Religious groups discuss gun-purchasing loophole

In the wake of gun violence near campus, several students have opened interfaith discussion on issues of gun control.

Tuesday night, eight college and high-school students from the Philadelphia region came together to discuss anti-gun violence efforts at the Christian Association at Penn.

This came as a follow-up to a March 15 rally outside of Delia’s Gun Shop in northeast Philadelphia, organized by the Christian Association with anti-gun violence group Heeding God’s Call.

Christian Association executive director Rob Gurnee was happy to host the event, saying gun violence is not just the association’s problem — “it’s the Penn community’s problem.”

“They call Philadelphia ‘Killadelphia’ for a reason — whether you like it or not, gun violence is coming here,” said College senior Justin Ching, who helped organize the event.

For this reason, the Christian Association is working with Bryan Miller, director of public advocacy for Heeding God’s Call, to pinpoint the issue of straw purchases — when guns are purchased by those who clear the background checks but are then resold to those who do not.

As Program and Outreach Coordinator of the Christian Association and 2010 College graduate Dannielle Heitmann put it, straw purchases are “technically legal — totally wrong.” Heeding God’s Call works to persuade the owners of gun shops to sign a code of conduct, which effectively deters straw purchases.

Ching said he was called to action by the Nov. 21 shooting on campus. “The way the story was reported, ‘Shootings near Campus … no students hurt … oh yeah, the shooter was killed.’ We don’t think about the cost of human life here,” he said. “Faith-based organizations do a good job at bringing [the issue of gun-violence] back to the human level.”

Ching emphasized that the purpose of the rallies is to “take the guns out of the hands of individuals who shouldn’t have them in the first place.”

Academy at Palumbo high-school junior Sade Council, who was in attendance, said her uncle “was gunned down after walking his girlfriend home” two years ago. But when Ching asked if she’d join Heeding God’s Call at the next rally, she quickly shook her head. She lives in a neighborhood where “everyone carries [a gun],” and fears being labeled a “snitch.”

According to Miller, Heeding God’s Call plans to work with the Christian Association on expanding their presence on campus.

The Christian Association plans to rally outside Delia’s Gun Shop again in early April.

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