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New Gun Violence Prevention Law in MA: How We Helped Make it Happen
Right before my daughter was born, my husband and I took a childcare class. We were the typical expectant parents, eagerly awaiting the birth of our child, and petrified that we wouldn’t know what to do once she arrived. I expected to learn how to put on a diaper and what to do for an earache. What I didn’t expect was for the instructor to say that before I let my child go on a play date, I should ask the host family if they had a gun in the house and how they stored it. Before that, I had never actually thought about my quiet suburban neighbors touting firearms that could endanger my child.
Fast forward a couple of years to our joining Temple Israel in Boston. TI was a pioneer in using faith-based community organizing methods, and was engaging in house meetings. One emerging theme was huge concerns about teenagers experiencing stress and issues regarding their safety. And then, there was Newtown, CT. The tragedy of kindergarten children and their teachers being tragically murdered brought all of our attention to the threat of gun violence, and the threats that guns pose when used in crimes, suicides, and accidents.
Despite Setbacks, Work to End Gun Violence Continues
Continuing the same trend we’ve seen over many months, Congress has not made progress to address the crisis of gun violence, but federal inaction hasn’t stopped states from enacting their own laws. In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown signed into law the Oregon Firearms Safety Act, which will make background checks universal on all gun sales in the state, making it the eighth state to do so. And on the other side of the Columbia River, Washington enacted the Sheena Henderson Act, which allows family members to be notified when police return guns to loved ones, when those guns had been taken for safety considerations. The act was named after a Spokane woman who was shot to death the day after police returned guns to her husband who suffered from mental illness after he was judged not to be a safety threat.
Get Your Congregation Involved in the Wear Orange Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
NFTY and the RAC are teaming up next Tuesday, June 2 to take part in “Wear Orange,” a new national campaign to honor the 31,000 American lives lost each year to gun violence on the inaugural National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Wear Orange is call for action to reduce gun violence in the United States, and we’d love for your congregation to join us in this important campaign!
On June 2nd, Wear Orange and Take Action Against Gun Violence
The Reform Jewish community, via the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) and the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), are partnering with a broad coalition of national or
A Prayer for Victims of Gun Violence
At the Washington National Cathedral's interfaith prayer service to mourn the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, I offered the following words of comfort and prayer.
Reform Jewish Leader Offers Prayer for Victims of Gun Violence
For Immediate Release
October 3, 2017
NFTY and the RAC Partner with Broad-Based Gun Safety Coalition for “Wear Orange” Campaign
On Thursday, the 15th anniversary of the historic Million Mom March, NFTY and the RAC announced that we would be founding partners in “Wear Orange” (www.WearOrange.org), a new campaign to reduce gun violence in America. The campaign honors the 88 Americans whose lives are cut short by gun violence every day -- and the countless survivors whose lives are forever altered by shootings each year – by designating June 2, 2015 as the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
And we’re inviting you – especially Reform Jewish teens -- to take part! Everyone who agrees that we should do more to save lives from gun violence to do one simple thing: Wear Orange.
A Kaddish after Gun Violence, for When Humanity Fails Itself
The Mourners Kaddish begins "Yitgadal v'yitkadash sh'may rabba," "Exalted and Holy be Your great name" - yet little feels holy today, following another mass shooting.
Let’s Make Background Checks on Guns Universal
With seemingly near constant news headlines of mass shootings and other acts of gun violence, debate on prevention measures for public safety is critical. The issue of whether universal background checks should be required for all firearm purchases is a possible solution to decrease some of these disturbing statistics:
- One in three people in the U.S. know someone who has been shot;
- On average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns every day and 140 are treated in an emergency room for gun-related injuries;
- Every day, about 51 people take their own life with a gun and 45 people are shot or killed in a gun accident.