Iowa Peace Network recently signed this letter to Biden, calling for a National Day of Prayer and Contemplation this coming Mother's Day, May 14, 2023.Add your name to the petition to President Biden to declare Mother's Day 2023 a national day of repentance, mourning, prayer, and reflection to address the culture of gun violence that is staining our collective soul.
Initial signatories include:
Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Former General Secretary
Emeritus, Reformed Church in America • Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T'ruah: The Rabbinic
Call for Human Rights • Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharris, Kairos Center for Religions,
Rights and Social Justice • Dr. Shane Claiborne, Red Letter Christians • Rev.
Adam Taylor, President, Sojourners • Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Congregation Beit
Simchat Torah • Rev. Dr. Janet Wolf, Poverty Rights Organizer • Rev. Dr. Blake
Dorsey, Presiding Minister, The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples • Dr.
Daisy Khan, Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) •
Rita Brock, Senior Vice President, Volunteers for America • Rev. Trost Fredrick,
Retired Conference President, United Church of Christ • Brother Tolbert
McCarroll, Spiritual Director, Starcross Monastic Community • Bishop Vashti
Murphy McKenzie, Interim Secretary General, National Council of Churches • Rev.
Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, President, Unitarian Universalist Association •
Johnny Zokovitch, Executive Director, Pax Christi USA • Dr. James Zogby,
Leading Member, Blessed Sacrament Families United • Dr. Debbie Almontaser,
Founder and CEO, Bridging Cultures Group
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“From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with
our own. It says: Disarm, Disarm!“ –
Original Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870, by abolitionist and poet Julia Ward
Howe
Dear President Biden,
The epidemic of gun violence has become so dire that nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States have lost a family member to a gun death. Mass shootings have escalated so much in recent years (23% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic began) that as of April 12, there have already been at least 147 mass shootings so far this year. It is a war taking place in our schools, houses of worship, supermarkets, movie theatres, homes, businesses nightclubs, and more. While some may throw up their arms and say that this is a battle too large to win, we, an interfaith coalition, made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and other faith traditions, remember the miracles of ancient times and remain optimistic that this scourge can be overcome.
Do we really believe as a nation that the second amendment and the profits of those who manufacture AR-15-style assault rifles, Hellfire missiles, and other instruments of death should take primacy over our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
We thank you for having last year pushed through Congress the first major gun violence protection legislation in 30 years, for highlighting the issue during this year's State of the Union, and the executive order you issued last month.
Given the gravity and urgency of this issue, we ask for more. We appeal to you to declare this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14, 2023, to be a national day of repentance, mourning, prayer, and reflection to address the culture of gun violence that is staining our collective soul.
We ask for our lawmakers and faith institutions to reflect this Mother's Day on how we are allowing gun manufacturers, the gun lobby, and a culture of gun worship to hold our country hostage.
Mary, a role model for motherhood, stood at the foot of the
cross witnessing brutality, inhumanity, and death being inflicted on her child.
Today we are all parents looking on as the brutality and death from another
mass shooting is inflicted on our children. At the same time, we are painfully
aware that gun violence is a racial justice issue. Black Americans are twice as
likely as white Americans to die from gun violence.
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