CATHOLIC BISHOPS ENDORSE INITIATIVE 1639 FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Highlighting the sacredness of human life, the Catholic Bishops of Washington State issued a statement today endorsing Initiative 1639 on gun violence prevention.  The Bishops acknowledged the importance of individual liberties such as gun ownership, while pointing out that the U.S. Catholic Church has long supported reasonable measures to ensure a higher level of public safety.  Initiative1639 would strengthen gun sale background checks, require safety training, extend waiting periods for semi-automatic weapons, and establish safe-storage conditions for gun owners. Additionally, I-1639 would prohibit the sale of assault rifles to people under the age of 21. The full statement is available at WACatholics.org.

You can also read the Bishops' statement on Initiative 1631 here.