Dear Senator,
I am a registered voter residing in Noblesville, Indiana. More importantly, I am a parent, concerned citizen, and lover of peace and freedom.
I write you as a one who prays for you and your leadership on behalf of this country.
As Bishop of The United Methodist Church of the Indiana Conference, I am privileged to lead 1,125 churches with more than 200,000 members located in all of the counties of Indiana.
No easy solutions may exist for the carnage and destruction caused by individuals determined to kill innocent people with firearms, including automatic military grade guns used in the recent shootings in Las Vegas.
I plead with you to do all you can to pass laws and shift our misguided notions of the right to bear arms over public safety. Most Americans did not know what “bump stocks” were before last week. We do know, however, that it is easier to obtain guns in many communities than it is to get fresh vegetables or prescription medication for seasonal allergies.
I did not elect the National Rifle Association to shape our gun laws or provide for our common good and right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We elect public servants and pay taxes with the understanding that you will do what is right, moral, reasonable and noble regardless of what campaign contributions come from any lobby group.
Clergy will be busy consoling families and officiating funerals as a result of the evil doings of one man with weapons that allowed him to shoot hundreds of concertgoers in less than ten minutes.
Lord Have Mercy. I will continue to pray for your leadership and I commit to living in the truth that hate, violence, and fear will never defeat our capacity for love, justice, and compassion for those who are victims of senseless violence.
Be encouraged,
Bishop Julius C. Trimble