The Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick will hold its 11th annual vigil to honor victims and survivors of gun violence on Wednesday, Dec. 6. This event, part of what is now a national observance near the anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, honors all victims of gun violence across the United States.
The goal of the event is to unite to support the families, survivors and communities impacted by gun violence; educate; continue to raise awareness; and keep this critical public health and public safety issue front and center throughout our nation, according to a prepared release by the UUCB. Multi-denominational remembrance events have been held in Washington, D.C., at the National Cathedral and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and parallel observations, organized by the UU congregation, have been taking place annually in Brunswick. This year, this observance takes on new layers of emotion, meaning and urgency due to the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with tabling by co-sponsoring organizations. Opening remarks will be made at 6:50, and the livestream from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. will begin at 7 p.m.
Event sponsors include Be Smart, Brunswick Area Interfaith Council, Episcopal Diocese of Maine, Everytown for Gun Safety, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Gun Safety Coalition, Moms Demand Action, Remembering Darien, Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick and Veterans for Peace.
Over 400,000 Americans have been killed by guns since 20 children and six educators were killed in Sandy Hook Elementary School by a gunman with an AR-15 and high-capacity magazines. The UUCB urges Maine residents to join the gun violence prevention community in a collective effort to continue to shine a light on the devastating epidemic of gun violence in the nation until these gun deaths and injuries are reduced.
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