The Mission of the Coalition Against Gun Violence is to create a safer community by combating gun violence through educational activities and advocatiing for effective local, state and national programs, policies, and legislation.
Congress is on the verge of passing a law that would deny states the right to decide who can carry hidden, loaded guns. But Newark Mayor Cory Booker is fighting back.
Mayors and law enforcement professionals are on the frontlines of protecting their communities every day. The decisions they make shouldn’t be overruled by Washington politicians with nothing to lose when gun violence and crime start soaring.
Watch Mayor Cory Booker’s “call to our common sense” and make sure your friends and family see it right away:
California’s tough gun control laws are targeted at armed criminals in general and mass-shooters in particular. But they appear to have had the unintended consequence of making California gun stores unattractive to purchasers buying weapons for the Mexican drug cartels.
A Hearst Newspapers survey of guns purchased in the United States and funneled to Mexican drug traffickers learned from court documents that out of 1,600 guns identified by brand name and purchase point, a mere 70 came from California. Continue reading “Gun Control Laws Work”
The following article is from the Nevada County Public Health Department and the Nevada County Suicide Prevention Task Force —May 6, 2011
Many families think that suicide could never happen in their household. But it can and it does. Already this year, 11 people have died by suicide in Nevada County. Eleven precious individuals took their own life, leaving family members in a world turned upside-down.
Are you concerned that a member of your family or a friend may be suicidal? An important aspect of suicide prevention is reducing easy access to dangerous substances at home. Removing lethal means from a vulnerable person, especially a youth, can save a life. (It’s like keeping the car keys away from person who has had too much to drink.)
How people attempt suicide plays a crucial role in whether they live or die. Nationally, firearms are used to complete a suicide more than every other method combined. Here in Nevada County, firearms were used in 91 percent of the suicides completed to date this year (10 of 11 suicides). Firearms differ from other means of attempting suicide as they are more lethal, quick, and irreversible. For these reasons, both the Consensus Statement on Youth Suicide by Firearms (developed by a multi-disciplinary consortium of experts) and the National Council for Suicide Prevention (a group of 10 national organizations) are promoting safe firearm storage practices. Continue reading “Reducing Access To Lethal Means: SAVES LIVES”
“…most children, older adults, and women are murdered at home. A gun in the home is a particularly strong risk factor for female homicide victimization.”
A study, “Risks and Benefits of a Gun in the Home,” released in February 2011 in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, (published by SAGE, a publication by the Harvard School of Public Health) examined scientific research on both sides of the debate so that conclusions could be made based on facts and data. Author David Hemenway, Ph.D. (Director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center and the Youth Violence Prevention Center) studied the various risks of having a gun in the home, including accidents, suicide, homicide, and intimidation. He also studied the benefits of having a firearm in a household including deterrence, and thwarting crimes (self-defense).
After weighing the evidence on both risks and benefits, the study proved that the risks of having a gun in the home greatly outweighed the benefits or perceived benefits. Currently approximately one-third, possibly more, American households have a firearm.
Hemenway concluded that homes with guns are not safer or deter more crime than those homes that do not have guns. In fact, as gun control groups have been saying for decades, homes with children or women were less safe because, as the author stated, “Whereas most men are murdered away from home, most children, older adults, and women are murdered at home. A gun in the home is a particularly strong risk factor for female homicide victimization.” Continue reading “Guns in the Home Do Not Deter Crime”
Al-Qaeda spokesman Azzam al-Amriki calls on lone wolves in the U.S. to exploit gaps in our gun laws, buy assault weapons and launch a deadly new wave of mass shootings.
Please watch this video, share it with your family and friends, and urge Congress to take action at http://fixgunchecks.org.
As a recent response to a post on this blog reminded me, it is very, very common for gun-control opponents and conservative politicians to point out that “Guns Don’t Kill People, People Do.” The problem with this catchy conservative talking point is that it doesn’t really argue anything. Of course people kill people; I’ve yet to see a bunch of guns and knives running around by themselves committing murders. Continue reading “Gun Violence and the Census: Sobering Statistics”
Those in America who believe in “arming against tyranny” may be thinking that the horrendous civilian crisis in Libya could be more easily accomplished if the people were armed. That, after all, is the message oft repeated by those advocating the right to bear arms. It’s not merely to defend their homes and families, but against a tyrannical government, although who makes that determination in our elected democratic government is certainly problematic. Continue reading “Revolt Comes Through the Dignity of People Power and Without Violence”
The Coalition Against Gun Violence held an educational community wide forum, “What Right Do You Have To Carry A Gun?” Feb 17th at the Faulkner Gallery in Santa Barbara. A panel discussion about the recent Supreme Court rulings on the second amendment was held in front of a packed house. Panelists included Brian Hill, presiding Judge of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, Dr. Beth Schneider, professor of sociology at UCSB, and Richard Solomon, a former law professor at Southwestern University and an ACLU board member. The event was moderated by Marty Blum, former Santa Barbara mayor, who last year supported a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Lori Salada, D-San Diego, that would have prevented Californians from openly carrying unloaded handguns without a license. Though the bill was shot down, new legislation seeking the same outcome and authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, was introduced Jan. 13. The legislation, AB 144, was referred Feb. 3 to the Committee on Public Safety.
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Brian Hill, who also teaches constitutional law at the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law, began the discussion, leading a scholarly discourse about interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
A capacity crowd gathered Thursday night in the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Central Library to hear three panelists talk about the perennially controversial issue of gun control. The event, organized by the Coalition Against Gun Violence, was an interesting philosophical debate about the Second Amendment and what it means to the United States today. Continue reading “Santa Barbara Gun Control Forum Targets Constitution, Case Law”
TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa mom accused of killing her “mouthy” children wrote a note before the shootings in which she complained about a three-day waiting period that Florida imposes on gun sales, police say.
Sunday April 15th at 11:30 am New Venue! The Santa Barbara Club
Speaker: Lori Saldana, Former California State Assembly member, author of the bill to ban "open carry" in California.
Recall the University of Texas, the site of the horrific mass shooting on August 1, 1968 when Charles Whitman went to the 28th floor observation deck of the clock tower and began shooting at people below. He killed 16 people and wounded three dozen before police killed Whitman about 90 minutes after the siege began. A recent tragedy occured on this site when 19-year-old Colton Tooley began shooting an assault rifle near the clock tower. Wearing a dark suit and ski mask he walked several blocks to the library, he fired three shots toward a campus church, then changed direction and fired three more times into the air. He had the opportunity to shoot several people, but he did not. It is believed Colton ran into the library as officers closed in on him, then went up to the 6th floor and shot himself in the head. Police declined to speculate on his motive. The University’s crisis-management plan and social networking quickly warned students, faculty and staff. Their text messaging system reached more than 43,000 people and the school was immediately put on lock-down.
Vol. 17 #3 - Fall 2011 (7.99 MB)
Teen Bullying Tragedy, NRA's Challenges Shot Down, Bullying is Not Just Teasing, Santa Barbara's Advocacy Work in Schools
