From the Just Peace Team

Part of the Just Peace Resolution, adopted for our church in January, 2018, includes “we as a church and as individual people of faith commit ourselves to giving time, talents and dollars to the ministry of advocacy to change unjust policies and systems and to ministries creating justice where there is injustice…”

The Just Peace Team has been learning and educating themselves on various justice issues.  However, the hardest challenge seems to be to find actual concrete ways we can advocate to change policies and give the congregation guidance on how to actually do that.

Rev. Alice O’Donovan, our Chairman, has suggested a way to advocate for gun safety and we are sharing  this information here.  Alice suggests connecting with the organization EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY.  You can reach them on their website:  www.everytown.org.

When you arrive at their website, you can click on the black box that says UPDATE BACKGROUND CHECKS – EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.  You will be sending a message urging your representative to support H.R. 8, critical legislation to require background checks on all gun sales.  The passage of this legislation will strengthen our gun laws and build a strong foundation for gun safety laws, keep guns out of the wrong hands, such as domestic abusers and convicted felons and close the loophole that enables prohibited buyers to avoid a background check simply by seeking out an unlicensed seller.

You can also call the Norwich office of Congressman Joe Courtney and say “thank you for being a co-sponsor of the Background Check Bill (HR #8).  Call 860-886-0139 and you there will be a real person on the other end of the line.

We will continue to find other specific ways you can advocate on Just Peace issues.  If you would like to join us at our Just Peace Team meetings, please send an email to kathyartist72@gmail to receive the updated meeting times. 

From Rev. Alice O’Donovan, Chairperson, Just Peace Team and Kathy Lindner, Team member.