The Activist - Women Against Gun Violence

The Activist
Summer Edition & 2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT
THE 2ND AMENDMENT IS JUST ONE OF YOUR RIGHTS
REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM 2012
DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM 2012
The Second Amendment: Our Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Firearms. We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an
important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve
Americans' Second Amendment right to own and use firearms.
We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable
regulation. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here
is limited and precious. We believe in an honest, open national
conversation about firearms. We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background
check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense
improvements—like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole—so that guns do not fall into the hands
of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.
We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a right
which antedated the Constitution and was solemnly confirmed by
the Second Amendment. We acknowledge, support, and defend
the law-abiding citizen's God-given right of self-defense. We call
for the protection of such fundamental individual rights recognized in the Supreme Court's decisions in District of Columbia v.
Heller and McDonald v. Chicago affirming that right, and we recognize the individual responsibility to safely use and store firearms. This also includes the right to obtain and store ammunition
without registration. We support the fundamental right to selfdefense wherever a law-abiding citizen has a legal right to be,
and we support federal legislation that would expand the exercise
of that right by allowing those with state-issued carry permits to
carry firearms in any state that issues such permits to its own
residents. Gun ownership is responsible citizenship, enabling
Americans to defend their homes and communities. We condemn
frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and oppose federal
licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners. We oppose
legislation that is intended to restrict our Second Amendment
rights by limiting the capacity of clips or magazines or otherwise
restoring the ill-considered Clinton gun ban. We condemn the
reckless actions associated with the operation known as "Fast
and Furious," conducted by the Department of Justice, which
resulted in the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent and others
on both sides of the border. We applaud the Members of the U.S.
House of Representatives in holding the current Administration's
Attorney General in contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with their investigation into that debacle. We oppose the
improper collection of firearms sales information in the four southern border states, which was imposed without congressional authority.
For Information On Voting In California
and your polling location go to:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-in-california
IN THIS ISSUE
Legislative Update: AB1527 & SB1366 on Governor’s Desk
Guest Columnist: Laura Hartung reviews Dark Knight Rises
WAGV in the Community: Collaboration with Los Angeles
School Police Department
Life & Culture • Ways To Give • Annual Report
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 & Annual Report 2011—2012 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Prevent Illegal Guns Act – Report Lost and Stolen Guns
SB 1366
(DeSaulnier, D-7th District)
esk
SB 1366 requires that every person whose
firearm is lost or stolen notify local law
enforcement within 48 hours of the
time
they
knew or reasonable
should have known
that the firearm
had been lost or stolen. If
the firearm
is subsequently recovered they
must
also notify the local law enforcement
agency
within 48 hours of the recovery.
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s
’
or
On
the
n
r
e
ov
G
Under current law, while firearms dealers and manufacturers must report
any lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours, firearm owners whose guns are
lost or stolen are not required to do anything. As a result, law enforcement
efforts to investigate gun crimes and disarm dangerous criminals are significantly hindered. The public overwhelmingly supports laws requiring the
reporting of lost or stolen firearms. A 2011 nationwide poll found that
94% of Americans surveyed, including 94% of gun owners, favor laws to
require the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. This bill would require that,
beginning January 1, 2013, every person whose firearm is lost or stolen
must notify local law enforcement within 48 hours of the time the person
knew or reasonably should have known that the firearm had been lost or
stolen. Reporting lost or stolen weapons would help law enforcement
solve crimes and fight more effectively against gun trafficking. It would
also help take firearms away from prohibited persons who may falsely
claim their firearms were lost or stolen. Finally it would make it easier for
law enforcement to return weapons to their legal owners.
To track California State Legislation:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/
STATE
Assault Weapons (Bullet Button)
SB 249
(Yee, D-San Francisco and San Mateo
Counties)
Today in California, despite our almost 25-year old
ban, manufacturers are selling weapons similar to
the type used in Aurora, Colorado in direct violation of both the letter and spirit of our state law.
This attempt to erode our public safety is not new.
Since the passage of the assault weapons ban,
gun manufacturers have worked to find a myriad
of ways to circumvent the wishes of Californians.
In anticipation of the gun industry’s attempts to
evade the law, the ban included a “copycat” provision under which Attorneys General have successfully sued to enforce California’s landmark
legislation.
This time around, the gun manufacturers have
found a way to exploit an inconsistency in our current state regulations, which are not in full compliance with the clear language of our law. The gun
industry is undermining our safety by selling weapons fitted with bullet buttons – a “tool” used to remove the ammunition magazine. They interpret
this slight alteration as making the firearm
“California compliant”. But make no mistake –
these weapons remain assault weapons and still
hold ammunition magazines that can be switched
out in seconds and fire an estimated 50 – 60
rounds per minute. They have no use for hunting
or personal protection and represent a tremendous threat to our public safety.
In response to the gun manufacturers’ blatant disregard for the will of Californians, State Senator
Leland Yee introduced Senate Bill 249, coauthored by Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg,
Senator De Leon, Assembly Member Feuer and
Assembly Member Portantino. Senate Bill 249
clarified existing law to conform to the original intent of the assault weapons ban and affirmed that
bullet button-equipped firearms are illegal assault
weapons. This bill also confirmed that the California Department of Justice has the authority to update and bring into compliance existing regulations
concerning assault weapons
Pulled To Be
Reintroduced At A Later
Legislative Session
Page 2 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
STATE
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The Long Gun Open Carry Ban
AB 1527
(Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge)
Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge)
a measure that will prohibit individuals from openly displayshotguns in public. AM Portantino introduced the legislaforcement as a follow up to last year’s successful
carrying an unloaded handgun in public places.
s
’
r
o
D
esk
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ov
has introduced AB 1527,
ing unloaded rifles and
tion at the urging of law enAB 144, which banned openly
G
“Last year the state made it clear that
this type of behavior had no place on Main
Street, California,” said Assemblymember Portantino. “Unfortunately, the Open
Carry community has decided to
once again force our hand by escalating their unnecessary activities and entering our
communities with AR-15s and other long guns. I had hoped
cooler heads would have prevailed
and this law wouldn’t be necessary. Obviously that hasn’t been
the case, and I must once again take action to ensure the safety of our communities.”
On
the
AB 1527 builds on the newly enacted law authored by Portantino last year and provides a similar list of
exemptions to enable safe transportation, lawful hunting, and use by law enforcement officials.
GUN FACT #1
CARRYING A GUN DOES NOT PROVIDE
SELF-DEFENSE
“Law abiding citizens have the right to carry guns to defend themselves” is the meme that drives our gun laws. Relying on this
meme, laws have been passed that allow conceal and open carry guns in public places ranging from restaurants, bars and movies,
to churches and offices. There is pressure from the NRA and gun extremists to pass laws allowing guns on college campuses, on
airplanes and to do away with gun free zones.
But the fact is that the meme is false, it is a fiction; carrying a gun does not provide any realistic possibility of self defense—the
element of surprise always defeats the gun carrier. The criminal does not approach and say “draw.” They have a gun to the back
of your head before you know they are there. And you will not dare move as they take both your money and your gun.
President Reagan was surrounded by secret servicemen and local police carrying guns and looking for trouble. A would be assassin with a $45 handgun was able to shoot all six of its bullets, hitting four people including Reagan, Jim Brady (his press secretary)
and two officers before bring subdued. (Imagine how many people would have been hit if they had had a semi-automatic handgun.)
Police officers carry guns, yet 40% of all gun homicides of Police officers are due to ambushes or being surprised by suspects with
firearms. (Johnson, USA TODAY, 8/25/2011).
Just recently, on August 13, 2012, two armed police officers were wounded and one murdered at College Station, Texas. The
shooter started shooting when a constable serving an eviction notice approached his house. On August 16, 2012, two armed Louisiana police officers on patrol were killed and two wounded in a trailer park ambush.
Carrying a gun in public does not provide self defense. Enabling insane gun laws to be passed and sane gun laws to be rejected on the basis of a fictional meme is tragic; it is time to end it.
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
WAGV IN THE COMMUNITY
In America, nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and a staggering 40 percent of homes with children have a gun. Every year, thousands of children are killed or seriously injured as a result. (The Center to Prevent Youth Violence ASK Day team). Recognizing that it is hard enough to keep your children safe in your own home, but it is almost impossible
if you send your children to someone else’s home who simply “hides” a loaded gun under a pillow, WAGV and its Speakers Bureau
work with parents in a role-play setting to teach parents when, what, and how to ask their neighbors or others if they have a gun in
the home and what safety precautions are taken.
And now, WAGV has teamed with the Los Angeles School Police Department and Friends of Safe Schools Los Angeles (FOSSLA)
to distribute gun locks to the community along with a brochure explaining the legal consequences of not keeping guns stored safely
and allowing them to fall into the hands of children. See photos above.
Future giveaways are scheduled for Safe Schools Week in October 2012 and before New Year’s Eve.
IF YOU OR YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE A GUN AT HOME — LOCK IT UP!!
Page 4 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
WAGV IN THE COMMUNITY
On August 14, representatives of WAGV and over 100 other
community members joined Assemblymember Mike Feuer,
Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Tom LaBonge, LAPD Assistant Chief Michael Moore, and LA County Sheriff Lee
Baca, for a Town Hall on Gun Violence. The Town Hall was
held In conjunction with introducing Assembly Joint Resolution 45, a measure that calls on the President and Congress
to reauthorize the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which
lapsed in 2004.
The topic "City, State, and Federal Gun Laws: Where are we
now and where are we headed?" elicited thoughtful and
diverse comments from both panelists and audience.
VIP Community Mental Health Center
Each year, generous donors and WAGV supporters Irwin
Levin and Sanford Weiner (Social Studies School Service)
donate hundreds of books in memory of Evan Leigh Foster,
son of Rhonda and Ruett Foster, who was killed by gun
violence. This year the books were donated to VIP Community Mental Health Center.
Located in East Los Angeles, the VIP Community Mental
Health Center provides outpatient mental health services to
children and their caregivers who have been victims of violence.
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
LIFE&CULTURE
What We’re Reading
Do You Care If Your Man Has a Gun?
What do you think? Would you care if your guy kept a
gun at home?
Would you be okay with your guy hiding a gun at
home?
Yes. It makes me feel safe.
31%
No. It freaks me out.
22%
I have my own gun at home.
28%
It doesn't bother me either way.
17%
Created on Sep 11, 2012
Total Votes: 1,657
September 11, 2012 at 3:37PM By Korin Miller |
It's no secret that Brad Pitt is a pretty liberal guy. So we were surprised to learn that he's a big fan of gun rights.
"It's very strange, but I feel better having a gun. I really do," Brad said in a new interview with the UK's Daily Mail. "I don't
feel the house is completely safe if I don't have one hidden somewhere."
Brad also said that he got his first BB gun "in nursery school," his first shotgun by first grade, and had shot a handgun by
third grade.
No word on how Angelina feels about the whole gun-at-home thing, but she must be somewhat okay with it if Brad has
one stashed at their place.
Studies have shown that having a gun at home can increase the risk of firearm-related violence, and someone who lives
in that house or visits it is 12 times more likely to be killed by that gun than a burglar.
That said, many people own guns—a nationwide Centers for Disease Control survey found that 32 percent of Americans
have one at home.
Page 6 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
What We’re Watching
LIFE&CULTURE
Laura Hartung reviews The Dark Knight Rises
Laura is a third year student from Stevenson College, UCSC, in the Film and Digitial Media Major with a
production concentration and a minor in Education. She enjoys photography and editing movies almost
as much as she enjoys experiencing them.
Film theorist, Christian Metz discusses the specific experience we undergo when entering a cinematic theater. Imagine all the elements that go into the moviegoer’s experience. We enter a room that is completely different from our daily lives: the space has been
fashioned in a slope, leading to this screen that unravels a separate world based on camera movements and editing rhythms
stitched together for our pleasure. We are not apart of this world; it is for us to voyeuristically enjoy from the comfort of our own
seats. And with a sense of separation from the action playing out on screen, we are further divided by the contrast between the
bright screen and the darkness of the theater.
However, a connection must take place in order for the audience to bridge this gap between their seat and the story on screen. This
is where genre comes in: preparing the audience to enter this new world that has been created for them by the filmmaker. Genre
films, such as action, create idealized cultural settings extremely recognizable to the audience. So people like myself, that don’t engage in the usual heist, can still understand that if this villain wants to steal that item from a powerful company, our identified hero
must save us! After the audience is comfortable with the characters and setting of the genre film, they are prepared for the inevitable
conflict to take place.
As we experience a genre repeatedly, we build certain expectations. The audience member must recognize how the main character
interacts with their settings and what that means for the resolution of the film. In both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises,
the character of Batman holds the same values with regard to guns: he will never use them. Batman takes on this ‘hurt ‘em and
leave ‘em’ attitude where he will only fight his opponent out of defense, and only until the other individual is not able to cause harm.
After that, he leaves him/her for the Gotham City Police Department to take care of.
In a world where mainstream film is producing action narratives based on weapon-related violence, I find this quite refreshing. As
someone who enjoys watching a good fight unfold on screen, I do simultaneously wonder how others are interpreting the choice in
action characters take. If the protagonist of a story uses a gun, does this mean an audience member will feel obligated to go out and
purchase one? This has everything to do with how those actions play out according to the narrative.
While Batman carries what I consider to be a very responsible attitude toward violence I find that his villains and those that try to
help him adopt a different attitude toward fire arms. In The Dark Knight Rises, there are several characters that by action genre
standards, should be considered “good”. But if they use firearms and Batman uses inner strength, then are we to believe that a
masked vigilante is the only individual capable of fighting the good fight honorably?
This is where the cut and paste template of action genre takes a turn. The writers of this film have created an additional level to “the
good guy”. It is not just Batman vs. Villain (as he tries to save the world) anymore. Batman is accompanied by numerous humanistic
characters that share an innate need for re-establishing “good” in their world. And while they may attempt to use firearms to accomplish this, they are not fully successful without the aid of what I like to call, “No Guns Allowed Batman”. Are we being underhandedly
encouraged to fight violently? Or are we being challenged to create our own understanding of violence within this narrative? I
strongly believe that this format proposed by The Dark Knight Rises encourages a new approach to a genre we have become so
accustomed to.
Yes, there is violence. Yes, there are points where I am sitting on the edge of my seat concerned that the nondescript man in the
corner is going to die. But when I leave that theater, I’m not thinking people are going to interpret the use of firearms as a means of
getting what they want. I’m thinking Batman is so cool and Gotham could never be saved without his NO GUNS ALLOWED attitude.
Sources: Braudy, Leo, and Marshall Cohen. Film Theory & Criticism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Book.
The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros., 2008. Film.
The Dark Knight Rises. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Warner Bros., 2012. Film.
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
LIFE&CULTURE
What’s Shocking Us
Aurora, CO • Oak Creek, WI • New York, NY • Old Bridge, NJ • College Station, TX • Everywhere, America
In less than a two month period, 26 people were killed and 69 were injured in gun massacres across our nation. Surely these horrific events, though not in our city of Los Angeles, could easily have happened here. There were four hundred and fifty one gun related homicides in Los Angeles County in 2011. These numbers do not include suicide by gun, or non-fatal injuries from guns. The
numbers are growing in 2012.
Californians, and the nation as a whole, continue to suffer under the onslaught of pro-gun enthusiasts and the NRA, both through
attacks on sensible legislation as well as through culture creep. Legislation is being circumvented by gun manufacturers seeking
loopholes that allow assault weapons on our streets and long guns in our local Starbucks. Every day there is another image circulating in the media normalizing guns in our society. Whether it is the violent movie billboard with a famous actor pointing a firearm
at you off the everyday traveled highway or the manufacturing and mass marketing of the “Flash Bang Bra Holster” and other firearms and accessories designed to appeal specifically to women, guns have slowly crept into our culture and become an advertising
norm and staple in America.
Flash Bang Bra Holster
Surviving an Active Shooter
“Run. Hide. Fight.”
6-minute video sponsored by the
Department of Homeland Security
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0
“Resident Evil: Retribution” advertisement at Bus Stop
So important to watch.
So sad it’s necessary.
Who’s Watching and Listening
May 2012
Board member Rhonda Foster along with her husband Ruett spoke as representatives of WAGV’s Speakers Bureau in support of
the Los Angeles Mayor’s Gun Buyback program. KCAL 9 news featured their story of loss. Speakers Bureau members Caren and
Renny Temple also shared with KCAL 9 viewers the story of the loss of their son, William, to gun violence.
July 2012
Speakers Bureau member Josh Stepakoff (survivor of the 1999 Jewish Community Center shooting and past WAGV Courageous
Leader honoree) was featured on KCAL 9 News, CBS News, and KABC’s “Morning Drive” radio show following the Aurora, CO massacre. He shared his story of gun violence and offered his support for reasonable gun laws in California.
Page 8 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
What’s Shocking Us
Today’s latest fashion: Gold and Rhinestone Gun
Necklaces
LIFE&CULTURE
22 Mag, NAA Mini Revolver converted into a necklace but still usable
Houston Astros bring back Colt .45s throwbacks with image of namesake
firearm
Justin Bieber tweets out picture posing with a
fake gun pointed at a friend
Kim Kardashian tweets about designer gun
Madonna chose a gun theme for her recent concert
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
LIFE&CULTURE
Who’s Reading Us
Page 10 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
LIFE&CULTURE
Who’s Reading Us
Published in the Daily Breeze
Need brave politicians
Re "Restrict access to mass-killing tools" (Another View,
July 25):
What will it take to arouse the public not to buy more guns, but
to control to whom guns are sold? California has the best gun
laws in the nation, but porous state borders and open Internet
connections leak guns and ammunition into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. The newspaper is right. There must
be some gutsy politician who is not afraid of the gun manufacturers and the NRA and will help stop this madness. Law enforcement wants so-called assault weapons banned. California
banned assault weapons more than 10 years ago, and since
then the manufacturers have found a way around that ban with
gadgets to make reloading simple and legal. It's all about money and profits for the gun makers. We need brave elected officials to tell it like it is. The rest of us need to stand behind
them, speak out and help fund their campaigns.
- Ann Reiss Lane, Los Angeles
The letter writer is founder and chair emeritus of Women
Against Gun Violence
Ann Reiss Lane
Women Against Gun Violence
Look for WAGV in an upcoming
issue of the National Enquirer
discussing women and guns
(specifically the Kardashians)
and in the November issue of
SELF Magazine.
Excerpt below taken from full article found at :
http://www.jewishjournal.com/rob_eshman/article/
rob_eshman_who_will_protect_us_from_the_nra_20120725/
JewishJournal.Com
July 25, 2012
Who will protect us from the NRA?
BY ROB ESHMAN
“Meanwhile, gun control advocacy organizations flounder. Last May, the Los
Angeles-based Women Against Gun Violence held a fundraiser honoring New
York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck,
and the event brought in much less money than expected. Foundation grants
have also slacked off, the group’s executive director, Margot Bennett, told me.
The economy may be partly to blame, but so are politicians from across the
spectrum who lack the courage to confront the NRA, and people like you and
me who have given up the fight.”
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
WAYS TO HELP AT NO COST TO YOU
SHOP ON AMAZON AND SUPPORT WAGV AT NO COST TO YOU!
You can now support Women Against Gun Violence at no additional cost to you when
you shop at Amazon.com. It’s easy! Go to our website at www.wagv.org and click on the
Amazon logo. Then start shopping! WAGV will receive a percentage of your purchases! Bookmark http://www.wagv.org for easy
shopping … and Thanks!
SHOP AT RALPHS FOR YOUR GROCERIES AND SUPPORT WAGV AT NO
COST TO YOU!
You can register your Ralphs card with the Ralphs Community Contribution Program and then every time you swipe your card at
Ralphs, WAGV will receive a donation! If you have participated in this program previously in support of WAGV, you must reregister each year on or after September 1.
If you have never registered your Ralphs card with Ralphs follow the instructions below:
1. Log in to www.ralphs.com
2. Click on ‘Create an Account’
3. Follow the 5 easy steps to create an online account
4. You will be instructed to go to your email inbox to confirm your account
5. After you confirm your online account by clicking on the link in your email, return to
www.ralphs.com and click on ‘my account’ (you may have to sign in again first).
6. View all your information and edit as necessary
7. Link your card to your organization by clicking on:
a. Community Rewards
b. Edit my community contribution and follow the instructions
c. Remember to click on the circle to the left of your organizations’ name
If you have previously registered your Ralphs card with Ralphs follow the instructions below:
(This means that you have already entered your email address and assigned yourself a password)
1. Log in to www.ralphs.com
2. Click Sign In
3. Enter your email address and password
4. Click on ‘My Account’ (In the top right hand corner)
5. View all your information and edit as necessary
6. Link your card to your organization by clicking on:
a. Community Rewards
b. Edit my community contribution and follow the instructions
c. Remember to click on the circle to the left of your organizations’ name
For more information go to: http://www.ralphs.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/My%20Ralphs/general_faqs.pdf
This past August WAGV ran a week long Groupon Grassroots
Campaign. Thank you to all of our supporters! We raised $800!
Look for our next Groupon Campaign coming again soon!
Page 12 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
2011-2012
ANNUAL REPORT
Women Against Gun Violence (WAGV) grew out of a national seminar, co-coordinated by then Los Angeles Police Commissioner Ann Reiss Lane, that articulated guns and gun violence as a women’s issue. With the involvement of women and their
families, the coalition hoped to profoundly change the climate of the gun violence debate. Now, in 2012, both women and men
make up WAGV’s Board of Directors as it educates the public, policymakers and the media about the human, financial and public
health consequences of gun violence. WAGV accomplishes this mission with programs that address “today” while focusing on
“tomorrow”.
In 2011, WAGV reached over 2500 parents and youth through its Keepin Them Safe and Dodgin The Bullet programs presented by
its Speakers Bureau, a group of gun violence survivors who have been specifically trained in WAGV’s outreach activities as well as
in public speaking and advocacy. Additionally, WAGV reached over 3000 community members through Action Alerts, Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest, The Activist Newsletter and its annual Education for Action conference.
Since its inception, WAGV has been a leader in encouraging advocacy for sensible firearms legislation at the local, regional and
state level, and has reached out to hundreds of community members who are committed to reducing gun violence in Los Angeles
County and throughout the state.
OUR PROGRAMS
Speakers Bureau
First active in the 1990's, WAGV's Speakers Bureau is a substantive component of its other successful programs, providing the
"heart" of gun violence. Made up of both adults and youth who have lost a loved one to gun violence or survived a gunshot wound
themselves, Speaker Bureau members share their story of gun violence in an effort to educate and support others.
Dodgin’ The Bullet
WAGV recognizes that violence prevention programs that focus on and engage young people provide the best leverage to developing generations of safer communities. WAGV and its Speakers Bureau deliver an interactive gun violence prevention workshop to
youths throughout the Los Angeles area. Using the Dodgin’ The Bullet deck of 16 flashcards in a game show format, WAGV educates the youth on the issue of gun violence and its relationship to gang violence, suicide, bullying and relationship violence. The
boys and girls are given cards, which also contain phone numbers and websites for help with these issues.
Keepin’ Them Safe and Gun Lock Give-Away
In America, nearly 1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and a staggering 40 percent of homes with children have a gun. Every year, thousands of children are killed or seriously injured as a result. (The Center to Prevent Youth Violence ASK Day team). Recognizing that it is hard enough to keep your children safe in your own home, but it is almost impossible if
you send your children to someone else’s home who simply “hides” a loaded gun under a pillow, WAGV and its Speakers Bureau
work with parents in a role-play setting to teach parents when, what, and how to ask their neighbors or others if they have a gun in
the home and what safety precautions are taken.
Also, in a further effort to keep our children safe from gun violence, WAGV is working with the Los Angeles School Police Department and Friends of Safe Schools Los Angeles (FOSSLA) to distribute gun locks to the community along with a brochure explaining
the legal consequences of not keeping guns stored safely and allowing them to fall into the hands of children.
Outreach and Advocacy
Since its inception, WAGV has been a leader in encouraging advocacy for sensible firearms legislation at the local, regional and
state level, and has reached out to hundreds of community members who are committed to reducing gun violence in Los Angeles
County and throughout the state. By presenting current and accurate data to both the community and to policymakers, WAGV has
helped survivors turn grief into positive action.
Education for Action
For the past few years, WAGV has co-sponsored with the ATF an educational conference for law enforcement. The 2010 conference was titled Deterring Violence in Schools: Policy, Prevention and Police Response and was attended by over 100 LAUSD
security personnel. This year’s conference co-sponsored with the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles and the
Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County was titled Vectors of Violence: The Impact, Trajectory, and Intersections of
Lethality in Violence Prevention and Intervention Efforts and drew attendees and speakers from throughout the country.
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
ANNUAL REPORT
2011-2012
OUR PROGRAMS continued
GunsSuck Initiative
Over the past few years, WAGV constituents have expressed concern with the large number of billboard movie advertisements and
transit shelter (bus) posters that depict and glamorize gun violence. To make matters worse, many of these billboards and posters
are near middle schools, high schools and in neighborhoods with violent gangs – all areas where marketing violence may reach a
receptive audience.
WAGV is working with a coalition of representatives from billboard companies, entertainment companies, policymakers, high school
and middle school students, and public relations executives to address this issue. This program is currently funded by The Bohnett
Foundation.
Survivor Outreach Services (SOS)
Working with Los Angeles Police Chief Charles Beck, a member of the WAGV Advisory Board, and Deputy Chief Debra McCarthy, a
member of the Board of Directors, WAGV will create an SOS brochure that detectives and other first responders can give the next of
kin after a gun homicide occurs. This brochure will highlight our various programs, include messages from our survivors, include a
24-grief support hot-line and identify additional organizations that can provide direct services.
OUR OUTREACH
Since 1993, WAGV has reached out to over 88,000 people with information, education, and strategies to make change! The 30
members of our Speaker's Bureau (survivors of gun violence) have been instrumental in this outreach effort by sharing their experiences with the community, turning grief into positive action.
In fiscal year 2011-12 WAGV conducted 45 speaking engagements about gun violence prevention and safe gun storage to a total of
2,593 unduplicated parents and youth. We far exceeded our goal of 1,000 unduplicated parents and youth and improved greatly on
speaking engagements reported in the previous fiscal year.
OUR NETWORK
WAGV is currently partnered with a number of local and national organizations as well as members of many local and national coalitions. These include: Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department, Violence Prevention Coalition, Brady
Campaign, Project Cry No More, Loved Ones Victims Services, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Law Center to Prevent Gun
Violence, and new coalition members The Los Angeles Chapter of CASC, Ban Billboard Blight, Alcohol Justice, Friends of Safe
Schools Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles School Police Department.
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
For fiscal year 2011-12 WAGV sent out 26 Action Alerts, tweeted 273 tweets with 149 followers, posted over 125 posts on our Facebook page, and opened a Pinterest page.
OUR LEGISLATIVE RECORD
In fiscal year 2011-12 WAGV informed its constituents and supported the following legislation:
AB144 banning the open carry of handguns
AB809 mandating that all records created when long guns are sold be kept and entered into the same database as handguns
SB1366 requiring the reporting of lost and/or stolen guns now before the Governor for his signature
WAGV also worked to get the word out on HR822—National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act and the dangers it poses to Californian’s
safety.
Page 14 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
2011-2012
ANNUAL REPORT
18TH ANNUAL COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP BRUNCH
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS
And to those we may have inadvertently left off this list
Benefactor
Richard & Lois Gunther
Union Bank
Kaiser Permanente
Wells Fargo Bank
Visionary
Mike & Sheila Goldberg
Bert & Ann Lane
Sayre Weaver, Eq.
Korean American Federation
E&C Fashion
Loop Capital
Majestic Realty
Idealist
Irwin Levin and Sanford Weiner
Avalon
Mirman School
Hon. Mark Ridley Thomas
Wells Fargo Personal Banking
Alcohol Justice
Los Angeles Police Command Officers Assn.
Southern California Edison
NBC Universal Studios Inc.
Advocate
Nancy Berman and Alan Bloch
Alma Family Services
Sidney & Paula Machtinger
Suzanne Marks
Lawrie & Joyce Powell
Laurie Saffian & David Straus
Don & Marilyn Waldman
Verizon
Friend
Dr. Warren Bennett
Bernadette Bennett
Barbara Casey
Sandy & Alan Croll
Roz Goldstein
Nancy Jacoby
Marilyn Levin
Shirley Levine
Lennie and Lenore Marantz
Andrea Ordin
Lois Saffian
Shelley Smith
Don & Roberta Schiller
Helen Washington
Helene Wayne
Frieda Rivin
Generous Donors Who Purchased Tributes
Harold & Jean Berfein
Bejamin & Irma Breslauer
Ernestine Elster, Ph.D.
Stan & Jackie Gottlieb
Audrey Irmas
David Rintels & Victoria Riskin
Peg Yorkin
The Bohnett Foundation
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Shirley & Hubert Friedman
Doralyn Harris and Eileen Pearlman
Hon. Abbe Land
Mark & Peachy Levy
Rick Powell & Family
Katherine Gunther
California Wellness Foundation
Generous Donors Who Purchased Tickets
ABLE
Don Alberti
Ronene Anda
Janet Andrew
Bert Ball
Phoebe Beasley
Barbara Bergen
Betsy Berkhemer
Sandy & Annette Bothman
Lindsay Bourkoff
Leslie Brander
Corie Brown
Hon. Betsy Butler
Joni Byun
Naomi Childs
Sheilah Clayton
Gerald Cooper
Betsy Danbury
Anna and Fernando Del Rio
Sharon Dunas
Sarah Dusseault
Robert Ellis
Aaron and Sari Eshman
Donna Finkelstein
Brian Folb
Ron Galperin
Helene Goodman
Nan and Allan Goodman
Jackie & Stan Gottlieb
Lyle Gregory
Hugh Gross
Elizabeth Hailey
Becky Hartung
Katherine Hennigan
Pam Hillman
Arthur Hirshberg
Judith Hirshberg
Rita Hoisch
George Jackson
Doris Kagin
Beth Krom
James Lane
Joyce Leanse
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
2011-2012
ANNUAL REPORT
18TH ANNUAL COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP BRUNCH
Generous Donors Who Purchased Tickets
Loren Lieb
Marilyn Lipsky
Barbara Long
Lennie & Lenore Marantz
Andrea Ordin
Nancy Morgan Ritter
Nancy Pinckert
Suzanne Rosentswieg
Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation
Harold & Jean Berfein
Bejamin & Irma Breslauer
Ernestine Elster, Ph.D.
Stan & Jackie Gottlieb
Audrey Irmas
David Rintels & Victoria Riskin
Peg Yorkin
The Bohnett Foundation
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Shirley & Hubert Friedman
Doralyn Harris and Eileen Pearlman
Hon. Abbe Land
Mark & Peachy Levy
Rick Powell & Family
Katherine Gunther
California Wellness Foundation
Samara Saffian
Seth and Samantha Samuels
Steve & Heather Seyler (Andrews International)
Josh Stepakoff
Marge Taylor
Paul Vandeventer
Toni Wellen
Allyne Winderman
Margaret York and Lance Ito
The Bohnett Foundation
Generous Donors Who Made Donations
Rosenthal Family Foundation
Mindy Finkelstein
Barbara and Ray Alpert
Marilyn Athey
Lourdes Baird
Natalie Barnett
Jamie Berger
Judy Berfein
Nancy Bernard
Sandy Borak
Ronda Breitbard
Bea Breslaw
Thea Brodkin
Helene Brown
Sandy Brown
Christopher Carlson
Judy Carroll
Carryl Carter
Karen Constine
Michael & Bobbie Cowan
Franklin Damon
Elaine Deutsch
Ernestine Elster, PhD
Ruth & Marvin Farber
Hon. Mike Feuer
Murray Fischer
Carole Foran
Robert Fox
Rita Franciosa
Myrna Friedman
Sheila Garb
Leo Goldberg
Cathy Greenley
Howard Grey
David Gross
Lois & Dick Gunther
Elizabeth Hirsch
Judith Hirshberg
Ada & Jim Horwich
JoAnn Kaplan
Greg Kimura
Carol Kurland
Luis Lainer
Susan Laskin
Ilene Leeds
Sylvia Leeds
Susan & Harvey Levich
Diane Marder
Clara Martin
Laura & Jim Maslon
Carol Massie
Leah Mendelsohn
Gary Minzer
Dr. John Montgomerie
Nicole Mutchnik
Heidi Nimmo
Andrew Pauley
Linda & Richard Reiss
Susan Richter
Hon. Mike Roos
Ruth Rosen
Priscilla & Ronald Rosenfeld
Samuel & June Sale
Albert Sarnoff
Daryl & Marvin Shapiro
Lorraine Sheinberg
Suzanne Sheridan
Mahin Shokrian
Judith Siegel &
Michael Goldstein
Marilyn Silva
Paula Silver
Steven Skolnik
Nancy Speizer
Andrew Swerdlow
Susan Thau
Helene Tobias
Bette Treiman
Elinor Turner
Allen Vangelos
Belinda Walker
Howard Walter
Caroline Weingarten
Debbi Winter
THANK YOU TO OUR
SILENT AUCTION DONORS
and to those we may have
inadvertently left off this list
Canele • Sierra's Restaurant • Westfield
Peggy's Inside/Out Organizing • The Chocolate
Moose • San Diego Zoo • Ms. Bobbie Riggs •
John Anson Ford Theatres
Miracle Springs Resort and Spa • Jim Maslon •
Vickie Brand • Marlowe/Euphoria Salon • Alex
Pitt Photography • Los Angeles Sparks • In-NOut Burger • Sen. Dianne Feinstein • Gaby's
Mediterranean • The Nook Bistro • Brunello
Trattoria • Tao of Wellness • Zina Beverly Hills •
Wabi-Sabi • Designer Services Group, Inc. •
David Rosenbaum • Stefani Gruenberg • Judy
Zeidler • Aaron Eshman • Shanes Jewelers •
Off The Wall Catering
Cayce Cage • Harvey Freed • Hon. Mike Roos •
Jill Sabel • Meet in Paris Restaurant • John
Travolta • Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers • Katie
Gates • Gil Garcetti • Tavern Restaurant • Nook
Bistro • Garry Trudeau • Ushuaua Argentinean
Steakhouse • Holly Feinstein • Mike Luckovich •
Antoinette Portis • Amy Alcott • Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey • Judy Rosener • Mary Tillman •
Paramount Gift Basket • John O' Groats •
King's Seafood Company • Fredericks of Hollywood • Country Wine Baskets • Ken Friedman •
Prive Salon • Natural History Museum • American Cinematheque • Skirball Cultural Center •
Belladonna Face and Body Clinic • Ruth
Rosen • Kay N Daves • Warehouse Restaurant • Pacific Park • Nine O'Clock Players • Mattel • Hal's Bar & Grill • Mexicali Cocina & Cantina • Warner Grand Theatre • Gloria Allred •
Aquarium of the Pacific • The Dance Doctor,
John Cassese • James' Beach Restaurant •
The Laugh Factory
Los Angeles Dodgers • Ann Reiss Lane •
FOOD • Akasha Restaurant • Orange County
Pacific Symphony • Wally Marks • Dr. Phil
Show • James Carameta • Jerome Gordon •
The Healing Rose • Tanya Mikaela • Sierra's
Restaurant • San Diego Zoo
Page 16 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
2011—2012 DONORS
Mr. Kevin Acebo &
Mrs. Chiarra Acebo
Aileen Adams
Marshall & Patricia Anderson
Ms. Janet Andrew
Mr. Marco A. Baeza & Ms. Paula
Ilene Ball
Loren & Eydie Balsam
Henry & Margot Bamberger
Irene Baron
Ms. Nancy Beard & Ms. Jana Ransom
Ms. Margot Bennett
Sam & Jean Benoun
Michael & Hedy Berg
Ms. Barbara H. Bergen
Mr. & Mrs. Harold Berlfein
Ms. Erin Berman
Ms. Ofelia Bermudez
Allan & Nancy Bernard
Peter & Lauren Birnstein
Ms. Iryne C. Black
Ruth Block
Mr. & Mrs. Mike Bogen
Mr. Ricardo Brambila
Ms. Devra Breslow
Gene Broscow
Clara Browda
Ms. Helene G. Brown
Ms. Connie Bruck & Mr. Mel Levine
Frieda Rapoport Caplan
Judy Carroll
Mr. Cesar Chavez & Mr. Joe Lavin
Rollie & Naomi Childs
Mr. David Cohen
Ellen Coleman
Sandra Comrie
Ms. Karen Constine
Roger & Julie Corman
Bruce & Toni Corwin
Mr. Fred Cowan
Robert & Audrey Cowan
Ms. Marjorie Cowley
Mr. Allan B. Cutrow
Franklin L. Damon
Ms. Jo Oppenheimer Davis
Gisela & Roger Dawson
Ms. Patti Demoff
Mr. Rod Diamond
Ms. Sharon S. Dunas
Norman Dupont
Andrew & Jeanette Eder
ANNUAL REPORT
Ms. Lucy T. Eisenberg
Loretta M. Elliott
Ernestine Elster, Ph.D.
Aaron & Sari Eshman
Mr. Mike Fedrick
Ron Fedrick
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Mr. Steve J. Fogel
Melrita Evans Fortson
Robert & Patty Fox
Steve Fraider & Dale Perry
Myrna Friedman
Ms. Elizabeth Fromm
Mr. Michael Gennaco &
Ms. Azita Arvani
Mrs. Claire Gering
Eli & Rochelle Ginsburg
Anthony A. Giorgio
Andrea B. Gladstone
Mr. & Mrs. John F. Glass
Mr. David Gold & Ms. Sherry
Gold
Harriett Gold
Ruth Gold
Leo & Eva Goldberg
Michael & Sheila Goldberg
Dr. & Mrs. Neal Goldberg
Amy Goldman
Mr. & Ms. Abner Goldstine
Allan & Nan Goodman
Helene R. Goodman
Stan & Jackie Gottlieb
Ms. Janice Grant
Cathy & Bob Greenly
Jan & Priscilla Groot
Joelle & Daniel Gryczman
Andrew & Teresa Gunther
Mark & Anne Gunther
The Honorable Jane Harman
Bernie & Salli Harris
Martha Haymaker
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Heim
Katherine M. Hennigan
John Herziger, M.D.
Ms. Grace Holden
Mr. Edward J. Horowitz
Susan Howard
Peter & George-Ann Hyams
Kea & Chaz Ingram
Mr. & Mrs. Ira Iscoe
Nancy Jacoby
Bob & Marilyn Johnson
Ms. Michelle Jordan
Al & Trudy Kallis
Martin & Charlotte Kanter
Dr. Sidney Katz & Mrs. Helen Katz
Mrs. Caren Kaye Temple &
Mr. Renny Temple
Ms. Sharon Keasling
Aaron & Leslie Kern
Shirley & Bernard Kinsey
Ms. Madeleine Kleiner
Mr. Roger L. Kohn
Ms. Cheryl Kohr
Ms. Maurine E. Kornfeld
Richard & Carol Kurland
Mr. & Mrs. Marc Kurzbard
Mr. & Mrs. Luis Lainer
The Honorable Abbe Land
Bert & Ann Lane
Mr. Jim Lane & Mrs. Jill RueschLane
Mrs. Ila Lauter
Mr. Philippe Le Bayon
Ms. Joyce Leanse
Nathan & Eleanor Leanse
Patricia Lebel
Eugene & Ann Lentzner
Robert & Lee Levey
Ms. Alexandra Mary Levine, M.D.
Mr. Mel Levine, Esq. &
Ms. Connie Bruck
Paul & Judi Lippe
Paul & Judi Lippe
Mr. & Mrs. Alan Lipsky
Ms. Barbara Long
Sidney & Paula Machtinger
Mr. John Mack
Capri Maddox, Esq.
George & Martha Mallakis
Mrs. Jackie Malone
Ronald & Mercy Mandelbaum
Ms. Caryn Marshall
Geraldine McCall
Beth Sieroty Meltzer
Linda & David Michaelson
Ms. Cindy Miscikowski
Eleanor R. Montaño
Dr. John Z. Montgomerie & Mrs.
Deirdre A. Montgomerie
Ms. Peggy Moore
Ms. Nancy Morgan-Ritter
Marsha & David Moutrie
Captain Evangelyn Nathan
Steve Nation
Mr. & Mrs. Charlie Niederman
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348
ANNUAL REPORT
Ms. Julie Nimoy & Mr. Adam Nimoy
Susan & Dan Okawa
Patricia Oliansky
Mi Jin Olin
Ms. Louise Oliver
Ms. Lynne Ozawa
Judith Pacht
Victor & Ruth Palmberg
Ms. Marilyn Parker
The Honorable Jan Perry
Mr. William Phelps
The Honorable Joy Picus &
Mr. Gerald Picus
Mr. Paul Pierson &
Ms. Tracey Goldberg
George & Edith Piness
Jay & Carol Plotkin
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Pollak
Ms. Amelia Pomfret
Sylvia Price
Mr. & Mrs. Bob Prichard
Hesham & Hope Ragab
Ms. Barbara S Reed
George & Mary Regas
Richard & Linda Reiss
Ms. Joyce Rey
Mr. John Reynolds &
Mrs. Christine Ecklund
Mr. & Mrs. Ira Ritter
Dr. Art Rivin & Mrs. Frieda Rivin
Sarah Rorick-Orlando
Ms. Susan Rose
Ms. Ruth Rosen
Judy Rosener, Ph.D.
Ms. Jan Ross
Ms. Laurie Saffian &
Mr. David Straus
Lois Saffian
Mr. Thomas Safran
Samuel & June Sale
Ms. Betsy A. Sanders
Mr. & Mrs. Albert Sarnoff
Mrs. Roberta Schiller &
Dr. Don Schiller
Mrs. Margery Schnitzer
Richard & Lucille Seeley
Julia Robinson Shimizu
Mr. Alan Sieroty
Ms. Paula Silver
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Silverberg
Ms. Ina Sinsheimer
Ms. Jean Bixby Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Smith
Christine Spagnoli
Ms. Susan Steinhauser &
Mr. Daniel Greenberg
2011—2012 DONORS
Arnold & Fran Stengel
Sybil Stoller
Ms. Ann Stromberg & Mr. Rudi Volti
Gordana Swanson
Mr. & Mrs. Jay Swerdlow
Vita Tannenbaum
Ms. Gayle Tauber
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Taylor
Ms. Beverly Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey L Thomas
Len & Cathy Unger
Ms. Dorothy Vaughn
Richard & Marcia Volpert
Jacqueline Vernon Wagner
Ms. Belinda Smith Walker
David & Nancy Walker
The Honorable Joseph Wapner &
Mrs. Mickey Wapner
Ms. Helen Washington &
Ms. Patricia A. Graham
Sayre Weaver, Esq. and
William Phelps, Esq.
Ms. Stephanie Weaver
Cyrille Weingarten
Mr. & Mrs. Les Weinstein
Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Wielin
Ms. Maxine B. Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Tim Wilson
Ms. Allyne Winderman &
Mr. Glenn Wasserman
Diane Wittenberg
Dr. Gerd Wolman &
Mrs. Dyanne Wolman
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Wynn
Barbara & Zev Yaroslavsky
Ms. Margaret A. York &
The Honorable Judge Lance A. Ito
Mr. Walt Zifkin
FISCAL YEAR ENDING
JUNE 30, 2011
FOUNDATIONS
The California Wellness Foundation
The David Bohnett Foundation
The Sidney Stern Foundation
Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels
Charitable Foundation
82% OF DOLLARS SPENT WERE
SPENT ON PROGRAMS
14% OF DOLLARS SPENT WERE
SPENT ON MANAGEMENT &
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK
4% OF DOLLARS SPENT WERE
SPENT ON FUNDRAISING
TOTAL DOLLARS SPENT IN
FISCAL YEAR 2010-2011:
$203,168
Page 18 • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12
The Activist
Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-2012
8800 Venice Blvd., Ste. 304
Los Angeles, CA 90034
T) 310-204-2348 F) 310-204-6643
www.wagv.org
Women Against Gun Violence
Mission Statement
To prevent gun violence by educating the public, policymakers and the
media about the human, financial and public health consequences of this
epidemic and to mobilize communities to take decisive action against the
dangers of firearms.
Women Against Gun Violence • The Activist • Summer 2012 and Annual Report 2011-12 • wagv.org • gunssuck.org • 310-204-2348