An open letter to the Student Government Association:

We, members of the faculty and staff of Saint Louis University, strongly recommend that the Student Government Association vote against granting a permanent charter to the Gun Awareness and Marksmanship Education Club.

We are mindful that our country was born of protest, of dissent and of revolution. We Americans value our freedoms, especially those enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Liberty is our greatest gift to the world.

However, we, as a community, are more than just sons and daughters of a revolution. We are children of God. We, the undersigned, support the Catholic Jesuit mission and its orientation toward respect for all human life.

When necessary, we are called to be counter-cultural witnesses. As the United States Bishops stated in 1994, we live in a society, a world, which can be characterized as a “Culture of Violence.” This violence takes many forms, appearing in physical and psychological manifestations. The cycle of violence in the world must end.

The chartering of the G.A.M.E. on the campus of Saint Louis University, we believe, is not in keeping with the Jesuit and Christian values of loving and forgiving one another in a world of full of hatred and violence.

We have to ask ourselves what the chartering of such an organization says to our community here at SLU and to the larger community that is our city, state and nation. Just weeks ago there were acts of violence committed on the campus of the University of Northern Illinois and at the Kirkwood City Hall, and last year there was the terrible tragedy at the campus of Virginia Tech.

What is our response to these wanton acts of violence? Chartering a gun club does not appear to be the appropriate response.

We mustn’t confuse others by stating that we are a gun-free campus, but then sanction a gun club.

The opportunity to learn about weapon safety and to participate in sport shooting and hunting is available throughout this country; there are organizations that provide such services. And even though the charter for this gun club absolves Saint Louis University of any responsibility or liability should there, heaven forbid, be a shooting accident, this institution will be held morally culpable.

In the Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius calls us to be witnesses of Christ’s message of peace, love, and reconciliation.

Let us live what we profess.

Eleonore Stump Jack Renard