As people of faith, not only must we pray for peace, but we must also ACT. Each day brings more news of the effects of gun violence, and more and more we learn about mass shootings. Yesterday's horrible event in Texas as just the latest in a long line of shocking violence done with guns. It is time that Congress does something, and as people of faith we must demand action. By declaring gun violence as a public health emergency, our scientific communities will be allowed to use funds to study the effects of gun violence on public health and offer proven suggestions for solving this problem. These funds, previously allocated, have been blocked. We must tell Congress to release those funds immediately to save the lives of our neighbors, our children, and ourselves.