Faith in Texas leaders and several preachers from different congregations gave prayers and words for the country’s leaders. (Photo by Faith in Texas on Facebook)
Several local churches in partnership with Faith in Texas are demanding a ban on assault weapons in response to the Uvalde School Massacre.
Faith in Texas is a non-partisan, multi-racial and multi-faith group made up of 27 partner congregations that aims to achieve racial, economic and social justice for all. Their work covers issues such as mass incarceration, gun violence, immigration, voting rights and economic legislation.
Four of these partner churches are located in Preston Hollow, including Temple Emanu-El, Northaven United Methodist Church, Midway Hills Christian Church and Central Congregational United Church of Christ.
These clergy members shared four Congressional gun control demands in front of Senator John Cornyn’s office on June 1. Their demands included a ban on assault weapons and ghost guns, a requirement to pass universal background checks, increased funding to peace initiatives via community violence intervention strategies, and increased national culturally responsive mental health infrastructure.
The demands were hand-delivered to Sen. Cornyn in hopes that legislation would be passed.
“Our elected officials continue to fail us over and over,” said Rev. Dr. Jaime Kowlessar, executive director of Faith in Texas at the press conference. “So-called leaders like John Cornyn and the many others who refuse to stand against the NRA and gun lobbyists’ special interest in keeping our country the way it is.”
However, Sen. Cornyn discussed the shooting and gun legislation yesterday on the House floor, saying that banning a category of weapons, changing the background check system, or other legislation that would affect current “law-abiding gun owners” is off the table.
“Instead, we’re talking about commonsense, targeted reforms that are responsive to the tragedies at Uvalde and elsewhere and that will, I believe, save lives – strengthening mental health, bolstering school security, keeping guns out of the hands of people who are already legally prohibited from having them,” Sen. Cornyn said during his remarks.
