Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 17:39:45 -0700 (PDT) From: "Peter D. Nesbitt" To: Firearms-Alert Subject: ANTI-GUN: Children's Defense Fund. [Here is yet another example of how a non-profit educational organization is coming after your firearms. The anti-gun tentacles run far and deep, and the money comes from various Foundations and Corporations. -- PDN] Children's Defense Fund 25 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 800-233-1200 (v) 202-662-3510 (f) VIOLENCE romps through our children's PLAYGROUNDS, invades their BEDROOM slumber parties, terrorizes their Head Start centers and SCHOOLS, frolics down the STREETS they walk to and from SCHOOL, dances through their school BUSES, waits at the stop light and BUS STOP, lurks at McDonald's, runs them down on the CORNER, shoots through their bedroom WINDOWS, attacks their front PORCHES, and NEIGHBORHOODS, abuses them or a parent at HOME every few seconds and tantalizes them across the TELEVISION screen every six minutes. It snatches away their PARENTS at work, and steals their aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, and FRIENDS. It saps their energy and will to learn, and makes them forget about TOMORROW. It nags and picks at their MINDS and SPIRITS day in and day out snuffing out the promise and joy of CHILDHOOD and of the future which becomes just SURVIVING today. CEASE FIRE In the War Against Children THIS BOOKLET contains key facts about the gun violence crisis our children experience, Gun Myths and realities, 10 Steps you Can Take To Stop The War Against Children in America, and Resources To Help You. It also contains a sign up sheet for you to join our movement to protect children and Leave No Child Behind. THE CRISIS AMERICA'S CHILDREN are besieged by a three-front war of gun violence, poverty, and parental and community neglect. o A gun takes the life of a child every two hours - the equivalent of a classroomful every two days. o Homicide is now the third leading cause of death for elementary and middle school children (ages five to 14). o Between 1979 and 1991, nearly 50,000 children were killed by firearms - a total equivalent to the number of American battle casualties in the Vietnam War. o Juveniles account for an appallingly high and rapidly growing share of homicide offenders as well as victims. The number of arrests for murder and non-negligent manslaughter for adults rose 11 percent between 1982 and 1991, while the number of juvenile arrests rose 93 percent. There was a 79 percent increase in the number of 10- to 17-year-olds who used firearms to commit murder between 1980 and 1990. o A child growing up in America is 15 times as likely to be killed by gunfire as a child growing up in Northern Ireland. THE CRISIS OF CHILDREN being killed by guns and children killing children with guns is a reflection of the violence permeating our whole society. o Guns have taken the lives of over 800,000 Americans in the past 25 years. An additional 520,000 Americans died violent deaths by other means during this period. o The 1.3 million Americans who killed each other and themselves between 1968 and 1991 is about three times greater than the number of American battle deaths in all of the foreign wars in the twentieth century. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? ESCALATING VIOLENCE against and by children and youths is no coincidence. It is the manifestation of a range of serious and too-long neglected problems: epidemic child and family poverty; increasing economic inequality; racial intolerance and hate crimes; pervasive drug and alcohol abuse; violence in our homes and popular culture; and growing numbers of out-of-wedlock and teen births. Add to these crises aggressive marketing of and easier access to deadlier and deadlier firearms; hordes of lonely and neglected children and youths left to fend for themselves by absentee parents in all race and income groups; gangs of inner- city and minority youths relegated to the cellar of American life without education, jobs, hope, or an economic and social stake in our society; and political leadership and priorities over the 1980s that paid more attention to foreign than domestic enemies and favored the rich at the expense of the poor, and you face the social and spiritual disintegration of American society that confronts us today. 10 STEPS TO STOP THE WAR AGAINST CHILDREN IN AMERICA EVERY AMERICAN must work to transform our nation's priorities, give children first call on our personal and collective time, resources, and leadership, and take the following steps: 1. MAKE SURE as a parent, teacher, religious or civic leader that you do not engage in violence or teach children by word or dead that violence is the way to resolve conflicts and disputes. Remove guns from your home and encourage others to do so. 2. IMMEDIATELY URGE the President, Congress, and state and local officials to ensure children's physical security by working for a cease fire in the violent gun war against children and for strong federal, state, and local legislation and regulation to control the manufacture, sale, and possession of non-sporting firearms and ammunition in private hands. All guns should be treated and regulated as the dangerous products they are. 3. IMPLEMENT immediately a range of effective safety plans to protect children in school, to and from school, and in their neighborhoods. Safe houses, safe corridors, peace zones, and after-school opportunities must be established in every violence-stricken neighborhood and be monitored by citizen, parent, and law enforcement vigils. Children and youths need to see adults caring enough to protect them so they do not have to resort to guns to protect themselves. 4. EVERY community must provide children and youths safe and positive alternatives to the streets through summer, weekend, and after-school programs to keep children safe and connected to caring adults and role models. Follow the Black Student Leadership Network (BSLN) example of running recreational, academic, and cultural enrichment programs for children utilizing the Summer Food Service Program. Write us for more information. 5. CREATE youth jobs and training opportunities to provide legitimate routes to success. Providing work opportunities for our youths will help to ensure that they become productive and contributing adults. Creating a job is a lot cheaper than building a new prison cell. Tell this to the President, Congress, and local officials and urge them to invest in jobs. 6. START parent education and family support programs that will help parents better protect, nurture, and support their children, and seek to prevent teen pregnancy. New federal Family Preservation and Support Services Program funds should be used to expand services in communities that will strengthen families, prevent family violence and alcohol and drug abuse, and get special help to young parents. 7. INVOLVE your congregation in a massive Children's Sabbath celebration of and Moral Witness for children and against violence on October 14-16, 1994. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Moslem, and African American religious action materials are available from CDF to help conduct study groups, prayer circles, teach-ins, and worship services on violence and to examine what can be done. And join with and involve youths from your college campuses and high schools who are seeking to jump-start a community dialogue and actions against violence. Contact us for information. 8. INFORM yourself and other firsthand about the violence plaguing children in your community and what you can do by participating in a Child Watch. Then help a child write a letter to local, state, and national officials explaining how violence affects him or her and voicing ideas about reducing violence. CDF has Child Watch anti-violence materials and training available to help local leaders understand the conditions in which our children live and what can be done. 9. MONITOR the television shows, movies, and video games children watch and the music they buy and listen to. Turn off violent programs and explain that violence is deadly - not entertaining. Then voice your concerns to networks, producers, and sponsors. Children need to hear positive values from adults to counter negative cultural signals. And they need adults to vigorously fight racial discrimination and hate crimes that contribute to community violence and division. 10. JOIN the movement to Leave No Child Behind and work to make sure that every child gets a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, and a Safe Start. Write or call CDF at 1-800- CDF-1200 today for more information about how you can help ensure the health, economic security, and physical security of every American child. Take the Pledge for Children if you are a parent, grandparent, or surrogate parent. RESOURCES TO HELP YOU! AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING/FAMILY SUPPORT Rheedlen Centers for Children and Family 2770 Broadway New York, NY 10025 212-866-0700 COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BUILDING Urban Stragegies Council 672 Thirteenth Street, Suite 200 Oakland, CA 94612 CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEER MEDIATION Resolving Conflict Creatively 163 Third Ave. #239 New York, NY 10003 212-387-0225 VIOLENCE PREVENTION CURRICULUM FOR ADOLESCENTS Education Development Center, Inc. 55 Chapel Street, Suite 24 Newton, MA 02160 800-255-4276 GUN VIOLENCE Coalition to Stop Gun Violence/The Educational Fund to End Handgun Violence (educational arm) 100 Maryland Ave., NE Washingto, DC 20002 202-544-7190 Handgun Control, Inc. Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (educational arm) 1225 Eye Street, NW #1100 Washington, DC 20005 202-898-0792 Violence Policy Center 1300 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 202-783-4071 MEDIA VIOLENCE Mediascope 12711 Ventura Boulevard, Suite250 Studio City, CA 91604 818-508-2080 National Foundation to Improve Television 60 State Street, #3400 Boston, MA 02109 617-523-6353 SCHOOL SAFETY National School Safety Center 4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Suite 290 Westlake Village, CA 91362 805-373-9977 GENERAL INFORMATION National Crime Prevention Council 1700 K St. NW, 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20006-3817 202-466-6272 [] Yes! I want to join the movement to Leave No Child Behind and do my part to see that every child gets a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Safe Start, and a Fair Start. [] Let me know when I need to write letters or call my congressional representatives about important measures for children. (CDF will contact you only when your action is essential for children.) [] Please send me information about how my congregation can participate in the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths. [] Please send me a one-year subscription to CDF Reports, the monthly newsletter of the Children's Defense Fund. (Enclosed is my check for $29.95) [] Please send me more information about the Black Community Crusade for Children. [] Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution to the Children's Defense Fund in the amount of $__________. Name:_____________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Daytime Phone:____________________________________________ Evening Phone:____________________________________________ Please detach this form and mail in an envelope to: Children's Defense Fund Dept. V, 25 E Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 Contributions to the Children's Defense Fund are tax-deductible as allowed by law. ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND THE CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND exists to provide a strong and effective voice for all the children of America, who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. Our goal is to educate the nation about the needs of children and encourage preventive investment in children before they get sick, drop out of school, suffer family breakdown, or get into trouble. CDF IS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION with roots in communities across America. Our main office in Washington, DC, and we maintain state offices in Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas; and local projects in Marlboro County, South Carolina; the District of Columbia; Greater Cincinnati and Greater Cleveland, Ohio; and New York City. CDF has developed collaborative projects with groups and volunteers in many states. THE BLACK COMMUNITY CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN (BCCC), developed by Black leaders and coordinated by CDF, is an initiative to mobilize the African American community behind a targeted effort to address the special problems facing Black children. CDF IS A PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals. CDF never has taken government funds. This brochure was made possible by support from the Carnegie Corporation, the Aaron Diamond Foundation, the Ethel & Irvin Edelman Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. The Charles H. Revson Foundation provides support for all CDF publications. GUN MYTHS MYTH 1: Having a gun makes you safe. REALITY: In fact, having a gun makes you less safe and endangers your lived ones. According to a recent study, a gun in the home increases the likelihood of homicide threefold. A gun in the home is 43 times more likely to be used to commit homicide, suicide, or an accidental killing than it is to be used to kill in self-defense. MYTH 2: The Second Amendment protects the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms. REALITY: The Second Amendment provides that, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Every court that has interpreted this language has found that the Second Amendment is infringed only by regulations that curtail the ability to maintain a well regulated militia. MYTH 3: Most violence is racially motivated. REALITY: Actually, 83 percent of White victims are slain by White offenders and 94 percent of Black victims are slain by Black offenders. MYTH 4: Guns already are sufficiently regulated. REALITY: Guns are virtually the only unregulated consumer product in the United States. While teddy bears, toasters, and other consumer products all are subject to strict safety regulations, guns are subject to no such regulations. MYTH 5: Most murders occur in the course of another felony. REALITY: Only 22 percent of murders are the result of activities such as rape, robbery, or arson. Almost one-third of all murders result from arguments, which account for the same percentage of firearms murders. MYTH 6: Most gun deaths are homicides. REALITY: In 1991 more Americans died from firearm suicides (18,526) than from firearm homicides (17,746). Between 1968 and 1991, 373,118 American gun deaths were suicides. MYTH 7: Guns don't kill, people kill. REALITY: According to the FBI, "When assaults by type of weapon are examined, a gun proves to be seven times more deadly than all other weapons combined." In 1990 over 500 children and youths under 20 were killed by guns in accidental shootings. PLEDGE FOR CHILDREN I pledge to... o Listen to my children. o Communicate with my children . o Teach my children right from wrong and be a good role model for them . o Spend time with and pay attention to my children. o Educate my children in mind, body, and soul. o Work to provide stable family life for my children. o Pray for and see God in my children and all children. o Vote for my children to ensure them equal opportunity. o Speak out for my children's needs and support effective groups that help children. Children's Defense Fund 25 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 CDF: 1-800-CDF-1200 (v) CDF: 1-202-662-3510 (f) BCCC: 1-800-ASK-BCCC [end] /==========================================================================\ | Aaron Davis is in jail for | Aaron Davis Legal Defense Fund | | defending himself with a | c/o WestAmerica Bank | | handgun. He killed his | 333 Sunset Ave. | | attacker. Now he's facing | Suisun, CA 94585 | | murder charges and a $50K | | | attorney bill. Your monetary | | | help is needed. | | \==========================================================================/