VOICES FOR PEACE

Diocesan Task Force for the Prevention of Gun Violence

San Francisco Deanery Meeting Saturday May 10, 2014

There is a Gun Violence Crisis/Epidemic in America Today

30,500 lives lost each year:

11,000 homicides, 19,000 suicides 500 unintentional shootings

75,000 gun-related injuries

62 mass shootings in the last 30 years

Since 1968, 1.3 million Americans have died from gun violence. That is more than from ALL wars in American history combined

Since Newton, over 2,600 American lives lost (equivalent of 100 more Newtown shootings)

The Cost of Gun Violence

Firearm-related deaths and injuries result in medical and lost productivity expenses of about $37 billion each year

Factoring in lost quality of life, emotional trauma, decline in property values, and other societal consequences, the cost of gun violence in the U.S. is closer to $100 billion each year

What is Causing the Problem?

The U.S. has a huge supply of firearms: 270,000,000 guns, enough for each adult citizen

to have one

Gun laws in the United States are extremely weak:• No universal background checks• No assault weapons ban• No registration or licensing requirements• No regulation of ammunition sales• No federal punishments for illegal trafficking• No resources to enforce existing laws• The few states with stronger gun laws (California) are subject

to trafficking from nearby states with weak laws (Nevada

Some Current Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence

Universal Background Checks Assault Weapons Ban Ban of Large-Capacity Ammunition

Magazines Regulation of Ammunition Sales Divestment of State Funds in Firearm

Manufacturers Increased Punishment for Illegal

Trafficking Licensing and Safety Training for Gun

Owners

Task Force Background

October 2013 Convention-The Resolution on Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was approved

Paula Hawthorne sponsored by St. Paul’s Oakland proposed and is Chairperson for the task force

Task Force Members

Mary-Jane Wood-St Giles, Moraga Steve Sayles, St Francis Novato Martha Korienek, Associate Rector, St

Paul’s Burlingame Ken Parris, Deacon, St James, Fremont Krista Fergoso, Associate Rector, St John’s

Oakland Este Cantor, Vicar, Good Shepherd,

Berkeley Mary Balmana, St James, San Francisco

Timeline of Events

January 30,2014-Task Force Commissioned at Grace Cathedral

Lent 2014-St Paul’s Oakland adapts the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship’s “Our Neighbors & Gun Violence” for a Lenten Program

April 19, 2014 Paula met with Bishop Marc regarding Gun Prevention Program to be implemented in the Diocese and convocation for St Francis Day agreed upon

What You Can Do to Spread

Saint Francis Day-October 4th

Plan is to meet at Saint Francis in San Francisco and march to City College of SF, convene at the Bufano Statue of St Francis (made of recycled bullets). Planned guests: Bishop Marc, local politicians, inter-faith leaders, all of you!

If this is something you feel strongly about, consider joining the Task Force, we are recruiting new members

Get Informed!Get Involved!

Check into the Voices for Peace link on Diocal, available soon for resources and any Gun Prevention related events in the Bay Area

Check the http://www.diomass.org/bpeace for potential ideas for DioCal and provide feedback and ideas to Task Force

Read “Reducing Gun Violence in America” presentation to get background info Microsoft

PowerPoint Presentation

Resources

Websites: Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence:

www.smartgunlaws.org The Brady Campaign: http://www.bradycampaign.org

Books: The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know , Phil

Cook and Kristen Goss Reducing Gun Violence in America: Informing Policy

with Evidence and Analysis, Daniel W. Webster and Jon S. Vernick

Private Guns, Public Health, David Hemenway Don’t Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship and the End

of Violence in Inner-City America, David M. Kennedy

Programs Addressing Gun Violence Prevention

Documentary: A Confused WarRichmond, CA has long been one of the state’s most dangerous cities. In 2007, this city of 100,000 logged 47 homicides, one of the highest murder rates in the country. By 2012, numbers had dropped from 47 to 18. This short documentary examines the city’s bold, and surprisingly successful, efforts to tame the violence. www.aconfusedwar.com/

Reducing Violent Crimes: The 3C’s Model: Communication, Collaboration & Coordination, David Muhammad, Solutions Inc.

www.solutionsinc.us

Questions/Comments

Mary Balmana, San Francisco Deanery Task Force Member

marybrn@mac.com415-710-2930