Complexity mires action on gun violence

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Complexity mires action on gun violence

Lettersoutline outline Letters bishops’ USUSbishops’ policypriorities priorities policy

AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK AFRICA: A REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

US NEWS US NEWS

BEATIFYING BEATIFYING JOHNJOHN PAULPAUL II II

Tension between personal Tension between personal

By VINNIE ROTONDARO holiness, public actions PAGE 5PAGE 5 holiness, public actions

ANALYSIS ANALYSIS Sixteen years have passed since the school shooting at

By MICHAEL SEAN WINTERS

By MICHAEL SEAN WINTERS Columbine, eight since Virginia Tech, and as of Dec. 14, The U.S. bishops released three since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School The U.S. bishops released two letters to members of two letters to members of in Newtown, Conn., which took the lives of 20 first-graders Congress late last month that Congress late last month that outline the “principles and priand six adults. outline the “principles and priorities that guide the public polorities that guide the public polIn between, before and after, dozens of other mass shooticy efforts” of the U.S. Confericy efforts” of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. ings have occurred. In the same period, hundreds of thouence of Catholic The first Bishops. letter, signed by The letter, signedconferby sands BISHOPhave RUIZ died in gun-related homicides, suicides and the first newly installed BISHOP RUIZ theence newly installed conferpresident, Archbishop accidents.

Yet even as large majorities say they would Champion of poor and ence president, Timothy DolanArchbishop of New York, Champion of poor support sensible regulations like universal background indigenous in and Chiapas, Timothy Dolan of New York, exhorts the lawmakers to proindigenous in Chiapas, exhorts the lawmakers proMexico, dies at 86 PAGE 11 tect human life fromtoconcepchecks and licensing laws, which drasMexico, dies at 86 handgun PAGE purchaser 11 tecttion human life from concepto natural death.

“Our tically reduce firearm deaths, the nation seems paralyzed tionprayers to natural death.[are] “Our and hopes that prayers and hopes [are] that with inaction. this newly elected Congress thiswill newly elected Congress SPECIAL SECTION advance the common “The fundamental problem is that many of the people SPECIAL SECTION willgood advance the the common and defend life and —NCR photo/Christina S.N. Lewis good and life and who support gun violence prevention don’t really believe DEACONS dignitydefend of all, the especially vul—NCR photo/Christina S.N. Lewis Anna Mary Henrietta Nyangoma, general superior of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary in dignity of all, especially vulDEACONS nerable and poor persons AnnaOngata Mary Henrietta Nyangoma, general superior ofexamine the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary inslain that can be done about it, and as aKenya, result they’re Rongai, turns away as policemen the corpse of a watchman Letteranything to newly ordained; nerable and poor persons whose needs are critical in Rongai, Kenya,grounds turns away as Letternot to newly ordained; onother the convent’s 14.policemen examine the corpse of a watchman slain new statistics on deacons as motivated as people onOngata the side,” said Jan. Vincent whose needsof are critical in this time difficult economic new statistics onmore deacons PAGES 1a-8a on the convent’s grounds Jan. 14. in US; and thisand time of difficult economic policy choices.”

DeMarco, coordinator of Faiths United to Prevent PAGES 1a-8a in US; and more national and policy choices.”

The letters were dated Jan. Gun Violence, which was set to host its annual National —CQ Roll Call/Tom The letters were dated Jan. 14 and released to theWilliams public 14 and released to theinpublic Jan. legislation 18.

Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath Weekend Dec. 10-14 in During a Sept. 10 rally for gun control WashJan. 18.

Dolan pledges to “seek ways Washington, D.C. ington, D.C., Ashley Cech, right, whose mother survived Dolan pledges to “seek ways to work constructively with Attack highlightsconall too common African to the workadministration constructively withthe and In other words, the pro-gun-rights crowd is passionate, the Sandy Hookviolence shootings, comforts Diane Sellgren, Attack highlights all too common African violence thenew administration the of Congress andand others vinced of their argument and ready to go to the mat. Everywhose daughter committed suicide with to a and gun in policies 2011.

By CHRISTINA S.N. her door and demanded newgoodwill Congress others of pursue The men hit the picmoney, Levina Kawhich respect the dignity of all ture with knife,

By CHRISTINA S.N. her door andSr. demanded goodwill to pursue policies The men hittheir the picone else, including many gun owners, mayLEWIS support anti-gunlikwela grabbed a small,turebreaking human lifethe anddignity greater it,knife, Kalikwela LEWIS money, Sr. Levina Kawhich respect of all with their Anthony Granado of the U.S. bishops’ Office ofbring Domestic violence measures, but don’t truly believe they will work.

ONGATA RONGAI, KENYA . In the likwela gold-veneered framed breaking justice our nation and peace told me. grabbed a small, human lifetoand bring greater it, Kalikwela .

Social Development said that many gun rights activists’ DeMarco says that educating the public is “the best thing picture of the Virgin told me. to our “They were asking ONGATA cool RONGAI,early KENYA morning In the hoursgold-veneered framed justice to world.” our nation and peaceapCOLUMN of Jan. 14, I washours awak- picture Mary withVirgin the baby Je-is a The second — signed me,” saidsimple Kalikwela, her cool early morning of the to our world.”

“They were asking proach “very perspective, which is: letter Do not touch the Catholic church and all of us could do.”

COLUMN ened piercing sus.

by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo “And of Jan. 14, Iby was awak-screams.

Mary with the baby JeThe second letter — signed me,”voice said cracking.

Kalikwela, her I GUNSr. CULTURE guns, do not touch our right, it is absolute, there should be Franciscan Marie Lucey , director of advocacy and and again, the Galveston-Houston, head was telling them ened Again by piercing screams. sus. “They entered and I voice by of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo cracking.

“AndI Ihave GUN CULTURE women screamed. held entered it,” the sister told wasno thethat pro-life committee; money.

I have no Guns arefor tools Again and again, the “They and of of Galveston-Houston, head telling them I have no Iinfringement.

And that’s something is repeatable, member relations Franciscan Action Network, agrees. did not know it then,heldme day, stand- no money.

Stephencommittee; E. Blaire of money.” a very womenIscreamed. it,”the thenext sister told of Bishop the pro-life I have no Gunswith are tools it’s not nuanced, it’s the notgunmen complex,Bishop it’s just aCalif., strict interpreThe American Catholic church can “frame violence asnext a her but gunmen had broken ing in destroyed bedStockton, That night I did not knowgun it then, me the day, standStephen E. chairman Blaire of of money.” withlimited a very use into the complex of the room.

“I said, ‘God, the justice and human develmurdered one of the but gunmen had broken ing in her destroyed bedStockton, Calif., chairman of to That night the gunmen tation of the Second Amendment, and so they’re able pro-life issue and a health care issue,” she wrote in an email. in our limited useworld Evangelizing we’re finished.’ committee; and compound’s into the complex ofSisters the of room.

“I said, ‘God, And I murdered theopment justice and human develone ofguards. the PAGE 16 have the in ourand world rally people around that.”

“Bishops pastors pulpit.

They can bring the Mary, anSisters Africanoforder of just held it like Archbishop José H. Gomez While they did not physiEvangelizing we’re finished.’

Andthis.”

I opment committee; and of compound’s guards.

PAGE 16 sisters where She grasped the On picture Los Angeles, cally harm the the other end of the spectrum, people feel of overissue home, to their own state,Mary, cityCatholic , an town,” she wrote.

“They African order of I just held it like this.”

Archbishop Joséchairman H. Gomez ofthe While they did not sisters, physiwassisters spending the night. in both hands and held it committeeof —the dealt they manhandled Catholic where I She grasped the picture Losmigration Angeles,he chairman cally harm the sisters,three, of the whelmed by the “complexity issue,” said. can speak with law enforcement, hospital personnel and Continued on Page 8 Continued— ondealt Page 12 When the came to over her head. was spending the men night. in both hands and held it they manhandled migration committee three, “Are we seeking toonstop mass shootings teachers, and arrange meetingsWhen with to her talk Continued Pageor 8 at least limitContinued on Page 12 in theparishioners men came to over head. schools? Are we trying to address the gun violence in our inabout gun violence, using statistics about children killed, ner cities? Are we talking about domestic violence?” Granathe fact that most gun deaths are by handguns, and the mado asked. “The nuance creates areas where people can say, jority of these are suicides. An environment of listening PAT MARRIN ‘Well, I agree with you here, but I don’t agree with you there.’” has to be created. Respectful dialogue isByneeded.

There are

By PAT MARRIN Sr. Mary McCauley, left, .

Take the question of mental illness, which is often menvery good films that can be used.SANSome schools already have ANTONIO Sr. Mary McCauley, her silstands with immigrants Sr. Mary McCauley, left, ver hair framing a classic Irish face, . tioned in the same breath as mass shootings.

Manyand of the programs in place.”

SAN ANTONIO Sr. Mary McCauley, her silIsabel Ampora stands with immigrants could easily seem a diminutive nun in hair framing a classic Irish on face,the three of studies her four regushootings involve mentally ill young men, but Implementing change willver necessarily mean taking Isabel Ampora and her 70s looking at retirement after a could easily seem a diminutive nun in children, who were lifetime in the classroom or convent three of her four are not larly show that people suffering from mental illness National Rifle Association, corporations, and the money allowed to return to her 70s looking at retirement after ainadministration. But circumstances children, who were Postville, Iowa, Dec. 4, lifetime in thethe classroom or convent violent.

Instead, they are more likely the victims of violence. volved. It will also hinge on convincing public of an overand, she would say, divine providence allowed to return to on a visa granted to administration. But circumstances put her at St. Bridget Church as pasPostville, Iowa, Dec. 4, The mass shootings grab our attention, lead us arching strategy while notand, letting misunderstanding and workersthen who were she would say, divine providence toral administrator in May 2008, when on a visa granted to victimsof of crimes at the put her at St. Bridget Church as pasastray , said Jason Adkins, executive director the Minnemistrust build up across an array of related pro-life issues. hundreds of FBI and Immigration and workers who were

Sistersand andthieves thieves Sisters

s mailed on Jan. 28.

iled on Jan. 28.

Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’ Immigration: ‘Tell them to come to the church’

toralCustoms administrator in May 2008, when Enforcement agents hundreds of FBI and Immigration and of swooped down on the tiny town Customs PostvilleEnforcement in northeasternagents Iowa to swooped down on the tiny town of round up hundreds of undocumented

—Judy Callahan, BVM

—Judy Callahan, BVM

lies, “Tell them to come to the

Agriprocessors plant. victims of crimes at the Agriprocessors plant.

cy and the challenge to churches to

National Catholic Reporter

—CNS/Catholic New World/Karen Callaway

Chicago police officers escort students from the Academy of St. Benedict the African School for a prayer walk for peace in their community Nov. 5. The walk was prompted by the Nov. 2 fatal shooting of a 9-year-old boy in Chicago.

sota Catholic Conference.

When we talk about the correlation between mental illness and gun death, we ought to be talking about “suicide deaths from people who have mental illness,” he said, as suicide gun deaths vastly outnumber deaths that occur annually as a result of mass shootings, and even outnumber the murders that occur in day-in, day-out settings.

“We live in a culture that’s dependent on drugs, because it’s depressed, it lacks hope,” Adkins said. “Are we giving people hope? Are we reaching out, are we treating mental illness effectively, with effective services? Are we embracing a culture of encounter, and reaching out to the people who are troubled most?”

Other gun-death-related issues are equally problematic, like inner-city shootings, where a cultural and political rift exists on the question: What causes a life of crime?

The “progressive” tendency views the issue through the lens of economic inequality and racial injustice, as many inner-city neighborhoods with high levels of firearm death are populated by poor African-Americans. The “conservative” mindset tends to focus on cultural and moral problems.

“Why does a person resort to a life of crime?” asked Adkins. “There are certainly socio-economic reasons, but there are also the moral reasons: the breakdown of the traditional family, a culture of fatherlessness, gang violence as a way of belonging.”

How does one thread the needle?

“Every day, when you pick up the paper, that’s what you

December 4-17, 2015

see, another African-American has been killed,” said Thomas Buckley, general counsel for the St. Louis archdiocese.

In a recent study, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law reported that St. Louis had the highest murder rate in the country, as measured per capita.

“We are way ahead of murders this year compared to last year in St. Louis,” Buckley said. “Unfortunately, it does seem to impact certain socio-economic segments of our area, and it’s most impacted the poor African-American areas and regions of the greater St. Louis area.”

What Buckley finds most disturbing is the “increase in holdups [where] the person gives them their wallet and turns to go away, and the attacker shoots them in the back.”

Not a “drug deal gone bad or some gang infighting or gangs fighting other gangs,” just random, senseless death.

“I think most people recognize that this is a problem of our culture, of the moral fabric of our society,” he said, mentioning both the realities of “lower life expectancies across zip codes” in the St. Louis area, and “the collapse of the family.”

“We have to acknowledge the legitimate points on both sides of the debate and root that in first principals,” said Adkins. “Catholic social teaching could play a role here.”

At the same time, “just because guns are not the first point of the problem, it doesn’t mean we can’t regulate reasonably,” he said. “And keep people away from guns who can’t exercise their rights responsibly.”

Granado agreed about reasonable regulation: “One of the things that Congress can do immediately is to address the issue of background checks, universal background checks for all people. This is a simple thing.”

Even in a state like Minnesota, where “there is a sensitivity because we are a hunting state, we are an agricultural state, guns are a part of everyday life,” focusing on background checks are the way to go, said Adkins.

“Clearly, when you look at polling, there is a broad consensus in the public about reasonable regulation of firearms.

Background checks typically have strong support even in a gun-friendly state like Minnesota,” he said. “The real challenge is to try get the debate out of this false either/or, partisan dynamic.”

DeMarco said the most “constructive, positive” thing the church can do would be to focus on educating the public about the effectiveness of background checks and handgun licensing laws.

“There needs to be more networking,” he said, and he hopes the Dec. 10-14 anti-gun-violence Sabbath weekend event will help put various groups on the same page.

“People think about this differently in different areas,” he said, “but I think that everywhere people don’t know about the effective measures. And that’s what we need to get out.”

[Vinnie Rotondaro is NCR national correspondent. His email address is vrotondaro@ncronline.org.]

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