Beyond Thoughts and Prayers

Photos of 16 of the 19 children killed in the Robb Elementary school massacre, along with 2 adults

Photos of the 10 individuals killed in the Buffalo Tops Grocery Store Massacre

I haven’t been on this platform in a minute, but in the face of an overwhelming flood of gun violence and as many of us feel the weight of so much grief, lament, and outrage, I wanted to collect some resources for people who need somewhere to put their energy into some action.

There’s a lot of other resources out there, but here are just a few:

RESOURCES FOR PARENTS: TALKING TO OUR KIDS

• From Common Sense Media
• From the National Association of School Psychologists
• From National Child Traumatic Stress Network
• From the Child Mind Institute

WHERE TO GIVE/DONATE

• Support the families of victims in Robb Elementary massacre through the VictimsFirst Network
• Support families of victims in the Buffalo Shooting here
• If you want to support organizations fighting gun violence in some form, consider wisely before donating, as not all orgs are the same and not all spend their funds equally.

POLICY ADVOCACY

• Sign a petition to support HR 8 and pass expanded background checks here
• Sign a petition in support of S. 66 and a ban of assault weapons here
• Support the Break the Cycle of Violence Act which will focus on gun violence prevention through community programming, mental health resources and addressing those at high risk for shootings. You can also call your local rep to support this measure.
• Support Live Free’s End Gun Violence Campaign: Support policies that ban assault weapons and ghost guns, pass universal background checks, fund violence prevention and intervention strategies, and scale national culturally responsive mental health infrastructure
• Organize locally. Reach out to your local officials, school board members, other families in your community to come up with locally based and grassroots options for violence prevention and mental health resourcing in your community and schools.
• In the midst of upcoming elections, pay attention to the voting records of candidates you are voting for, and consider voting for those who are committed to gun control legislation

PRAYERS:

• A prayer for Gun Violence in School (from Liturgies for Parents)
• Sad, Tired, and Angry: A Prayer in the Face of Gun Violence- A prayer from James Martin
• A Service of Lament for Gun Violence- from Enfleshed
• Litany for Gun Violence- from Fran Pratt