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June 2022 Newsletter
Issue #64
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So far this year, there have been 212 mass shootings in the U.S. In 2021 there were 693. In 2020 there were 611 and in 2019 there were 417.
Gun violence is the leading cause of premature death in the U.S.—killing more than 38,000 people and injuring 85,000 more each year. The U.S. has had more mass shootings than the next 10 countries combined.
School Shootings
So far in 2022, there have been 27 school shootings. 83 people have been killed or injured
Since 2018 there have been 119 school shootings. The highest number, 34, occurred in 2021.
The shooting at Robb Elementary is the most school fatalities since 2012, when a gunman shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
More than 95% of American schools practice regular active shooter drills. These typically involve locking the door, moving students to a location out of sight, and coaching students to remain calm and quiet.
Active shooter drills in schools are associated with a 39% increase in depression, a 42% increase in stress and anxiety, and a 23% increase in physiological health problems overall, including children from as young as 5 years old up to high schoolers, their parents, and teachers. Concerns over death increased by 22% in the 90 days after the drill.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
In addition to the killed and wounded, 28% of the people who have witnessed a mass shooting develop PTSD and about 33% develop acute stress disorder.
Mass shooting survivors are at greater risk for mental health difficulties compared with people who experience other types of trauma, such as natural disasters.
"Active Shooters"
"Active shooter incidents" surged in 2021 by more than 50% from 2020 and nearly 97% from 2017. Of the active shooter incidents in 2021, 49% of the shooters were apprehended, 23% were killed by law enforcement, 18% died by suicide and 1% were killed by armed citizens.
Gun Policy Support
The majority of Americans support some gun policies. These include:
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81% for background checks
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63% for banning assault-style weapons
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64% for banning high capacity ammunition magazines
Senators Receiving the Most Money from NRA
1. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) - $13,647,676
2. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) - $6,987,380
3. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) - $4,555,722
4. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) - $4,421,333
5. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) - $3,303,355
Correlation of Number of Guns to Gun Deaths
Where there are more guns, there are more gun deaths. The top states by gun death rates (per 100,000 people) are:
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Mississippi -- 28.6
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Louisiana -- 26.3
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Wyoming -- 25.9
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Missouri -- 23.9
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Alabama -- 23.6
States with the highest gun ownership rates:
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Mississippi -- 50%
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Louisiana -- 48%
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Wyoming -- 59%
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Missouri -- 48%
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Alabama -- 50%
Gun Manufacturers
According to the first comprehensive federal tally of gun commerce in 2 decades, the number of firearms manufactured in the US has nearly tripled since 2000 and spiked sharply in the past 3 years
The top gun manufacturers in the U.S. are:
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Smith & Wesson, Annual revenue: $1.1 billion
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Remington Outdoor, Annual revenue: $865 million
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Sturm, Ruger & Co., Annual revenue: $730 million
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Sig Sauer, Annual revenue: $314 million
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Mossberg & Sons, Annual revenue: $38.1 million
A jump in gunmakers’ share prices following a mass shooting is not unusual. Weapons manufacturers’ stock prices typically benefit from shootings, as investors believe fears of impending regulation will lead consumers to rush out to buy arms and ammunition. For example, Sturm, Ruger & Company recently jumped as much as 5.8%, while Smith & Wesson soared as much as 10%
The gun industry refers to the AR-15-type models as “modern sporting rifles.”
“Ghost guns”
"Ghost guns" are firearms that can be bought online or assembled at home on 3D printers. They are virtually untraceable and can be purchased without a background check. Police discovered over 19,000 ghost guns in 2021 — 10 times as many as were found in 2016.
Guns & Faith
More U.S. adults report living in a gun household (44%) than attend religious services on a regular basis (42%).
For ideas on what can be done about Gun Violence, click here.
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A Parkland Teacher's Homework for Us All
A TED Talk featuring Diane Wolk-Rogers who teaches history at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida -- the site of a horrific school shooting on Valentine's Day 2018. She asks how can we end this senseless violence and offers three ways Americans can move forward to create more safety and responsibility around guns. She also invites people to come up with their own answers. Above all, she asks everyone to take a cue from the student activists at her school -- survivors whose work for change has moved millions to action. "They shouldn't have to do this on their own; they're asking you to get involved." Watch now.
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A Solution to Gun Violence
Found in U.S. History
A Ted Talk featuring gun safety advocate David Farrell, who points out that guns weren't always the contentious issue they are today in the U.S. Forty years ago, guns were primarily used for sport and recreation, and mass shootings were a rarity. Much has changed since then and Farell asks viewers to stop living in fear and thinking that we're going to lose our freedom. Watch now.
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1000 Years of European Borders
A short animated time lapse map that shows how much the borders of European countries have changed over the past millennium – including Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Highlights the transitory nature of nationalism and what it means to be from a certain geographic region. Watch now.
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Unequal: A Story of America
By Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau. Delivers a enlightening account of racial inequality in America. The story of racial inequality--and resistance to it--is the prologue to our present. One can see it in where we live, where we go to school, where we work, in our laws, and in our leadership. Presents an account of the struggles that shaped America and the insidiousness of racism, and demonstrates how inequality persists. Read more.
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Innocent Until Proven Muslim:
Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11
By Maha Hilal. Tells the story of two decades of the War on Terror, exploring how the official narrative has justified the creation of a sprawling apparatus of state violence rooted in Islamophobia and excused its worst abuses. Offers not only an overview of the many iterations of the War on Terror in law and policy, but also examines how Muslim Americans have internalized oppression, how some influential Muslim Americans have perpetuated collective responsibility, and how the lived experiences of Muslim Americans reflect what it means to live as part of a "suspect" community. Along the way, this marginalized community gives voice to lessons that everyone can learn from their experiences, and to what it would take to create a better future.
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Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
By Katherine Hayhoe -- chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy and an evangelical Christian -- who offers an optimistic view on why collective action on climate change is still possible—and how it can be realized. Negotiates distrust of data, indifference to imminent threats, and resistance to proposed solutions by arguing that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. Asserts that we also need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action and offers a multilayered look at science, faith, and human psychology. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and personal stories, shows that small conversations can have astonishing results. Provides tools to open a dialogue with loved ones about how we all can play a role in pushing forward for change. Read more.
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WaterBear Network
An interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet. Provides access to award-winning and inspirational content that empowers members to dive deeper, learn more and take action on issues such climate action, biodiversity, sustainability, community, diversity and more. Features documentaries, locally-told stories, NGO campaigns, on-the-ground grassroot outreach, volunteering, eco-travel and sustainable products. Learn more.
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Patriotic Millionaires
A group of high-net worth Americans who share a profound concern about the destabilizing level of inequality in America. Their work centers on the two things that matter most in a capitalist democracy: power and money. Their goal is to ensure that the country’s political economy is structured to meet the needs of regular Americans, rather than just millionaires. They focus on three “first” principles: a highly progressive tax system, a livable minimum wage, and equal political representation for all citizens. Learn more.
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Simplify Magazine
A quarterly, digital publication from Becoming Minimalist, that pulls together experts in various fields to address some of the most pressing needs of the modern family. Learn more.
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Refugee Council USA
A diverse coalition that promotes efforts to protect and welcome refugees, asylees, asylum-seekers, and other forcibly displaced populations. Advocates for just and humane laws and policies, and the promotion of dialogue and communication among government, civil society, and those who need protection and welcome. Members include 29 U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, ranging from the nine national resettlement agencies to grassroots organizers. Learn more.
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How Labor Unions Shape Society
A TED Talk featuring political economist, Margaret Levi, who shows how how unions forge equality and protect worker rights, and have advocated for such things as weekends. Social Security, health insurance etc. Calls for a 21st-century revival of the labor movement in order to build a more equitable future. Watch now.
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Braver Angels
A non-partisan nonprofit organization (formerly known as Better Angels) that seeks to depolarize American politics. Their work is rooted in grassroots organizing led by volunteer leaders (supported by a small staff) who leverage programs and unique organizing structure to impact community life and American institutions. The foundation of all their activities is what they refer to as patriotic-empathy: the idea that our love for our country is shown by our concern for our fellow citizens.
Braver Angels: Reuniting America is a 50-minute documentary about what happened before, during and after a Braver Angels Red/Blue workshop in Waynesville, Ohio. It was directed by four-time Emmy award-winner Jim Brown, and produced by musician Peter Yarrow. To watch a 4 minute trailer, click here.
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Forgiveness and Reparation,
the Healing Journey
By by Mpho Tutu van Furth. Part of the My Theology series, where the world's leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs in concise, pocket-sized books. Holds that reparations rightly engaged are part of a spiritual process of forgiveness and reconciliation. Reparations could be an element in a process of atonement and restorative justice that sees the need for acknowledgment of the damage done to the enslaved and colonized, as well as healing and restoration of the lost humanity of the perpetrators, and repair of the violated relationships between the human and ecological victims and the human perpetrators. Read more.
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We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People's Campaign
Edited by Liz Theoharis. The author is joined by pastors, community organizers, scholars, low-wage workers, lay leaders, and people in poverty to interpret sacred stories about the poor seeking healing, equity, and freedom. Organized into fifty-two chapters, each focusing on a key Scripture passage such as the story of the exodus that frees people from debt and slavery, the prophets who denounce the rich and ruling classes, the stories of Jesus's healing and parables about fair wages, and the early church's sharing of goods. Each chapter ends with reflection questions and a short prayer offering the opportunity to use the book devotionally throughout the year. Read more.
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A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence: Key Thinkers, Activists, and Movements for the Gospel of Peace
By David C. Cramer. Offers a concise introduction to diverse approaches to, proponents of, and resources for Christian nonviolence. Explores the myriad biblical, theological, and practical dimensions of Christian nonviolence as represented by a variety of twentieth- and twenty-first-century thinkers and movements, including previously underrepresented voices. Invites readers to explore this tradition and discover how they might live out the gospel in the modern world. Read more.
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Grieving Gun Violence
Loving God,
Today we grieve those who recently lost their lives in another senseless act of gun violence. We grieve for their families, friends, and coworkers and for all those who were there.
We grieve for police officers and safety officials who responded to the scene, who tried to keep the wounded alive and who had to notify family members that someone they loved had been hurt or killed.
We grieve for the reporters trying to tell a horrific story.
We grieve for those who are reminded of someone else they knew who was lost in another shooting.
We grieve for parents who must try to explain to their children what happened.
We grieve for the parents, relatives and friends of the shooter who perhaps didn't see this coming or perhaps didn't do enough to prevent it.
We grieve for those organizations and businesses who are hurt from tragedies such as these.
We grieve for a planet that forgets that a leading tenet of every major religion is to treat others as we would like to be treated.
We grieve for those who will be identified and harassed because they have similar characteristics as the shooter.
We grieve for those will lose loved ones in the next shooting.
And the next.
And the next.
And the next.
And the next.
We grieve for a country where this type of violence is so common, so familiar.
We pray that we never forget these victims and that from now on we find ways to work together to end gun violence. We pray that each of us commits to be more courageous to speak truth to power and be willing to come together to be a part of the solution.
Amen
(Adapted from Keith Kron)
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Important Dates This Month |
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Individuals Honored This Month |
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June 1st
In my empty cell, I experience a growing awareness of the communion of saints -- and of the possibility of a world where the vast chasm of violence and injustice enforced by torture and war is bridged and transformed.
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June 4th
The media seems to think only abortion and gay marriage are religious issues. Poverty is a moral issue, it's a faith issue, it's a religious issue.
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June 8th
If there is no friendship with the poor and no sharing of the life of the poor, then there is no authentic commitment to liberation, because love exists only among equals.
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June 12th
Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.
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June 28th
Even today we don't pay serious attention to the issue of poverty, because the powerful remain relatively untouched by it. Most people distance themselves from the issue by saying that if the poor worked harder, they wouldn't be poor.
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June 30th
Dorothy was killed in El Salvador in 1980 with 3 companions by members of the military for her work with the poor.
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