They happen at outdoor concerts in Las Vegas and garlic festivals in California. In high school classrooms in Florida, college campuses in Virginia and elementary schools in Connecticut.
Mass shootings are happening everywhere. At the movie theaters, army bases, nightclubs and country bars. Add in places of worship, places of employment, newspaper offices and Christmas parties and there appears to be no end in sight.
But after the most recent shootings at an El Paso, Texas Walmart and a popular nightlife district in Dayton, Ohio, where 31 people were killed and another 51 were injured in just over 14 hours, a group of nine people at the United Church of Jaffrey are saying enough to standing on the sidelines. Instead of just offering thoughts and prayers, the nine parishioners have come up with an idea to put that prayer into action.
On Sunday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m., white crosses will be placed in the front lawn of the church to represent those lost to mass shootings in 2019. At the time the idea was conceived, that number stood at 286. Since then, it has risen to 303.
“More often when there’s a shooting, we’re alarmed, and then the next crisis eclipses that,” said Sarah Ellis, one of the group members.
When completed, the installation will paint quite the picture of what has become an all too common occurrence in the United States.
“All of the mass shootings have pained me a great deal,” said United Church Reverend Mark Koyama.
The wood for the crosses was donated and then cut by church members Mona Brooks and Mike Teitsch. Another churchgoer made a jig for a more streamlined building operation, then volunteers gathered last Sunday to paint and construct the crosses. The last round of paint touch-ups are complete and now stacks of crosses sit in a room on the first floor of the church ready for Sunday.
“The logistics of putting them together was greeted with an enthusiasm and almost joy because we were actually doing something,” Koyama said.
Unfortunately, the number will probably increase by the time Sunday’s installation comes along and Koyama said they are figuring out how to handle the growing and changing totals.
“It’s the sobering reality we’re facing,” Koyama said.
The public is welcome to attend and help place the crosses in the ground, in a sign of togetherness, a stand against gun violence.
“There’s this feeling that it’s a very small gesture in a very complex issue,” Ellis said. “But it keeps people thinking about it.”
It is still being determined how long the crosses will remain, but Koyama would ideally like to see it through the end of the year. Regardless of the exact length of time it’s on display, Koyama expects it to make an impact on everyone who sees it.
“This is intended to keep the problem in front of us and not just swept aside,” Koyama said.
After praying as a church about the shootings in El Paso and Dayton on Aug. 4, the very new day, church member Deb Weismann shared a link to a powerful sermon calling for action against gun violence. That prompted Helen Coll to say ‘we must do something’.
“What we need to do is think, pray, pick up a pen and do,” said Tina O’Neil, one of the group members.
Koyama asked any member interested to attend a meeting about the church’s response to gun violence. Nine people showed up at that meeting on Aug. 8 and the idea for the crosses came out of that brainstorming session.
“We can’t stand by any longer as Christians and as a church; we can’t be silent any longer,” Koyama said.
Ellis pointed to the issues of Civil Rights and rights for women as examples where the voice of the people have been heard and made a difference.
“Our country is capable of making huge changes when it’s necessary,” Ellis said.
O’Neil agreed.
“We might be tiny, but we’re loud,” she said.