Responding to Gun Violence: Victim / Witness Services of South Philadelphia (VWSSP)
March 21, 2022Responding to Gun Violence: The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR)
April 4, 2022
In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of homicides, a majority from gun violence. This blog series invites previously recognized Zones of Peace, an initiative of the Religious Leaders Council (RLC) of Greater Philadelphia, to share about their efforts to respond to and reduce gun violence. This series will highlight a range of effective and complementary approaches taken by Zones of Peace to address the crisis facing our city and our nation.
The Zone of Peace highlighted here is Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence. Co-founder and Executive Director Bryan Miller contributed the following blog post.
Saving Lives from Gun Violence – How to Get There
I’m Bryan Miller, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, the grassroots and interfaith organization devoted to ending gun violence and early Zones of Peace awardee.
I’ve acted in this cause on both secular and faith-based ‘sides’ since 1995, after my brother was one of three law enforcement officers killed by a lone gunman wielding a concealed and illegal assault pistol. I view my work as akin to a religious calling.
Hundreds have asked me the same exasperated question, namely: “Why are gun laws so weak and ineffective when there is such an obvious need to better regulate guns and citizen support is so strong?”
Good question, with a two-part answer.
First, because measures are patently good, does not mean they are easily achieved. For instance, many measures to limit who can buy and possess guns and how many they can buy at any one time would save thousands of lives each year and would be, therefore, very good.
Yet, except in a very few states, such measures are non-existent and likely to remain so, because gaining them and others would take hard work, time and long-term commitment on the part of those seeking them. I know, because I led the effort that resulted in New Jersey having among the best gun regulatory systems in the country, resulting in one of the lowest per capita rates of gun death. I closely witnessed what legislative advocacy for any cause demands.
Second, the lack of achievement of improved culture and laws to reduce gun violence is due to the absence of the American faith community from the effort. The American faith community has either led or been part of the leadership of every national social movement for change in our country’s history – except for the gun violence prevention movement. In my view and experience, we will not get there without it.
Faith is power and the faithful are an enormous cohort. The power and numbers needed to move the gun violence prevention ‘rock up the hill’ is missing. People are dying at an unprecedented rate in Philly. The dead, who we tend to think of in arithmetical terms, were real flesh and blood people, like you and me, with families, neighbors, friends and more. Isn’t it incumbent on people and institutions of faith to act to save those lives through hard work, time and long-term commitment?
So, my fellow person of faith, what can you do to take up this calling? You can start by reaching out to Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence. We’d love to hear from you. We have need of volunteers to help push that rock. You can participate in our various activities, designed to be positive and appeal to the faithful. By reaching out to us, you can learn what we’ve got coming up and how you can be a part. In these ways you can help us energize and mobilize the American faith community to bring about the change we need. It’s a good thing.
Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence, heedinggodscall.org, [email protected], 251-238-8550
