In Chicago, religion leaders staged a rally in assist of proposed gun laws

Dozens of religion neighborhood leaders gathered Wednesday morning to share their assist and views on proposed state laws geared toward addressing one of many greatest points plaguing Chicago: gun violence.

Pastors, reverends, rabbis and imams, together with the Reverend Michael Pfleger and the Reverend Cornelius Parker, crammed the stage at Good Hope Free Will Baptist Church in East Garfield Park; A lethal mass taking pictures occurred on Halloween – voice their considerations about gun violence within the metropolis. They used the demonstration as a rallying cry for assist Home Invoice 5855or Shield Illinois Communities Act.

[ Illinois House Democrats unveil proposal to ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines in response to Highland Park mass shooting ]

The laws would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, assist additional implement Illinois’ gun prohibition legal guidelines and deal with unlawful gun trafficking within the state and is a response to mass shootings. Fourth of July Parade in Highland Parkthe place seven folks had been killed and dozens had been injured on account of sniper fireplace utilizing assault rifles and high-capacity cartridges.

Rep. Bob MorganThe Deerfield Democrat, who was marching within the parade when the taking pictures occurred, launched the invoice in December after months of labor by the Illinois Home Firearms Security and Reform Activity Drive, which he chairs. The group was fashioned in July with the purpose of making laws the Normal Meeting might go to cut back gun violence in Illinois, he mentioned.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we will go this significant laws within the coming days,” Morgan mentioned. “Ultimate negotiations are ongoing, so we proceed to work to attempt to go this laws earlier than the present Normal Meeting ends on January 11.”

Morgan mentioned the invoice wants a majority of 60 within the Home and 30 within the Senate.

Morgan mentioned he was “heartened” by all of the assist for the laws, particularly from a various group of neighborhood leaders.

“It is not only a mass taking pictures,” Morgan mentioned. “It is not simply on a regular basis gun violence in city communities. Gun violence is admittedly simply destroying communities above the state. I feel as we speak’s assembly displays how widespread gun violence is in our society and reinforces the necessity to do one thing about it as shortly as we are able to.”

The Rev. Ira Acre of St. John the Baptist Church mentioned Illinois lawmakers “have to set a nationwide commonplace by establishing a statewide ban on all weapons of mass destruction.” Acree, a longtime gun violence activist, mentioned the state has seen “sufficient harmless bloodshed.”

“We’re right here as we speak to make use of our affect and stand on our ethical authority to demand that our state legislators present braveness and vote for the need and pursuits of our folks and not be held hostage by the NRA,” he mentioned.

Anthony Simpkins spoke Wednesday on behalf of native mosques Masjid al Ihsan and Masjid Taqwa, in addition to the Muslim Civic Coalition of Illinois, the Central Islamic Heart and Muslim households throughout the state.

Based on Simpkins, God calls folks to imagine and love each other, “however he additionally calls us to have frequent sense.”

“Our kids are dying, youngsters from each neighborhood, and this can be a commonsense subject,” he mentioned. “We’re calling on our lawmakers to have frequent sense and lead and save our kids.”

Rabbi Ike Serota of Macom Solel Lakeside in Highland Park mentioned he joined different religion leaders Wednesday morning as a result of “there aren’t any borders” or “limitations” in the case of stopping violence and saving lives.

“The folks on this altar helped me final summer season, in darkish occasions,” he mentioned, referring to the mass taking pictures in Highland Park, “so I am honored to face right here, and there is no doubt that if we are able to save lives, just one, custom says that we save a complete world, as a result of we by no means know who comes from that individual, what roots might develop, so we must always save everybody we are able to save. That is the least we are able to do to ban assault weapons and excessive capability magazines. There may be far more work to be finished, however that is the place to start out.”

Marshall Hatt, pastor of the Management Community and New Mount Pilgrim Church, mentioned gun violence is “a difficulty whose time has come.” He recalled the aftermath of the Highland Park parade taking pictures in July and mentioned that regardless that it was “a great distance from West Garfield Park,” he and others bought of their vehicles and stood with folks in that neighborhood as a result of “we had been conversant in them. grief” and “understood their grief”.

“There are only a few points that you may get such a various group to agree on, so once you see these sorts of gatherings and this type of assist for a difficulty, on this case, assist for Home Invoice 5855, to ban assault weapons, to ban. Hatch mentioned the high-capacity magazines, “meaning there’s one thing very proper about this.”

sahmad@chicagotribune.com