A166 Registration of Firearms; Licensing of Firearm Sellers, Buyers, and Users; Use of Taggants
During the Covid pandemic, deaths from firearms reached record highs. In 2021, there were 48,830 deaths by firearms. Of this number, 43% died by murder and 54% by suicide. In the previous year, 59% of the murders were committed with handguns (What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. | Pew Research Center). By comparison 47,434 service members were killed by hostile action in Vietnam between 1956 and 2006. Although there are no agreed upon figures as to Palestinian deaths in Gaza, most estimates of the number of dead as of May 2024 are in the 35,000+ range. Post Covid data suggest that fewer people have died by firearms in subsequent years but deaths by firearms remain unacceptably high.
But whether 1 or 48,000 deaths, too many persons die by firearms in the U.S. each year. For the victims’ families, the tragedy and trauma are just as great whether their loved one died in Vietnam, Gaza, or on the streets of Washington, D.C. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the Executive Council have passed resolutions calling for government action prioritizing public safety and reducing gun violence through gun control measures. These resolutions have been summarized in Policy for Action; An Index of Episcopal Church Policy Resolutions published by the Office of Government Relations Policy-for-Action-OGR-April-2024.pdf (episcopalchurch.org).
The Second Amendment of the U. S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. This right is not absolute, and it must be balanced with the Government’s duty to ensure public safety. In fact, the Government does regulate the ownership of firearms and who may possess them – machine guns; felons; mentally ill – and may impose reasonable regulations to safeguard the public. These regulations should be based on objective criteria and should be shall-issue, not may-issue.
One way to prioritize public safety is to require sellers, buyers, and users of firearms to be licensed and the license process to include a waiting period, background checks, mental health evaluations, mandatory training, and renewal requirements. The right to bear arms does not absolve individuals of the responsibility to exercise that right responsibly or the government to make every effort to ensure that individuals are properly qualified to exercise that right.
The registration of firearms by serial number, make, model, and identity of original and subsequent owners can be a tool for promoting responsible firearm ownership and accountability, for preventing illicit trafficking of firearms, for the unauthorized transfer of firearms, and for the recovery of stolen firearms.
The use of taggants in gunpowder and the establishment of a national taggant data base will facilitate the work of law enforcement and enhance accountability in cases where firearms are used as a murder weapon or in the commission of a crime.
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact [email protected].
Explanation
During the Covid pandemic, deaths from firearms reached record highs. In 2021, there were 48,830 deaths by firearms. Of this number, 43% died by murder and 54% by suicide. In the previous year, 59% of the murders were committed with handguns (What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. | Pew Research Center). By comparison 47,434 service members were killed by hostile action in Vietnam between 1956 and 2006. Although there are no agreed upon figures as to Palestinian deaths in Gaza, most estimates of the number of dead as of May 2024 are in the 35,000+ range. Post Covid data suggest that fewer people have died by firearms in subsequent years but deaths by firearms remain unacceptably high.
But whether 1 or 48,000 deaths, too many persons die by firearms in the U.S. each year. For the victims’ families, the tragedy and trauma are just as great whether their loved one died in Vietnam, Gaza, or on the streets of Washington, D.C. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the Executive Council have passed resolutions calling for government action prioritizing public safety and reducing gun violence through gun control measures. These resolutions have been summarized in Policy for Action; An Index of Episcopal Church Policy Resolutions published by the Office of Government Relations Policy-for-Action-OGR-April-2024.pdf (episcopalchurch.org).
The Second Amendment of the U. S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. This right is not absolute, and it must be balanced with the Government’s duty to ensure public safety. In fact, the Government does regulate the ownership of firearms and who may possess them – machine guns; felons; mentally ill – and may impose reasonable regulations to safeguard the public. These regulations should be based on objective criteria and should be shall-issue, not may-issue.
One way to prioritize public safety is to require sellers, buyers, and users of firearms to be licensed and the license process to include a waiting period, background checks, mental health evaluations, mandatory training, and renewal requirements. The right to bear arms does not absolve individuals of the responsibility to exercise that right responsibly or the government to make every effort to ensure that individuals are properly qualified to exercise that right.
The registration of firearms by serial number, make, model, and identity of original and subsequent owners can be a tool for promoting responsible firearm ownership and accountability, for preventing illicit trafficking of firearms, for the unauthorized transfer of firearms, and for the recovery of stolen firearms.
The use of taggants in gunpowder and the establishment of a national taggant data base will facilitate the work of law enforcement and enhance accountability in cases where firearms are used as a murder weapon or in the commission of a crime.
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact [email protected].