Rabbinical Assembly supports gun control

Photo by David Poe

Recent weeks have seen a multiplicity of shootings in the United States.  Dozens have been killed or injured.  The Rabbinical Assembly, the international umbrella organization for Conservative rabbis, is now reiterating its opposition to gun violence.

The RA passed resolutions in 1990 and 1995 advocating for strong gun control, as well as last year, in support of federal legislation to limit high capacity firearm magazines – weapons designed to kill mass amounts of people at once. Rabbi David Lerner of Lexington, Mass., founded an initiative, Clergy Against Bullets, several years ago. He has led interfaith groups in advocating against legislation that would limit states’ ability to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons.

“The Rabbinical Assembly has been a strong advocate of gun control for decades,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the RA’s executive vice president.

“In light of several recent tragic shootings, in which dozens of innocent people were killed or injured, we urge lawmakers at federal, state and local levels to renew their attention to this issue.  Senseless shootings can be avoided.  We must respond to this recent wave of violence with a sense of urgency.  Schools, religious institutions and public spaces are supposed to be places where we feel secure and protected, not where Americans fear for their lives,” she said.

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Posted by Gary on Aug 17 2012. Filed under Top Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry