WEST BRATTLEBORO — We, the undersigned of the West Brattleboro Quaker Worship Group, urge strong legislative action to curb gun violence.
Quakers throughout history have stood on the side of peace and nonviolence. Just as we believe that “war is not the answer” as a way of settling international disputes, we also believe that “guns are not the answer” for settling disputes of any kind or for providing personal safety.
We ourselves choose not to carry or own weapons for the intended purpose of killing other human beings. This is consistent with our stance of religious nonviolence.
We hope that by living our lives in this peaceful manner others will be empowered to do the same - not take up weapons with the idea that they might have to kill another human being or put down the weapons they already own for this purpose.
This seems like a tall order. Yet, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and other countries with which we have a close kinship have accomplished impressive reductions in gun violence through strong gun-control measures.
We urge our fellow citizens, members of religious groups, and legislators at all levels of government to support reasonable and effective legislation to curb gun violence.
The courage to do so will lead to a significant reduction in the terrible loss of human life and lack of public safety that our country, alone among developed nations, currently endures.