Save Someone from Gun Violence this Holiday Season

Many of us are preparing to visit friends, relatives for upcoming holidays.  Whether you are hosting or heading to house parties, stays with relatives, whatever you’re going to do, please take a few extra precautions.  We are all expecting fun, good times, a chance to catch up.  The awful truth is that every year the lethal cocktail of unsecured weapons, alcohol, arguments, drugs will result in the shooting of people of all ages.

Let’s do all we can to prevent tragedy – a little prevention will save lives.

ACTION:

1 Please read these tips – and act on them:-

  • If gun owners are in your home, or homes/venues you will visit, ensure their guns will be locked up unloaded, away from children and adults alike.   Most police departments will give out free gun security advice and devices.
  • If you have any reservations at all about how a gun owner stores and handles their weapon:  consider not being around them.
  • If you find yourself in the company of gun owners who are beginning to behave erratically (whether because of alcohol, drugs, arguments – any reason), leave as soon as you can safely do so.  Go as soon as you feel concern.
  • Keep an eye on children where guns are present:  it only takes a moment to find a gun and pull a trigger.  Toy guns?  Say no to realistic-looking ones.
  • Do not be afraid to tell anyone not to bring a gun to your home.  Don’t be afraid to say no to visiting places where gun safety is not strictly observed.

2  Please share this message with your friends, family – it might well prevent a tragedy.

 

https://www.onepulseforamerica.com/action-alert/action-save-some…s-holiday-season/

Once you have read and shared this action alert, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!  We never share your details; we only use this information to count the actions taken.

 

Open letter to Governor Polis: Red Flag Laws & Club Q Shooting

24 November 2022

To:  Governor Polis
Copy: Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers
Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez
Colorado Attorney General  Philip J. Weiser

Dear Governor Polis

We the undersigned members of gun law reform group One Pulse for America are shocked and outraged by the mass shooting in Colorado Springs at Club Q:  the suspect should have been banned under red flag laws from owning a weapon.   The victims should be alive and well today:  Colorado has red flag laws.

The suspect threatened to use a bomb one and a half years ago:  the public had to evacuate homes.  And yet here we are.

The woman who owed the home his mother lived in – the mother he threatened to blow up – said:  “If the justice system had followed through with something, anything … he wouldn’t likely have had access to be able to get a weapon and five people wouldn’t have died,”

The AP published their findings:  “An Associated Press analysis earlier this year found Colorado courts issued 151 gun surrender orders since the state’s red flag law took effect in 2020, three surrender orders for every 100,000 adults in the state. That’s a third of the average ratio of orders issued for the 19 states and District of Columbia with surrender laws on their books.”

We demand that law enforcement, the state’s judicial system hold an enquiry into how this man was allowed to have a gun, and to where feasible review and proactively seek out any other individuals who have so far evaded the state’s very loose net:  before another tragedy strikes.

We call on you Governor Polis to take ownership of this situation – because clearly law enforcement and the state’s prosecutors have not done so.

Please respond to our concerns with action, and with correspondence to Suzanne Kelly by return.

VOTE!

October 2022

The 2022 elections are upon us.  Your vote is vital to send a mandate you want gun law reform.

All you need to do to take this action is to vote in the November 2022 election you are eligible to vote for in your state. You can take this action more than once:  maybe you can help someone get registered, get to a polling station, etc. Some districts are won or lost by a handful of votes; you really are making a difference when you use your right to vote. Once you have sent a postal vote, made a plan to vote, just fill in the form at the bottom of this action alert – we won’t ever send your details to anyone – we are just counting up the number of actions One Pulse for America’s members have taken.

We are nearly at 50,000 actions taken by YOU! Please help us reach this unprecedented milestone – but most importantly – please stand up for gun law reform.

Demand Senate passes bipartisan gun law reform!

Washington 12 June 2022 – Senate negotiators struck a bipartisan deal on a narrow set of gun safety measures with sufficient support to move through the evenly divided Senate.  This is a significant development toward gun law reform and saving lives.

As The New York Times reports, “The agreement, put forth by 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats and endorsed by President Biden and top Democrats, includes enhanced background checks to give authorities time to check the juvenile and mental health records of any prospective gun buyer under the age of 21 and a provision that would, for the first time, extend to dating partners a prohibition on domestic abusers having guns.”

 

ACTION:  As soon as possible, please write to both of your senators – whatever their stance is on gun law reform, and tell them you demand this passes the Senate.  If they already support gun law reform, write to thank them in advance for their vote. If they oppose this measure, write to them to tell them you will never vote for any NRA-funded candidate or any candidate who will not pass gun law reform.  Your speaking out is KEY here – the senators who want gun law reform need to know you are with them, and the senators who oppose gun law reform definitely watch and count correspondence they get on gun law reform.  Tweet to them, post on social media too – let people see that you care.

Please contact your senators_ through the link below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:

 

Dear Senators, an opportunity to save lives is with you – I write to demand you vote for the bipartisan gun law reform bill the House has passed.  It will not solve everything – but in the wake of Buffalo, Uvalde, and other recent avoidable gun tragedies, you have to reform gun laws now.  I will be voting in November, and I pledge to never vote for an NRA-sponsored candidate, nor for any senator who votes against this measure.  Gun rights do not outweigh the right to life of American citizens.

Find your congressperson here:  https://www.conginst.org/contact-congress/

Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!

 

Suggested tweet to senators who want to pass this measureI know you will vote for the gun law reforms coming before the Senate; thank you. I vow to never vote for any @NRA-supported candidate. and will note how the Senators vote on this measure. This time it’s different.

Suggested tweet to senators who are anti-gun law reformI consider your pro- @NRA policies are responsible for America’s shocking gun death toll. If you will not change, you will be voted out. Rethink your position; I vote and I will watch how you vote on the upcoming gun law reforms coming to the Senate.

Join a March for Our Lives Event on June 11

March For Our Lives London 2018 by Suzanne Kelly

May 25 2022- March For Our Lives, the gun law reform campaign group, announced it will hold over 100 March for OurLives events on 11 June 2022.

March For Our Lives London 2018 by Suzanne KellyDavid Hogg, Parkland shooting survivor and campaigner, is a founding member and director of March for Our Lives.

Yesterday he tweeted:  “Join us or create a sister March here there’s already over 100 in over 45 states join us”

ACTION:

Find a March near you and attend it.  If there is no march near you, then if you feel able to, please organise one.

Details are here:  https://marchforourlives.com/march22/?emci=e0465a9b-73dc-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&emdi=f3dece3c-fedc-ec11-b656-281878b8c32f&ceid=1020185

When you have found a march you will attend, please share it with your friends, post it on social media.  Be sure to fill out the form at the bottom of this page and to post on the One Pulse for America page that you have done this action.

If you can, please take photos on the day and share them on One Pulse for America’s Facebook page.

Pledge to vote against NRA candidates

May 2022:  A white supremacist brought domestic terrorism to a Buffalo supermarket, killing 10.  An 18-year-old who had recently, legally bought two AR15 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds killed 21 at a primary school in Uvalde.  These and other killers are unambiguously enabled by the NRA and its virtual ownership of the elected officials it contributes millions of dollars to.  These governors and Congresspeople deliberately block gun law reform and some, like Texas Governor Abbott, pass laws weakening gun restrictions. Abbott has a 100% approval rating from the NRA.  Mitch McConnell flaunted democratic principles and proudly stopped two bipartisan gun law reform bills.   He’s had over $1 million in donations from the NRA.  We pledge to VOTE THEM OUT.

In 2020, 45,000 people died in gun violence in the US, over half were suicides, and 19,000 died in violent incidents.

No other country in peacetime in the west has anything like these figures.

The NRA puts in place politicians who support its rhetoric and who thwart all attempts at gun law reforms.

We just learned in a new article from Fortune that the gun lobby outspent the gun law reform groups by five times in the last elections.  We cannot allow the country to be run by those who have more money than respect for the lives of those taken or otherwise impacted by gun violence: Voting is essential.

ACTION:

Please contact your Governor and/or Congresspeople through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking – and/or post this message to your personal social media:

 

For the victims of gun violence in Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and every victim of gun violence, I pledge to vote against any candidate for office who accepts donations from the NRA.  

Find your congressperson here:  https://www.conginst.org/contact-congress/

Find your state governor here:  https://www.usa.gov/state-governor

You can take this action more than once.  Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!

 

When sharing to Facebook, Twitter, etc, here is a suggested message:

For the victims of gun violence in Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and every victim of gun violence, I pledge to vote against any candidate for office who accepts donations from the NRA.  Share if you agree.

Buffalo Shooting: This is Domestic Terrorism – treat it as such

To: President Biden, United States Department of Justice, United States Congress

Cc: Benjamin Crump, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Re: Buffalo New York murders must be treated as Domestic Terrorism

Dear All

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is calling for the premeditated, racially-motivated shooting murders in Buffalo New York to be treated as Domestic Terrorism.  We, the undersigned members of One Pulse for America wholeheartedly back this call:  for those murders are absolutely, unambiguously,  acts of Domestic Terrorism.

The National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism exists for such cases as this.  A thorough investigation as domestic terrorism could expose those who espouse terrorist ideals, prevent further tragic murders, and lead to understanding of how such individuals are motivated and via what sources their poisonous rhetoric spreads with the goal of stopping them.  This is urgent.  This is critical.

If this tragic case of racist mass-murder is not domestic terrorism, then the bar of what constitutes that crime is far too high.  We write to demand this case be categorized as domestic terrorism so it will be properly, fully investigated – hopefully thwarting further acts.

One Pulse for America, founded by George Takei following the Pulse nightclub shooting, lobbies for gun law reform.  There are over 78,000 of us across the country.  Gun law reform is long overdue – and so is taking domestic terrorism seriously.

We request you act with no further delay and we await your reply.

Yours faithfully

New Mexico Child shooting: charges must be brought against parents

Nearly half a year following the shooting death of a Santa Fe police officer’s 2-year-old son at the family home in Rio Rancho, no charges have been filed.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that  Rio Rancho police believe Lincoln Harmon’s 4-year-old brother discovered their father Jonathan’s off-duty handgun in a kitchen cabinet and unintentionally fired it early one morning in December, killing his two-year-old brother.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, which became involved in the case March 7, said an independent legal review is underway.

Is there preferential treatment because the gun owner Jonathan Harmon is an officer – who is still employed and is on ‘alternative’ duties?

Officer  Harmon was previously employed by the Bernalillo Police Department, which works closely with the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which created a conflict of interest issue.

Many feel the pace of justice in this case is impacted by Harmon’s status as an officer.  Given that other parents who have been in the same situation have had their cases brought more quickly and been convicted, it seems that way.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports:  “In other accidental shootings by a child elsewhere, parents have faced charges soon after the incident. Last month in Fort Collins, Colo., for example, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself turned herself in within weeks of the shooting after being charged with child abuse resulting in death and unlawful storage of a firearm, according to published reports.

“In January, Phoenix police arrested the father of a 2-year-old who accidentally shot himself; the arrest came a day after the shooting.

“Jennifer Burrill, president-elect of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, said prosecutors have “plenty of time” to make a charging decision.”

Disturbingly, the initial 911 call was about the victim ‘falling off of a chair and not the gunshot, KOAT reports.  The public need and deserve the facts.

The New Mexico DA’s office has put pressure on Rio Rancho police to release information.  More however needs to be done.

ACTION:

We will demand that charges are brought swiftly and ask for an explanation as to why this has not happened.

Please contact the New Mexico Attorney General through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:

 

As a member of One Pulse for America, I would like to know why no charges have been filed yet against Officer Jon Harmon and/or his wife regarding the shooting death of his son? The four-year-old was killed by a loaded gun Harmon owned which the child was able to find. Similar cases have been prosecuted more swiftly in your state.  While I appreciate your efforts, I have no faith in the Rio Rancho Police, and urge you to press this matter.  In similar cases in New Mexico where a parent was not an officer, I can clearly see charges were swiftly brought: the public need to see no one is above hte law.

@1Pulse4America wants law applied equally to all- and it’s definitely time for a NM gun safety campaign. If trained officers are leaving loaded guns unattended which result in child shootings, there is work to be done to educate people about the potentially-lethal dangers of leaving loaded guns where children can find them.

 

Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!

 

 

Phone:  1-844-255-9210

Email:  (form) www.nmag.gov/contact-us.aspx

Facebook:  (comment on this existing post)  https://fb.watch/cVY6Lq2-Z7/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/newmexicooag?lang=en

 

suggested Tweets:

@NewMexicoOAG Why no charges yet for Officer Jon Harmon yet re shooting death of his son? 2-year-old killed by loaded gun Harmon owned. Similar cases have been prosecuted more swiftly.
@1Pulse4America
wants law applied equally to all and it’s time for a NM gun safety campaign
and following tweet: 
I appreciate your efforts to get police to release info. However, the apparent initial report that the child had ‘fallen off a chair’ is a serious matter the public should by now know more about. I have little faith in @RioRanchoPD1 to act without your intervention.

#GVSurvivorsWeek – Follow Up

Gun Violence Survivors week is ended – but it is not too late for you to take a simple action or two.

Every time this hashtag appears – #GVSurvivorsWeek – it helps spread awareness of the reality of gun violence.

The official week may be over, but there are still gun violence survivors who may not be aware they can join the community by texting SURVIVOR to 644-33.  It is never too late to get that message out.

 

ACTION

  1. Copy the image above (right click on it and save it), and share it across social media with the hash tag #GVSurvivorsWeek to let gun violence survivors know they can join a supportive community by sending a text.
  2. On Facebook, Twitter,  or any other platform you use, simply search for the hashtag #GVSurvivorsWeek and read a story or several stories.  Then share/retweet .  You will find videos, moving stories, and more.
  3. Use the #GVSurvivorsWeek hashtag to share your own thoughts, experiences.

Once you have taken action, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!  Feel free to take this action more than once.

 

Signal Support for NYC Mayor’s Gun Law Reforms

New York, 25 January 2022

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is making strides towards gun law reform.

This follows closely on the heels of NYCP officers being shot and killed while responding to a domestic incident.

He said: “We will not surrender our city to the violent few”- you can read more about it here:  New York Times 

We know from experience the NRA and others will pile on the hate, so we are going to send brief messages of support by email, phone, Facebook, and Twitter.  You don’t have to be a NewYorker to want to see this change – and he may well inspire other mayors.

Please contact Mayor Adams through one of the channels below and give them the following message, personalized to your liking:

 

Greetings from George Takei’s gun law reform group, One Pulse for America. As a  member, I wanted to send you my thanks and approval for your much-needed gun  law reform plans.


Phone:  212-NEW-YORK or 311 if in New York

Email (form):  http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/social_media_feedback.html

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=487688136044952&set=a.416326673181099

Twitter:  @NYCMayor

 

Once you have made contact, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!