D014 Declare Gun Violence a National Health Crisis

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That the 81st General Convention of The Episcopal Church hereby urge Congress and all officials at the national, state, and local levels to work to have gun violence recognized and defined as a Public Health Epidemic and National Health Crisis; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention urge Congress and all officials at the national, state and local levels to work together and to enact legislation and promote policies that protect the rights of all Americans to live in safe environments free from gun violence and allocating sufficient funding for education, awareness and research; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention urge the reform of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to ensure equal access to benefits without discrimination to families in communities with higher-than-average rates of homicide, and designate funding to provide community-based mental health services and supports to families who have lost loved ones to gun violence and homicide; and be it further.

Resolved, That the 81st General Convention direct, consistent with established policies and procedures, that the Executive Council refer this Resolution to the Office of Government Relations, so that it may take all actions necessary to accomplish the intentions and purposes of this Resolution.

Explanation

Over 30,000 lives are claimed by gun violence annually in the United States; and

African Americans suffer disproportionately from gun violence in the United States; and

African Americans are 14 times more likely to be killed with guns than whites, and among young black men, gun violence is the leading cause of death; and

Among whites, the predominant cause of firearm-related deaths is suicide; among African Americans 80% of firearm-related death is homicide; and

Every day 93 people die from gunshot injuries, seven of whom are children, while more than 180 people are victims of nonfatal gunshot injuries every day, 40 of whom are children or teens; and

In addition to death and injury, gun violence creates a sense of a lack of safety and exposes people and communities to traumatic events, which include but are not limited to: witnessing gun violence, being fearful to go or be outside because of gun violence, fear of being near areas or activities which often escalate to violence, having had to hide due to gun violence or violent activity in the neighborhood, and/or having lost a relative or close friend to gun violence; and

The known impacts of chronic and complex trauma include low self-regulation, poor impulse control, mental health problems, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, and substance abuse; and

Congress has blocked the passage of sensible gun legislation to protect the American public and our children by significantly curtailing the proliferation of, and access to, illegal guns in America. This includes bills that would create a requirement to report lost and stolen guns; reauthorize an assault weapon and high capacity magazine ban; close the gun-show and fire-sale loopholes; and repeal restrictions on state and local law enforcement's access to trace gun data; and

After the passage of the groundbreaking Brady Bill in 1993, the U.S. Congress has consistently cut and blocked funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency that supports research into the issues that contribute to homicide and gun violence. Congress has also instituted structural restrictions that prevent the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire Arms and Explosives (ATF) from effectively and comprehensively carrying out its role of oversight of the firearms industry; and

Public Law 109-92, The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act passed in 2005, prevents firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. PL 109-92 effectively prevents victims of firearms violence in the United States from successfully suing manufacturers and dealers for negligence and or contributory negligence. It closes an avenue by which victims can seek redress for suffering caused by the murders of loved ones, and

The U.S. Department of Justice's report, Vision 21, called for reform to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and identified African American boys and men, and their families, as among the victims of crime who are under-served, facing barriers to services, denial of services, and/or denial of funding, and

While America has laws that protect our children from products, activities, or situations that may cause them harm or injury, and make it illegal for them to purchase substances such as alcohol and tobacco, we have not done enough to protect children and teens from access to guns.