Demanding action after the most recent school shooting left 17 dead and another 15 injured, Rabbi Jack Moline, president of Interfaith Alliance, pushed back on the ideas that is too early to discuss policy solutions:
“I am unwilling to offer thoughts and prayers today. What I have to offer is anger and contempt for our elected leaders who continue to turn a blind eye to gun violence in this country. And I offer resolve to put pressure on those same leaders and do everything I can to keep them on the hook for this. Prayer vigils have their place in comforting those who are mourning, but they are not the solution to this epidemic.
“They will tell us that today is not the day to talk about policy solutions. And they are right, that day was years ago, before Columbine. Before Sandy Hook. Before Virginia Tech and Aurora and Las Vegas. Certainly Parkland. And unquestionably before the epidemic of gun violence started taking from us 96 people per day, most of whom don’t even make the local news.”
Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.