Category Archives: Mass shootings

Gun control links – renewed call to VOTE THEM OUT!

By Roger Straw
[Originally published in the spring of 2018 following the Parkland, FL mass shooting, republished here in November 2018 following mass shootings in Pittsburgh, PA and Thousand Oaks, CA.  – R.S.]

School shootings and other mass murders will never stop until we elect new leaders who are willing to stand up to the NRA.  Below you will find links to organizations dedicated to ending gun violence.  Many are focusing on electing new leaders who stand for change.  Please click on at least one today – sign a petition, make a contribution, join or start a new group.  Renew your commitment to resist!

National

Everytown For Gun Safety (everytown.org/throwthemout/)

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Guns Down America (gunsdownamerica.org/)


States United to Prevent Gun Violence (ceasefireusa.org/)

States United to Prevent Gun Violence


Indivisible (indivisible.org)


The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus (keepgunsoffcampus.org/)


Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (lawcenter.giffords.org/take-action/)


Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (csgv.org/)


California & Benicia

Bay Area Student Activists (bayareastudentactivists.org/)

Bay Area Student Activists


Benicia March For Our Lives (facebook.com/groups/529647794085732/)


 

North Bay|#NEVERAGAIN (twitter.com/nbayNEVERAGAIN)

North Bay|#NEVERAGAIN


northbayneveragain (instagram.com/northbayneveragain/)


Women Against Gun Violence (wagv.org/)


Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, California Chapters (bradycampaign.org/)

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence logo


VIDEO: Benicians gather in City Park, take a stand against hate

By Roger Straw, November 2, 2018

I hope to write up a short story about this important event when I get a few minutes.  Until then, MANY MANY thanks to all who showed up, to Rev. Dr. Mary Susan Gast for planning and leading the vigil, and to Dr. Constance Beutel, for this beautiful 20-minute video capturing much of the gathered spirit.  (Note that the first 5 or 10 seconds of this video are silent…)

Benicians asked to stand against hate on Thursday, 11/1, City Park

Repost from the Vallejo Times-Herald

Benicians asked to stand against hate on Thursday

By JOHN GLIDDEN, October 31, 2018 at 7:02 pm
5:30 p.m. Thursday (TODAY!), City Park Gazebo, First Street & Military West

BENICIA — A week after 13 people were violently killed in two separate shooting sprees, local residents have put together an impromptu gathering asking Benicians to stand against hate.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m., Thursday near the City Park Gazebo, located along First Street and Military West.

“Gather in solidarity, in song, in remembrance of those killed in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, in commitment to our common humanity,” according to an event flier.

One of the organizers, the Rev. Mary Susan Gast said that Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson is scheduled to office words of encouragement, Poet Laureate Tom Stanton will present a poem, while the Mourner’s Kaddish, a traditional prayer for the dead, will be offered in Hebrew.

“We will reflect on our unity as a nation and community of diversity,” she added.

Two African Americans were shot and killed in a Kroger grocery store in Kentucky on Oct. 24, which authorities are investigating as a hate crime.

Gregory Bush, a 51-year-old Caucasian man, has been accused of killing Maurice Stallard, 69, and Vickie Jones, 67, inside the Jeffersontown grocery store and outside the location, respectively.

Bush allegedly, prior to the shooting, attempted to enter a predominantly black church but was unable to get inside.

Then last Saturday, Robert Bowers entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue killing 11 people in one of the deadliest attack on Jewish individuals in U.S. history.

Bowers was indicted Wednesday on 44 federal charges, including 11 counts for obstructing religious freedom resulting in death and 11 counts of committing violent crime using a firearm.

Eight mass shootings in California this year (1/1/18 – 5/18/18)

By Roger Straw

California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation.  And yet, in less than 5 months  so far in 2018, California has seen 8 mass shootings, killing 7 and injuring 32.  Three of these incidents took place in the Bay Area (source: Gun Violence Archive).  Even California’s laws need to be strengthened.  For California legislative issues, see bayareastudentactivists.org/resources/.

Incident Date City Or County # Killed # Injured More info
27-Jan-18 Los Angeles 0 5 View
13-May-18 Stockton 3 2 View
9-Apr-18 Vallejo 0 4 View
20-Apr-18 San Francisco 1 5 View
12-Mar-18 Modesto 0 4 View
7-May-18 San Diego 0 5 View
21-Mar-18 San Francisco 1 5 View
13-May-18 Los Angeles 2 2 View
Total 2018 as of 5-19-18   7 32