Harrisburg Brethren in Christ, Pastor “Woody” Dalton, Sept 19Harrisburg has the highest per capita murder rate in PA

Akron Mennonite, Sept 15

“the la

w of sin and death

”

Australia Spain Germany Canada USA0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

0.10.2 0.2

0.5

3

Gun Murders per capita in 2009Per 100,000 population

(UN Office on Crime & Drugs)

“the la

w of sin and death

”

Change in murder rate 2000 - 2010

Philadelphia Rest of Pennsylvania

2000/2001 av 2009/2010 av 2000/2001 av 2009/2010 av270

280

290

300

310

320

330

340

350

360

314

305

297

348

-3%+17%

31,593 people died from gun violence in the U.S. in 2008

“the la

w of sin and death

”

0.69% of 2008 gun deaths were “self protection”

Sept 14 at Eastern U: Cheryl & Joe Seay share about their 18 year old son Jarell, shot on their porch

In 2011

Philadelphia police

confiscated over

4,600 illegal guns

Legal gun buyers (in PA) mustbe at least 21 years old, and have:

-No criminal record

-No restraining orders

-No history of mental illness

How do criminals & kids get guns?

A criminal gun trafficker gives money to a straw purchaser who can legally buy a gun.

One way is through

STRAW PURCHASERS

STRAW PURCHASING

He/she buys multiple guns for the trafficker

Legal gun shop

STRAW PURCHASING

The trafficker sells guns to anyone who has the money and can not buy a gun legally.

STRAW PURCHASING

If police trace a crime gun back to the straw purchaser, he/she says it was “lost or stolen.”

? ? ??

?

Gun traffickers and straw purchasers are at times

arrested.

Gun shops are rarely held

accountable for selling to straw

purchasers.

Gun Shop

BUT

“Lost or stolen reporting” law

If a person’s handgun is lost or stolen, they must report this to the police within three days.

If they fail to report and the gun is used in a crime, they can face liability.

Nov 2007 Survey in PALaw requiring handgun owners to report

lost or stolen firearms to police

Yeas Nays0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

75

128

Public support for “Lost or Stolen Reporting”

PA House of RepresentativesApril 1, 2008 vote on

“Lost or Stolen Reporting”

63%

37%

Support Oppose

96%

3%

Oct 1st at EMU Conflict & Peace class: Prof Durham and students analyze the illegal gun trafficking problem.

“Market economics drives it.”

Market economics, a local exampleHarrisonburg, VA, Sept 28 -29;

A traveling gun and accessories promotion

“You would get a far better understanding of the NRA if you were approaching us as one of the great religions of the world.”

- Warren Cassidy, a former executive of the National Rifle Association (NRA)

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus … can it set us free from the law of sin and death?

mcc.org/fearnot/communities

© 2012 MCC East Coast