Missouri should be treated as a war zone.

“Missouri lawmakers vote against banning children from carrying guns in public.”

“We have 14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s. What has happened to us?” -Rep. Donna Baringer (D-St. Louis)

In 2007, the Missouri legislature removed permits-to-purchase requirements and in 2016, they repealed the law requiring safety training and permits to carry a concealed weapon, while decreasing the standards for self defense. Now, as a result of a recent vote against an amendment to a public safety bill that would have banned children from participating in this wild west free-for-all, the state has no minimum age requirement for carrying a gun in public.

All this firepower hasn’t made Missouri safer. The state’s gun violence rates have risen with each new law – they now have the 5th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US and firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens.

Listen to an apologist for this situation here! No matter what he says, armed children in the street is what war zones look like.

What can stop this progression to chaos?: Deaths? So far, no. Hard costs? Hasn’t slowed them down. All this carnage costs the state $17.6 billion each year, of which $455.3 million is paid by taxpayers. Jobs and income? Maybe…Tourism provides more than 304,000 tourism-related jobs and generates nearly $18 billion in tourism-related spending. According to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the state plans “to invest more than $50 million in the Show-Me State’s tourism industry, which was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Missouri tourism is a powerful economic driver, and we’re committed to ensuring local tourism organizations, entertainment venues, and other attractions have the resources they need to stay open and thrive.“

Are they committed enough to tell their legislators that Missouri may not offer enough for visitors to risk encounters with armed teenagers? Maybe if their state gets on advisory and travel restriction lists, they will.

Action #1: Write to Joe

Continue reading →

Tues 4/2: The “Violence against Women Act” makes the NRA mad. So? Tell your legislator to do the right thing.

Action – HR 1585 – Violence against Women Act (VAWA)

The delay on reauthorizing the VAWA was centered on a disagreement – the GOP just wanted to just roll over the existing law unchanged and the Democrats wanted to add some important updates, like closing the “boyfriend loophole“. Which means that a lot of women’s lives would be saved. Which means taking guns from dangerous men. Which means, of course, the NRA is stepping in. Which means that what is normally a bipartisan bill process will be facing a lot of GOP members worried about their “A” rating. Which means they’ve never gotten a call from a terrified daughter.

Minimal Script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to thank Rep. [__] for {his/her} support of HR 1585 – “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019”

Rep-check here: Both Brownley and Carbajal are supporters!

Minimal Script if your legislator is on this list: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to Rep. [__] to know that we expect {his/her} support of HR 1585 – “Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019.” I know that the NRA will be contacting you, as they’ve donated $________ to your 2018 campaign. However, you have more voters in your district like me who want to curb gun violence against women, and we expect you to do the right thing.

Continue reading “Tues 4/2: The “Violence against Women Act” makes the NRA mad. So? Tell your legislator to do the right thing.” →

Fri. – 5/4: The NRA is busy this weekend. We should be too…

Actions for this weekend!

Write a postcard to Ed!

Despite serious backlash, Dick’s Sporting Goods has not only stopped selling assault rifles, they destroyed the ones they still had in stock instead of returning them for a refund. And now, they’ve actually hired lobbyists to talk about gun control to lawmakers!

Send a thank-you postcard to Mr. Edward Stack: Dick’s Sporting Goods, 345 Court Street, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108 or (724) 273-3400 (Use Option 1, Dial by Name Directory) or Edward.Stack@dcsg.com or tweet @DICKS We can also call our closest store manager with thanks as well. We need to support the businesses that are taking action when our lawmakers refuse to do so.

Actions for next weekend! – Start planning now!

Joining the Parkland 17 Moms/Wives for a National “Shop-In”, Sat, May 12th!

Reward Dick’s and Walmart for doing the right thing and show other retailers how it’s done. Walmart made firearm policy changes following the Parkland shooting by raising their minimum age requirement for purchasing ammunition and firearms. In 2015, Walmart stopped carrying assault-style rifles. Continue reading “Fri. – 5/4: The NRA is busy this weekend. We should be too…” →

March For Our Lives – Ventura! – Part 2

Besides information, great speechs and marching (See Part 1), there was a lot of information being shared at the park. For those who weren’t able to attend, or didn’t have a chance to see it, we’ve attached it below.

California – New gun laws for 2018. (Sacbee)
California gun laws (Giffords)

Parents (and grandparents) Promise to Kids

The goal of Parents Promise to Kids (PPTK) is to get parents to vote for candidates who believe that the safety of our children is much more important than the right to own guns. We urge parents, grandparents and other concerned adults to sign a contract, found below and then post it on social media with the included instructions. The contract is a promise to kids that they will never leave their homes in fear of being attacked by people with assault weapons.

Parents’ contract
Grandparents’ contract
Concerned adult’s contract

The Parkland student’s presription for gun safety

(From thetrace.org) Continue reading “March For Our Lives – Ventura! – Part 2” →

March For Our Lives – Ventura! – Part 1

It was an amazing day yesterday, completely organized by four Ventura High School students. See this VC Star article for more videos and pics, as well as our Facebook page, and this link to great photos from Ray Smith of Indivisible Ojai Valley.

Our local congresswoman, Julia Brownley, made some great speeches. (Thanks to Paul Taylor for this great video!)

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., students and future leaders from our own Ventura County Youth Collective took a moment from the MFOL events there to gather in front of this inspirational portrait. They toured the Capitol with staff from Congresswoman Julia Brownley’s office, visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture and will be meeting with our legislators. Follow their adventures on Facebook and Twitter. Continue reading “March For Our Lives – Ventura! – Part 1” →

Ventura’s high school students are amazing! Come join in their March on 3/24!

This Saturday, you have an opportunity to join our local students in their action to end gun violence.

Come to their March!

Four Ventura High School students started this March and have been working hard on planning it for over a month! They’ve been joined by students from other schools to make this an really great event.

This is no simple sidewalk rally…

They’ve worked out a budget, gotten funding, taken out permits with the city and arranged for audio equipment, food trucks and stage rentals. They’ve organized speakers (including our Congresswoman Julia Brownley!) media presence and anti-gun violence and voter registration booths, all while being full-time high school students.

What were we doing in high school? These students are amazing!

Here’s the link to their event.

Basic Info: Saturday, March 24th, 10:00 am at Plaza Park. (Red pointers show public parking lots. There is also street parking in the area. Carpool with friends!)

Continue reading “Ventura’s high school students are amazing! Come join in their March on 3/24!” →