The statistics are familiar to most Americans. In 2022 alone, gun violence took the lives of over 44,000 people in the United States, where there are 120.5 firearms per 100 residents. Since 2014, there have been approximately 4000 mass shootings. Well over half of these are considered domestic violence incidents, disproportionately affecting women and children. Many high-profile ones – from those in Buffalo and Charlotte to Colorado Springs and Orlando – have explicitly targeted African Americans and LGBTQI+ communities.

Situated in “red” states and “blue” states, big cities and rural communities, Sites of Conscience and their allies are uniquely positioned to foster constructive dialogue on gun control among a wide subset of people. To support our members in this, ICSC recently hosted “Disarming America,” a webinar on how Sites of Conscience can spark productive conversations about gun control in their communities. To view the recording, click here. 

In addition, we are pleased to share our Front Page Dialogue: Guns in America, which offers an adaptable model for engaging visitors in dialogue on the subject. You can access the dialogue here.