Religion leaders in Chicago rally in assist of proposed gun laws

Dozens of religion neighborhood leaders got here collectively Wednesday morning to share their assist and views on proposed state laws aimed toward addressing one of many greatest issues to plague Chicago — gun violence.

Pastors, reverends, rabbis and imams, together with the Rev. Michael Pfleger and Pastor Cornelius Parks, crammed the stage of Good Hope Free Will Baptist Church in East Garfield Park — simply blocks from the place a lethal mass capturing befell on Halloween — to voice their issues on gun violence throughout the town. They used the rally as a name for motion to assist Home Invoice 5855, or the 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 to additional implement Illinois’ Firearm Restraining Order regulation and deal with unlawful gun trafficking within the state and is a response to the mass capturing on the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, the place seven individuals have been killed and dozens of others injured by a shooter utilizing an assault-style rifle and high-capacity magazines.

Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from Deerfield who was marching within the parade when the capturing occurred, launched the invoice in December after months of labor by the Illinois Home Firearm Security and Reform working group, which he chairs. The group was shaped in July with a objective of making laws that the Normal Meeting may go to scale back gun violence in Illinois, he mentioned.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that within the coming days, we can go this significant laws,” Morgan mentioned. “Last negotiations are ongoing, so we’re persevering with to work to attempt to go this laws earlier than the present Normal Meeting ends on Jan. 11.”

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

Morgan mentioned he’s “heartened” to see all of the assist for the laws, particularly from what he referred to as a various group of neighborhood leaders.

“It’s not simply mass shootings,” Morgan mentioned. “It’s not simply day by day gun violence in city communities. Gun violence is basically simply devastating communities up and down the state. I believe the assembly at the moment displays how ubiquitous gun violence is in our society and reinforces the necessity to do one thing about it as rapidly as we are able to.”

The Rev. Ira Acree, from the Larger St. John Baptist Church, mentioned Illinois legislators “should set a nationwide normal by establishing a statewide ban on all fight weapons of destruction.” Acree, a longtime gun violence activist, mentioned the state has seen “sufficient harmless bloodshed.”

“We’re right here at the moment to make use of our affect and stand on our ethical authority to demand our state legislators take braveness and vote the desire and curiosity of our individuals and now 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 Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, the Downtown Islamic Middle and Muslim households throughout the state, he mentioned.

In line with Simpkins, God calls on individuals to have religion and love one another, “however he additionally calls upon us to have frequent sense.”

“Our youngsters are dying, youngsters from each neighborhood, and it is a matter of frequent sense,” he mentioned. “We name upon our legislators to have frequent sense and to guide and to save lots of our youngsters.”

Rabbi Ike Serotta from Makom Solel Lakeside in Highland Park mentioned he joined the opposite religion leaders Wednesday morning as a result of there are “no boundaries” or “obstacles” with regards to stopping violence and saving lives.

“Individuals right here on this altar helped me in darkish occasions this previous summer time,” he mentioned referring to the mass capturing in Highland Park, “so I’m honored to face right here, and there’s no doubt that if we are able to save a life, only one, the custom says we save an entire world as a result of we by no means know who comes from that individual, what these roots would possibly develop, so we have to save everybody we are able to save. That is the least we are able to do, to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. There may be a lot extra work, however that is the place to begin.”

The Rev. Marshall Hatch, of the Leaders Community and New Mount Pilgrim Church, mentioned gun violence “is a matter whose time has come.” He recalled the aftermath of the Highland Park parade capturing in July and mentioned regardless that it was “a good distance from West Garfield Park,” he and others received of their automobiles and stood with the individuals of that neighborhood as a result of “we have been acquainted with their grief” and “understood their sorrow.”

“There are only a few points that you could get a gaggle this numerous to agree on, so once you see this type of gathering and this type of assist for the problem, on this case assist for Invoice 5855, to ban assault weapons, to ban high-capacity magazines, Hatch mentioned, “it implies that there’s one thing very proper with this challenge.”

sahmad@chicagotribune.com