UMs advocate for gun safety

BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Ecumenical religious leaders from throughout Maryland came together in Annapolis March 11 to speak in favor of the Firearm Safety Act of 2010, proposed legislation that "would take guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them."

The religious leaders stressed that SB 645, proposed by Senator Brian Frosh, and HB 820, proposed by Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, do not conflict with the Second Amendment, nor would they take guns away from law abiding citizens.

"Rather, said Bishop John Schol, who spoke at a press conference at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, "the law would ensure that the rights given to some citizens do not threaten the safety of others."

"One of the obligations of government is to ensure the safety of its citizens, said the bishop. "While innovative, Maryland's laws don't go far enough."

In its Book of Resolutions, The United Methodist Church calls on people faith to be peacemakers "through vigorous efforts to curb and eliminate gun violence."

Bishop Schol stood with the Rev. Doug Sands, a retired pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, when Sands delivered testimony at a hearing before state legislators in support of the Firearm Safety Act of 2010.

"We recognize that various illegitimate means of acquiring handguns constantly threatens our communities with criminal violence," Sands said.

"We believe that this legislation is necessary to further assure that there is no possibility that anyone will be able to misuse the legitimate means that are now available to acquire handguns."

(Details of the proposed legislation are available at the General Assembly's Bill Information site.)

The press conference of the Ecumenical Religious Leaders of Maryland was led by Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

"One of the major concerns in this nation is terrorism," said Sutton, who pointed out that 30,000 people are killed every year by firearms.

"That is a situation of terror," he said. "Some people in our communities are living in terror. If we are concerned about terrorism we ought to be concerned about keeping firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them."

For more information on this issue, contact Beth Reilly, the Baltimore-Washington Conference advocate at  bwc-advocacy@earthlink.net.