The palms of two upheld hands stand out among the signs at a vast rally, one word on each: "Don't shoot." This sums up the sentiment of a generation of young people exposed to — and sometimes losing their lives, well-being, friends, or teachers to — school shootings. This cry goes further than that, too, back through other generations and sometimes lone dissenters who have advocated for carefully considered and legislated gun regulation. But until recently, the Holy Grail of nonviolence has seemed far beyond reach.

What has changed is a level of urgency in this generation of young people, spurred on by the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — where 17 people were shot dead on February 14, 2018. The students' strong and honest voices, use of social media, ability to mobilize, and comprehension of the power of their future votes are moving hearts and minds. While their primary platform concerns school shootings, it brings along in its wake the other kinds of violence in which guns play a part, from domestic and racial violence to wars based on greed and exploitation.

The spiritual practices, articles, blogs, books and excerpts, film reviews, poetry, teaching stories, rituals, prayers, and quotes in this topic provide a multifaceted look at the topic of gun violence. While we have approached this topic from a variety of angles, we cannot hide our bias. We side with those who say "No more."