Hundreds Pray and "Die-In" at Capitol to Stop Gun Violence

CLERGY, YOUTH, AND PEOPLE OF FAITH CALL FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ACT TO STOP ILLEGAL GUN TRAFFICKING

SPRINGFIELD – Today, 500 clergy, people of faith, and youth converged on the State Capitol to call on the Illinois General Assembly to enact common sense gun legislation to stop illegal gun trafficking and decrease gun deaths. At the end of the day, the group overflowed the Capitol Rotunda in a “die-in.” Community Renewal Society Activists, wearing the names of the more than 400 people killed by gun violence in Chicago last year, lay down on the floor of the Capitol. The activists hummed “Amazing Grace” as the names of the victims were read aloud by youth from the Chicago area.

“We are here to bring the voices of those who can no longer speak because of gun violence to the leaders of our state,” said Rev. Eddie Knox, pastor of Pullman Presbyterian Church on the South side of Chicago. “Gun violence is destroying our communities. We are here to act, with our prayers, our voices, and our bodies to call on the General Assembly to act to stop these deaths.”

The group was calling for Illinois to enact three new anti-gun trafficking requirements: creating a registration or a title for a gun, similar to the title for a car; mandating universal background checks for all gun purchases; and mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns. They argue that these pieces would do the most the stop the flow of illegal handguns, which are responsible for the majority of gun crimes and gun deaths each year.

Youth from across the state played a crucial part in the rally, offering testimony and reading the names of the gun victims. Young people are disproportionately victimized by gun violence. The average age of a person killed by a gun in Chicago last year was only 26.

“We live every day in fear for our lives,” said Chari Stevens, a high school student from Covenant United Church of Christ in South Holland. “Every one of us has lost friends or family to this senseless gun violence. We need our elected officials to act to protect all our youth.”

The group spent the day asking members of the General Assembly to sign onto a letter declaring their support for these three pieces of regulations. The bill that the House has been debating for months currently has been amended to include gun registration and reporting of lost and stolen guns, but not universal background checks. It is not clear where these initiatives stand in the Senate. The activists were joined by members of the General Assembly.

“This is an issue that affects all of Illinois,” said Rev. Alan Taylor, pastor of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park. “Every gun death affects us all, and so we are calling on all our state representatives to act. Every day we delay, we are letting another person die.”

Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!

Rev. Dr. Norval Brown is the pastor of the Thornton United Methodist Church in Thornton, IL and the Grace United Protestant Church in Park Forest, IL.

Yes, we read in the newspaper about the decisions the poor have to make: Do we pay the rent?  Do we buy groceries?  How about shoes and clothes for the children?  These and other questions are pointed out as the plight of the poor, but we pay no heed to them because we are not exposed to the harsh reality in which our brothers and sisters live.

Take a look at the map below for just a moment.  It converts the reality of their lives and their decisions into something we can easily understand - numbers!  The high number of hours that an individual making minimum wage has to work simply to afford a two-bedroom unit - a space for mother and father and children - is outrageous and cries out for social change.  The average number of hours a minimum wage worker in Illinois must work to afford a 2-bedroom unit at Fair Market Rent (30% of income) is 81 hours.  That's two weeks just to pay the rent.

Raising the minimum wage so that it at least approaches a living wage is a first step.  A look at the numbers tells it all.

Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition | Out of Reach 2012

For more information, check out Out of Reach 2012 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

We Mourn Chicago's Children* Killed by Gun Violence in 2012

Date Name Neighborhood 1/4/2012 Mark Watts West Englewood 1/8/2012 Valentin Bahena Belmont Cragin 1/20/2012 Anton Sanders Rogers Park 2/5/2012 Deshun Winfert Chicago Lawn 2/18/2012 Edgar Delgado Avondale 2/21/2012 Damion Rolle Greater Grand Crossing 2/27/2012 George Howard Washington Park 2/28/2012 Albert Guyton Chicago Lawn 3/8/2012 Joshua Williams Chicago Lawn 3/17/2012 Aliyah Shell South Lawndale 3/26/2012 Cedric Bell West Englewood 4/7/2012 Roberto Luna Brighton Park 5/4/2012 Donnel Rankin West Pullman 5/18/2012 Alejandro Jaime Brighton Park 5/19/2012 Nazia Banks South Chicago 5/26/2012 Jeffrey Triplett North Lawndale 5/29/2012 Ivan Alanis Uptown 6/2/2012 Jamal Lockett South Shore 6/9/2012 Joseph Briggs Chicago Lawn 6/13/2012 Romelo Golden South Chicago 6/16/2012 Shakaki Asphy West Englewood 6/22/2012 Antonio Davis Englewood 6/24/2012 Tyquan Tyler Woodlawn 6/27/2012 Heaven Sutton Austin 6/30/2012 Lenard Trust Kenwood 7/12/2012 Martin Tejeda Gage Park 7/19/2012 Jamauri Askew Auburn Gresham 7/19/2012 Nathaniel Gonzalez West Englewood 7/23/2012 Alixi Johnson South Deering 7/25/2012 Douglas Bufford South Shore 8/2/2012 Johnqualus Turner Humboldt Park 8/2/2012 Cornell Ferguson Humboldt Park 8/18/2012 Taylor Diorio McKinley Park 8/21/2012 Jaime Ruvalcaba New City 8/21/2012 Alejandro Valdez Chicago Lawn 8/24/2012 Lucian Dreux Greater Grand Crossing 8/31/2012 Jalen Stogner New City 9/8/2012 Jesus Garcia Gage Park 9/26/2012 Dejuan Jackson Oakland 9/28/2012 Derrick Davis Calumet Heights 10/8/2012 Jonathan Williams South Shore 10/13/2012 Modell McCambry Woodlawn 10/20/2012 Terrance Johnson Rogers Park 11/8/2012 Rodney Stewart Ashburn 11/12/2012 Taylor Fitting Roseland 11/15/2012 Sergio Oliva Chicago Lawn 11/18/2012 Emilio Palomo New City 11/26/2012 Porshe Foster Chicago Lawn 12/9/2012 Jeffrey Stewart Humboldt Park 12/20/2012 Kentan Scott Austin 12/29/2012 Neriyah Beller North Lawndale

*List includes school-aged children under 18.

We also mourn the loss of all victims of violence.  Click here to remember through pictures the 509 people murdered in Chicago of 2012.

2/3 of Corporations in Illinois Pay No Income Tax!

Take Action Now - Support SB 282, the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act

  

Your help is needed NOW to pass SB 282, the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act that will require publicly traded corporations to disclose the amount of taxes paid and tax credits received.
  

This is an important transparency and accountability bill that will give legislators the information they need to help solve Illinois’ revenue crisis and stop cutting funds for education and other important human services.
  

SB 282 was passed in the Illinois Senate in November. The House Revenue Committee will meet Sunday, January 6th at 3 pm to vote on this bill.  It will be brought before the House on January 7th or 8th, 2013.

The Illinois Director of Revenue testified last year that two-thirds of corporations in Illinois are paying no Illinois corporate income tax. Because of current laws, no one can say which corporations aren’t paying taxes, or why.

 

TAKE ACTION:

There are two things you can do now to help pass SB 282 - the Illinois Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act currently before the Illinois House Revenue Committee.  Each one takes just 2 minutes.

1.   Fill out a Witness Slip. These slips go to the House Revenue Committee that will vote Sunday on whether to send the bill to the full house for a vote. Fill out the IDENTIFICATION section completely, but skip the REPRESENTATION section (it's for lobbyists). In the POSITION section, check "proponent" and in the TESTIMONY section, check "Record of Appearance Only". Be sure to type the CAPTCHA, check Terms of Agreement. Click on Create (Slip).

2.   Call your representative. Please leave a simple message: “My name is _____________. I live in Representative ___'s district.  I’m a member of Protestants for the Common Good calling to urge the Representative to vote for SB 282, the Corporate Tax Disclosure and Responsibility Act. This is an important bill that will allow for transparency and accountability and help bring fairness to Illinois taxes. SB 282 will give us information we need to begin to solve Illinois’ revenue crisis.”  

To determine your state representative, check PCG's website or call the State Board of Elections Springfield office at 217-782-4141. 

If your representative is a sponsor of SB 282, please call them to ensure they know that we appreciate their support.  House Sponsors include: Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie - Jack D. Franks - Sara Feigenholtz, Greg Harris, La Shawn K. Ford, Arthur Turner, Thaddeus Jones, Ann Williams, Kimberly du Buclet and Esther Golar.

THANK YOU for your help. Please let us know what response you receive.

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'Tis the season...

‘Tis the season ….
    To light candles and sing carols, to give gifts and greet strangers.

Protestants for the Common Good (PCG) wishes you joy and fulfillment in this holy time of year as we anticipate the coming of Christ and the indwelling of hope in all our lives. 

Please support PCG with a year-end gift to grow our education and advocacy work.

Your gift matters.  Imagine what it means to work in a low-wage job without an increase in three years.  Think about a loved one who needs relief for chronic, debilitating pain.  Consider what it’s like to worry that your drinking water might be contaminated due to nearby natural gas extraction.  Think about the barriers that persons with felony records encounter as they look for a decent job or adequate housing.  

‘Tis also the season ….
    To face tragedy and mourn losses, to show mercy and confront injustice.

Your support and involvement has made it possible for us to impact the lives of thousands of Illinoisans in 2012.  Thanks to you, our Advocacy Network trained lay and clergy members in grassroots lobbying and worked faithfully in coalitions for positive legislative solutions to significant state-wide problems. 

Together we achieved important results:  expanding charity care for uninsured persons, protecting victims of sex trafficking, and closing two Chicago coal-powered plants. 

But, we still have more work to do. 

With your gift, we will faithfully advocate for raising the minimum wage, passing medical marijuana, creating regulations for hydraulic fracturing, i.e., “fracking,” and sealing felony records of persons who no longer have involvement with the criminal justice system.

‘Tis the season ….
    To renew spirits and lift hearts, to advance justice and proclaim hope.

Make a difference.  Help support our advocacy for the common good in 2013.  We are ever grateful for your generosity and support.

Thank you for your many gifts to PCG – invitations to your church, advocacy for good policy, participation in our events, and financial contributions to support our work.  We also value your prayers.  If you have already made a year-end gift to PCG, thank you.  If you have not, please give now.

May you have a season of blessing and joy this Christmas.