Posts Tagged ‘Mother Jones’

The Mind, Madness and Gun Violence
Thursday, Nov 1 2012 – 6:00pm
The Commonwealth Club, San Francisco

A loaded gun in the hands of an unstable person wreaked havoc almost 20 years ago at 101 California Street in downtown San Francisco. Nine people died and scores of lives were forever shattered.  In the decades since, mass shootings continue to occur across America: Columbine High, Virginia Tech, Tucson, Aurora, Oak Creek – most of them with legal weapons, many in the hands of a mentally ill person. How can we predict and prevent violent acts in those who are mentally ill? What is the medical profile of a mentally ill person capable of carrying out this kind of violent act? How do the state and federal laws protect the rights of mentally ill persons and the community at large? The Commonwealth Club will examine these challenging questions with an expert panel, including Carol Kingsley, Board Member of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Joining the Panel:

Renée L. Binder, M.D., University of California, San Francisco Medical School; Psychiatrist; Professor; Founder and Director, UCSF Psychiatry and the Law Program
Carol Kingsley, Attorney/Mediator; Board Member, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Her husband Jack was among those killed at 101 California Street in 1993.
Mark Follman, Senior Editor, Mother Jones, focused on politics and national security. This past summer, Follman led an in-depth data investigation into mass shootings following the incidents in Aurora, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Robert J. McMenomy, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Division, headquarters and field agent investigating and managing criminal, counterterrorism and administrative matters
John Diaz , Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

The Commonwealth Club is offering a few complementary tickets to Law Center members. Call our office today for your tickets! 415.433.2062 x309.

For more information, visit the Commonwealth website.

If you’re not able to attend but are curious about the discussion, you may be able to listen to it on national radio. Follow this link for more information on all the stations that air the program.

Did you miss our Truth Telling event? Watch this short video and get a little glimpse into the engaging discussion we had and flip through the photos below. There are more photos on Facebook – tag yourselves!

Thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors and supporters for making our Truth Telling event such a success. We are so honored to have you in our corner.

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence & Opus2 International
are pleased to present:

Truth Telling: The Media’s Role in the Conversation on Guns

 OCTOBER 25, 2012  

6-7 Reception | 7- 8:30 Program
UC Hastings College of the Law
Louis B. Mayer Lounge
198 McAllister Street | San Francisco

Following an hors d’oeuvres and wine reception, a diverse group of journalists from local and national news outlets will share their perspective on the role the media plays in the national conversation on guns, particularly in an election year.

As the “information age” has become incredibly fast-moving and complex, the media’s power to inform, educate, and persuade has also grown. Meanwhile, the topic of gun violence in America remains complicated and fueled by passionate beliefs from all sides.

READ MORE »

The NRA Wants the Law Protecting Trayvon Martin’s Killer in All 50 States
Nick Baumann & Dave Gilson, Mother Jones, Mar. 21, 2012

This Mother Jones article considers the NRA’s promotion of “shoot first” laws in state legislatures.

A dangerous bill currently moving through Congress could severely undermine the strong state laws we have worked so hard to enact. Although the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 822, which would force states to recognize permits to carry concealed handguns issued by every other state, we are working closely with our allies to prevent “forced reciprocity” legislation from moving forward in the Senate.

What’s Really At Stake Here?

As detailed in our new publication, Forced Reciprocity: Why Your Community Shouldn’t Be Subject to Other States’ Weak Concealed Handgun Laws, lax permitting requirements in many states enable convicted criminals and other dangerous persons to legally carry hidden, loaded handguns. Federal reciprocity would force states with strong gun laws, like California and New York, to recognize permits issued by every state, even if the issuing state doesn’t require an applicant to complete any firearms training or show any need to carry a weapon.

Media outlets nationwide have relied on LCPGV’s expertise to understand the danger posed by forced reciprocity:

• In the below video from MSNBC’s “Clear The Air,” Martin Bashir cited LCPGV’s work in a piece critical of the House’s passage of H.R. 822;

• In “Locked and Loaded for Happy Hour,” Mother Jones used LCPGV data on weak state gun laws to explain H.R. 822′s potential impact;
• LCPGV staff attorney Ben Van Houten debated H.R. 822 with an NRA attorney on Larry Mantle’s AirTalk on Los Angeles public radio. Listen here in case you missed it.

With your help, we will continue to advocate against dangerous legislation like H.R. 822 and to help keep our communities safe from gun violence.