It's time to turn our prayers for peace into action.
“They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” —Jeremiah 6:14
“National gun suicide and murder rates have recently returned to near-record highs. Three hundred U.S. residents are shot every day. Over 100 perish. Though public mass shootings account for a tiny fraction of criminal homicides, they have grave effects well beyond lost individuals. Guns are now the leading cause of death among individuals under 20. Within this population and others, persisting racial disparities of harm cry out for attention. Such disparities are visible daily on the National Gun Violence Memorial website at gunmemorial.org.” From the ELCA Social Message on Gun-Related Violence and Trauma
The time for sensible, bipartisan measures to combat gun deaths and violence is now. People of faith and others demand action from our lawmakers to stem the tide of deaths caused by guns, in our Commonwealth, and in our country. We must no longer cry for “peace” if we are unwilling to change our ways to achieve it.
A number of bills have been proposed or introduced in the PA House and Senate this session, many of which have passed individual chambers in the past with bipartisan support. HB 1593 and SB 122 would close dangerous loopholes in PA's background check laws. HB1593 has passed the House Judiciary committee. Other legislation that has garnered support in the past, and would be part of an evidence-based action plan to reduce gun violence include:
- Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) empower families and law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals in crisis who pose a danger to themselves or others. States with these laws have seen significant reductions in suicides and mass shootings. HB1859 has been introduced and has passed the House Judiciary Committee.
- Secure Storage Requirements ensure firearms are kept locked and unloaded, separate from ammunition. This simple step prevents unauthorized access by children and teens, reducing accidental shootings, youth suicide, and school violence – as more than 70% of firearms used in youth suicides and school shootings come from homes of relatives and friends.
Universal background checks and emergency removal protection orders (ERPO) (aka red flag laws) are supported by the vast majority of Americans, and have long been policies the ELCA has advocated for to promote peace and safety.
On June 21, 2024, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of laws such as HB 1018, with Chief Justice Roberts writing, "Since the founding, our nation’s firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms." ERPOs and other commonsense prevention measures should be heard and given a floor vote so these protections can be codified in Pennsylvania law.
Contact your members of the PA General Assembly today! Urge their support for these policies and ask them to tell their leadership to help them get passed! Fill out the form here, which will take you to an editable message on the next page. PLEASE INCLUDE A PERSONALIZED NOTE! IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
For ELCA Social Teachings around Gun Violence, see the Social Message on Gun-Related Violence and Trauma, Social Message on Suicide Prevention, Social Message on Community Violence, and the Social Statement on Peace.
[Update 9/24/2025]
