On June 7, The Diocese of West Missouri observed Wear Orange Sunday; a day where we remember and pray for victims of gun violence across the country. Leading up to Wear Orange Sunday, the diocese participated in a week-long event of turning faith and prayer into action.
Although Wear Orange Sunday may have passed, the work is not over. Lenette Johnson, co-chair of the Peace & Justice Commission, writes to us about what inspired her work in gun violence prevention and how the diocese can continue to get involved.
A Letter From Lenette Johnson
My name is Lenette Johnson and I am a retired music educator after spending 34 years in the classroom. My last few years teaching, active shooter drills became an important part of in-service training. I remember vividly the first time the teachers did the drill. We were told to hide and the police officer, acting as the shooter, came up behind me with two wooden blocks, hit them together and shouted behind me “You are dead.”
I burst into tears.
The next few years we were instructed to hide, flee, and fight. I couldn’t understand how in a music classroom, I was asked to find things to fight an intruder; music and fighting just don’t go together. After retiring, I decided that I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to trying to find solutions to gun violence. That is why I now do this work in The Diocese of West Missouri.
“In absolute numbers, the US has far more gun deaths than any other country, according to data collected by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.” (Pew Research)
“Over the past decade, firearm suicide rates increased over 40 % for young people ages 10-24-more than most other age groups.” (Everytown for Gun Safety)
These statistics are just two of the many reasons why we need to continue to explore ways to curb gun violence, beyond just Wear Orange Sunday. There are several ways to continue this important work, including:
- Join a local group, such as Grandparents for Gun Safety
There is a local chapter in Kansas City and other communities in the diocese. This is a group that is dedicated to promote gun safety through education and advocacy so our children and grandchildren are safe at home, at school and in our community. - Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
This group advocates at the local, state and national level. - Schedule a Be Smart presentation at your church
This 20-minute presentation provides resources and promotes safe and secure gun storage in your home. There are several presenters within the diocese that can come to your church and present, making it perfect for coffee hours or parent meetings. - Book of Life — List of gun violence deaths in the United States
This group of dedicated volunteers compiles this list on a weekly basis using the National Gun Violence Memorial website. Our goal is to continue to pray and honor the lives lost to gun violence. The list is emailed to parishes in the diocese every week. Parishes are free to use the list as they choose:- Prayers of the People
- List in the bulletin
- Book of Life in the church
Three parishes in the diocese currently have the Book of Life in their churches. If you would like to volunteer for this work or would like to have the list emailed to your church, please contact Lenette Johnson of the Peace and Justice Committee.
The Peace and Justice Committee is always looking for volunteers and support. This group meets monthly by zoom, with gun violence being just one of the areas that we are interested in promoting. If you are interested, please contact Lenette Johnson, and let us continue to promote peace and pray for all those affected by gun violence in our country.
This article was submitted by Lenette Johnson, co-chair of the Peace & Justice Committee.
