The Social Justice Committee, by approval of the Board of Trustees, is holding a congregational Social Justice Call to Action meeting on January 14, 2024 at 12:30pm in the Church Sanctuary for the purpose of approving a Statement of Support for Gun Safety. This meeting is being conducted under the provisions of HVUUC Bylaws Article XIII: Public Statements. The Statement must be approved by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of Church members present. For the benefit of those congregants who attended the July meeting considering this Statement, the only 2 changes are:

#1- The addition of the words in the first paragraph passed at the July Congregational Meeting in July: "...and should be declared a public health issue."

#2- The deletion of the phrase "...a national “red flag” law;..." objected to by members of the congregation.

Church members unable to attend in-person may submit a written statement of not more than 300 words related to the Statement to SJChair@HVUUC by January 13. These comments will be read at the meeting and will not constitute a vote.

HVUUC Statement of Support for Gun Safety

Our Unitarian Universalist principles affirm the inherent worth of every human life. Gun violence in our country is a major factor in destroying lives and should be declared a public health issue. The USA is an extreme outlier among other high-income countries in gun homicides, gun suicides, horrific mass shootings, and gun injuries. It is not just those who are killed who are the victims. The families, loved ones, and friends, and the witnesses can suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.

We do not object to responsible gun ownership for personal protection or sport.

However, we as a congregation, cannot accept the status quo and “hope” as an antidote for the current unacceptable environment. Active shooter drills, turning our schools into fortresses, and vague suggestions about addressing mental health are not providing a solution. The easy availability of guns and military-style death weapons are a major contributor to this violence. Clearly, state-by-state weapon regulations have provided loopholes to any effective change.

Congregants are encouraged to petition legislators and work in all available forums, to include safety training programs as a mandatory condition for gun ownership and to require other actions, such as: increased mental health funding; background checks for ALL gun purchases, including private and gun show and online sales; government licensing before purchase; ban of the sale of high-capacity magazines; and, ban of the sale of automatic weapons.