}

We mourn the brutal murder of 17 children of God at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Our grieving nation finds itself saying never again, again. After Columbine. Newtown. Charleston. Pulse. Las Vegas. Sutherland Springs. Now Parkland. Columbine is no longer among the top 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern American history.

As people of faith, we cannot limit ourselves to ministering to the survivors and burying the victims any more. We must stop the sacrifice of innocent lives to the idol of brutal weapons. Nations have done so before. We must do so now.

We call on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. These are weapons of war that have no place in our schools, streets, movie theaters, houses of worship or anywhere else. Congress must also ensure that people at risk of committing acts of extreme violence, particularly those with a history of domestic violence, cannot access weapons with ease, as they currently can.

We cannot legislate the end of murder, but we can effectively restrict access to the instruments that steal lives with the greatest of ease every day. Congress must do its part to stop the tragedy of gun violence that ravages our nation.