In the midst of the pandemic, gun sales are surging.
From Religion News Service comes a statement from Bishops United Against Gun Violence. The bishops highlight how sheltering in place can amplify the danger of guns at home, and ideas for mitigation.
The takeaway:
Just as you take care to protect yourself against infection in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we urge you to protect yourself and your loved ones from circumstances in which gun violence is likely to occur.
If you have a gun in your home, is it properly secured? If your child is visiting other homes, do you know whether a gun is present and whether it is secured?
Are you aware of someone forced to shelter with a potentially violent family member? What can you do to help this person stay safe? Do you know someone suffering from depression that might be heightened by the sense of powerlessness that affects us all during this pandemic? How can you help to ease this isolation?
As advocates, we remain committed to revising our country’s appallingly lax gun laws. We lament the current surge in gun purchases, and we urge you to join us in mitigating the violence that accompanies it through small but courageous acts of attention, compassion and concern.
Bishops United Against Gun Violence is a network of more than 100 Episcopal bishops.