July 4 massacre: For the Archbishop of Chicago, "the right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life"

“The right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life, nor the right of all Americans to live their lives without fear of being torn to pieces by bullets at any time. »

On July 4, at 10:14 a.m., in Highland Park, as a crowd had gathered to celebrate Independence Day, in the United States, a gunman opened fire with an assault weapon. We deplore the death of 6 people. At least 24 others were injured.

This is, according to the mayor Nancy R. Rotering, of the “bloodiest day” experienced by this community located north of Chicago, Illinois. “Our community, like so many before us, is devastated,” he said before adding, “it is impossible to imagine the pain of this kind of tragedy until we are there. confronted ".

A suspect, Robert (Bobby) E. Crimo, was arrested the same day, around 18:30 p.m., by the police, who are continuing to investigate the scene of the crime.

For Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, "the right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life, nor the right of all Americans to live their lives without fear of being torn to pieces by bullets." any time ". Speaking on the archdiocese website, he deplores “an indescribable tragedy”.

The Archbishop is alarmed at the number of mass shootings every day in the United States.

“It's barely July, and this year the United States is already experiencing more than one mass shooting a day. (...) Gun violence is now the leading cause of death among American children. Whatever one does with the right to bear arms, there is plenty of room for careful judgment in interpreting the Second Amendment in such a way as to enact serious and widely popular gun safety measures. The Senate finally passed an important, but modest, gun safety bill last month. But it is clear that more needs to be done. The right to bear arms does not eclipse the right to life, nor the right of all Americans to live their lives without fear of being torn to pieces by bullets at any time. Gun violence is a life issue. »

He calls for prayer "for the victims and their loved ones, who never imagined that a celebration of July 4 could become a place of killing", but also "for all our leaders, elected and unelected, to redouble their commitment to ensure the safety of the people they are sworn to serve”.

MC

Image credit: Creative Commons / Wikimedia