? In all cases, either family tragedies or socio-political trauma stirred commitment.
Some laws encouraged were: ERPO-Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This means a weapon can/ought be removed from a home/possession if there is risk of gun violence by suicide or homicide. A Safe Storage Law would mandate guns in the home to be locked in a safe separate from ammunition which would also be securely locked. We spoke of prohibiting armed intimidation at polling places, drop boxes, and where votes are counted, and banning open carry. Mention was made of the need of a gun-industry accountability law. To quote one source: “Guns are the only consumer product manufactured in the USA that are not subject to federal health and safety regulation, and further allows the gun industry to innovate for lethality rather than safety.”
Strategies for influencing legislators included person-to-person visits, personal phone calls, letter writing, attending rallies, carrying signs, partnering with other GVP organizations, organizing your faith community, and attending local caucus meetings. The new online APP called 5 Calls is useful for contacting legislators. In short, progress is possible when people step up and go public, expressing and demanding change. Similarly, the power of sharing personal stories with legislators is impacting. Ron shared a personal story of when he was six years old, climbing up on the kitchen counter, reaching up and pulling down a German Lugar pistol his father had retrieved form his World War II service in Europe. Ron took it outside to show his friends, with each holding it, pointing it at each other and pulling the trigger, laughing all the time! Thankfully, my father had unloaded the pistol. Tragedy was prevented. Yet, so often guns are loaded. A “safe storage” lesson!
The evening was supportive and insightful. It was inspiring to see and hear a unity of individuals representing different organizations and faith expressions sharing a focused concern for GVP. Yes, we are in this together! Bishop Patricia Lull of the St. Paul Area Synod gave encouragement to all to move forward. Yes, FORWARD!
Professor Emeritus Dr. Per Anderson of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, offered a socio-political-theological perspective on GVP. He authored a “Social Message on Gun Trauma and Safety” which was adopted by the Church Council of the ELCA. Dr. Anderson blended the necessity of addressing GVP utilizing all disciplines, the human and divine. His comments blended with the closing quotes from the Greek dramatist Aeschylus” “Let us tame the savageness of man, and make gentle life in the world.” And from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”
FORWARD!