{"id":1441,"date":"2018-03-23T17:33:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-23T17:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jcpa.wpengine.com\/?p=1441"},"modified":"2022-03-20T17:34:38","modified_gmt":"2022-03-20T17:34:38","slug":"american-jews-speak-out-against-gun-violence-in-open-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jewishpublicaffairs.org\/press-release\/american-jews-speak-out-against-gun-violence-in-open-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"American Jews Speak Out Against Gun Violence in Open Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

To coincide with the March for Our Lives, JCPA releases open letter signed by broad coalition of Jewish groups calling for an immediate and comprehensive end to gun violence.<\/em><\/p>\n

New York, NY<\/em> \u2014 <\/strong>Ahead of the March for Our Lives<\/a>, a broad coalition of 20 national organizations from across the Jewish community\u2014including the Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative, and Orthodox movements\u2014released a letter that calls on lawmakers to take a balance, multipronged approach to addressing gun violence in the United States:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe, the undersigned 20 national Jewish organizations and institutions, are strongly united in calling for immediate action to address and end gun violence in America. Our Jewish communities, like so many others, are heartbroken by the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida, where one individual, armed with a military grade weapon of destruction, transformed an esteemed place of learning into a killing field.<\/p>\n

But we are no longer shocked. The killing of 17 innocent people in Parkland was not an isolated tragedy. Twelve were gunned down at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012. Forty-nine were slaughtered at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016. Fifty-eight were brutally murdered at a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2017. Each year, there are tens of thousands more gun-related deaths that do not make national headlines. In 2018 alone, there have already been 41 mass shootings and 618 children under the age of 18 have already been killed or injured by a gun.<\/p>\n

While the current spate of mass shootings and carnage is utterly unacceptable, the proliferation of open and concealed carry options is not the solution. We recognize and respect the right of law-abiding Americans to own handguns and rifles for legitimate purposes, but we refuse to accept a dystopian future where schools, houses of worship, community centers, shopping malls, theaters, and other venues require armed security, and where children and adults are fearful of going out in public.<\/p>\n

The Jewish community has a deep and abiding concern for public safety. Driven by our belief in the sanctity of life and the commandment against murder, we are committed to a comprehensive approach to confronting gun violence. No single solution will prevent all future tragedies, which is why we advocate for a balanced, multipronged approach that includes the following measures:<\/p>\n