United Methodist Women Joins Advocates’ Call for Gun Control, Again

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United Methodist Women, the largest denominational organization for women, today joined gun violence prevention advocates in calling for immediate action on gun control, again. Their call follows an uptick in mass shootings, including one on the evening of March 22 in Boulder, Co., and an expected return to normalcy following the disbursement of the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine will permit many establishments to reopen. United Methodist Women Chief Executive Officer Harriett Jane Olson issued the following statement: 

“COVID-19 disrupted the pattern of mass shootings as many people were confined to their or their loved ones’ homes. Now that there is a vaccine and many establishments are reopening, we are also seeing the resurgence of mass shootings. Of course, this issue never went away, and we must move ahead to take action.

“While many problems we face lack clear, tested ways to address them, making it difficult for policymakers to agree on a strategy, gun violence should not be one of them. We know that background checks and bans on assault weapons, among other things, can save lives. These are common-sense measures that we must take up. Now is the time to do that which is not only right but that which will make our families and communities safer.

“Congress should muster the courage to take immediate action on gun control so our children and loved ones can live free from the fear of mass shootings in grocery stores, spas, schools, concert venues, and everywhere else in the United States. Certainly, there is a biblical imperative to act when we can see our way forward. The Bible is clear in James 9:41 that persons who know to do right and do wrong anyway, sin.”

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United Methodist Women is the women’s mission organization within the United Methodist Church, focused on the needs of women, children, and youth for more than 150 years.

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Contact: Yvette Moore, ymoore@unitedmethodistwomen.org