On CSPAN: link to Gabby Giffords' testimony

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From Today's NYT: Gabriel Giffords Testifies in Senate

WASHINGTON — The universe of potential changes to federal gun laws seemed to shrink Wednesday during an occasionally tense Senate hearing on gun violence as lawmakers and proponents of more gun rules tussled with gun rights advocates over the availability of some types of weapons and ammunition. In the end, chances for a ban on assault weapons dimmed, and compromise seemed elusive.

The hearing, the first held by the Senate Judiciary Committee since the mass shooting last month at a Newtown, Conn., school, began on a poignant note as former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically injured in a 2011 shooting, addressed the committee slowly but with passion, essentially begging panel members to come up with legislation to address gun violence.

“Too many children are dying,” she said to a packed, hushed hearing room. “Too many children.”

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Swarthmore-Wallingford Interfaith Ministerium - Statement on Newtown

Gun violence and public health: Resources

Here are some resources on gun violence and public health:

Faith-based Resources:

Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

The sacred Jewish text the Mishnah teaches that every human life is unique and precious, created in the divine image.  In the Mishnah, our sages tell us that carrying a weapon is disgraceful; as it says (in Isaiah),“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks…” (Shabbat 6:4).

Conservative and Masorti Jews join the world in mourning the victims of the senseless murder in Newtown, Conn., including 20 innocent children and their teachers and beloved principal. 

The United States has recently witnessed the wanton killing of innocents by gunfire across the country, both in terms of mass killings in Colorado, Arizona, Wisconsin and Connecticut, among others, as well as hundreds of shootings, many fatal, in crimes, acts of passion and accidents each and every day. 

In 1993, 1995 and 2012, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism went on the record asking that action be taken to reduce the danger to our society from the too easy availability of guns, and in 1990, 1995 and 2011, the Rabbinical Assembly passed similar resolutions calling for very strict regulations on the manufacture, importation and sale of guns.

The leadership of Conservative Judaism, which includes the Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Cantors Assembly, Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Educators Assembly, and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies reiterates its call for:

Stopping sales of assault weapons for non-combat use;
Creating a system to tighten and monitor sales of ammunition to individuals;
Creating a system to lengthen purchase time for all weapons to ensure that a complete background check be made before sales of guns;
Creating a system for coding all ammunition sold in the United States to be traceable to its purchaser;
Requiring gun manufacturers to install the already developed system which codes ammunition with traceable markings for each gun; and
Banning online sales of ammunition.

We ask that all Americans contact their elected and appointed governmental officials at the local, state and federal levels to echo the words of President Obama on December 16, as he addressed the families of Newtown: “We have to change.”  The President vowed to use “the power of this office” to do whatever it takes  to engage with law enforcement, mental health professionals, parents and educators in an effort to prevent more tragedies like Newtown.We call for Americans of all faiths to plan for major advocacy in the coming weeks and months to show massive support for strong gun control legislation and enforcement in the United States.  (Press release, 12/17/2012, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism)

 United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Stands Against Gun Violence

Organization Resources: 
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Women Against Gun Violence

Public Health Resources:

Curbing Gun Violence:  Lessons from Public Health Successes
Gun Violence Must Stop.  Here's What We Can Do to Prevent More Deaths
Position Statement of the Interdisciplinary Group on Preventing School and Community Violence

...Prevention is the core of pediatric work. We aim to protect children from all things that can harm them. ... In 2010, gun-related injuries accounted for 6570 deaths of children and young people (1 to 24 years of age). That includes 7 deaths per day among people 1 to 19 years of age. Gun injuries cause twice as many deaths as cancer, 5 times as many as heart disease, and 15 times as many as infections (from the New England Journal of Medicine)
Preventing Gun Deaths in Children

Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home
The role of research in addressing the public health problem of gun violence 

Newspaper articles

Geoffrey Canada (head of the Harlem Childrens Zone):  New York's Newtown -- The epidemic of city children killed by handguns has haunted me throughout my career.

From the Washington Post:   
Predicting Violence is a Work in Progress

From the New York Times:
Full transcript of Obama's Gun Control Proposals (Jan 16 2013)
Legislative Handcuffs Limit A.T.F.'s Ability to Fight Gun Crime
Senator Unveils bill to Limit Semi-Automatic Arms