In 1990 the General Assembly went on record as:
Support[ing] gun control at federal, state, and local levels as the most effective
response to the present crisis of gun violence. . .
Call[ing] upon the United States government to establish meaningful and effective
federal legislation to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, and possession of
guns and ammunition by the general public. Such legislation should include provisions
for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate
background investigations and waiting periods prior to gun purchase, and regulation
of subsequent sale.
Urg[ing] the enactment of similar state and local laws, should such federal legislation
be delayed.
Call[ing] upon government agencies at all levels to provide significant assistance to
victims of gun violence and their families.3
In 1998, the General Assembly added to its policy by calling on all Presbyterians to:
intentionally work toward removing handguns and assault weapons from our homes
and our communities; and
seek ways to develop community strategies and create sanctuaries of safety for our
children, so that all of our children may come to identify and value themselves and
others as the precious children of the family of God that they are, and that they may
come to learn peace for their lives and peace for this generation.4
Endnotes:
3. Minutes of the 202nd General Assembly (1990), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), pp. 605-606.
4. Commissioners’ Resolution 98-19, 210th General Assembly (1998), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
