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St. Peter's Response to Recent Political Violence

7/16/24 | A Message from the Rector

St. Peter's Response to Recent Political Violence

St. Peter's Response to Recent Political Violence

The following message from St. Peter's Rector, the Rev. David Hodges, was shared with St. Peter's parishioners on Sunday, July 14 in response to the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump which took place near Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

        Several years ago, after one of the mass shootings in our country, someone said that we had been plunged into yet another national conversation that rests at the intersection of violence and hatred.  In light of the recent assassination attempt of former President Trump that resulted in lives lost and injured, once again we are standing in the intersection of violence and hatred.  Sometimes it feels like being there and the uncertainty it produces is becoming a way of life.  As we stand together in that intersection, I hope that we as people who follow in the way of Jesus will remember and hold up to others the life-changing love of God that can bring hope and healing to whatever may be broken.  
        As we try to do that, I commend to you the words of St. Francis of Assisi who said, we have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.  I also invite you to make the first part of the prayer of St. Francis something that you incorporate into your prayers as a way to help shape and inform how we think and act.  Lord make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love.  When we let the spirit of Christ lead us then we can be instruments of peace and we can do our part to heal wounds and help unite what has fallen apart. May the peace of God which passes all our understanding be in your hearts and minds and God bless you.

David+

Additional Resource for Talking to Children About Political Violence

The following message was shared by Janet Hyde, a St. Peter's parishioner, professor, and psychological scientist with a focus on gun violence. These statements are shared by St. Peter's as a resource for talking with children about the events of July 13.

Talking with Children About the Assassination Attempt
 
Because we haven’t had an assassination attempt for so long in the U.S., this is uncharted territory for most of us. But kids, even preschoolers, pick up on things very quickly. Maybe they hear about it while you have the radio or TV on, or maybe they hear the other kids talking about it. You won’t be able to keep it from them, so it’s best to be proactive. What they may imagine can be far worse than what actually happened.
 
Based on my background in developmental psychology, the two guiding principles are: (1) be honest; and (2) talk in an age-appropriate way. For example, I wouldn’t get into AR-15 assault rifles with a preschooler.
 
With a preschooler, you might say something like, “A man used a gun to try to hurt Mr. Donald Trump, who wants to be President of the United States. Luckily, Mr. Trump was only hurt a little bit in the ear, and he’s fine now.” Preschoolers typically don’t have an understanding of death yet, and we hope that they don’t understand yet about killing.
 
With an elementary school child, you could use more advanced concepts like “A man used a gun to try to kill Mr. Donald Trump… “
In both cases, you could follow up with something like “Did you know about that?” to draw the child out and continue the conversation, perhaps correcting some misinformation they have.
 
Importantly, these openers should lead to clear instructions for the child about gun safety. For example, “If you see a gun in one of your friends’ houses, don’t touch it, and tell me about it as soon as you can.” “If you’re at school and you see a gun, report it to a teacher or the principal immediately.” All children need to be equipped with these tools.
 
And as a parent, you should always inquire about the presence of guns and whether they are stored securely at any house your child visits. This is a key principle in the BeSMART for Kids campaign. [The BeSMART Campaign is a gun safety campaign emphasizing proper firearm storage]
 
Let’s keep our kids safe from guns! And let’s keep them safe from the psychological stress involved in worrying about guns.