Date: Thu, 3 Aug 95 01:09 EST From: Peter Nesbitt <0005111312@mcimail.com> To: Firearms Alert Subject: ANTIS: Survivors Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE). This information was provided by: Peter D. Nesbitt President NRA Members' Council of Fairfield/Suisun P.O. Box 1171 Suisun, CA 94585 [This speech was reprinted from the Summer 1995 newsletter. Family Bereavement Center, 10 South Street, Suite 502, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-396-7351/800-535-3742.] [Staff members from FBC include: Dr. Rosetta Graham, PhD/LCSW-C, Coordinating Counselor Deirdre Gardner, LSWA/Victim Specialist Carolyne Rouse, Computer Graphic Designer] A Mother's Day Message!!! "Good Morning! My name is Lucy Cousins. I am a member of SAVE (Survivors Against Violence Everywhere) based in Baltimore, Maryland. We are survivors of homicide. On January 26, 1991, my son Charlie Clay Turner, Jr. at the age of 22 was shot twice in the back of his head with a .38 caliber handgun in Baltimore City. As survivors, we are appealing to you to save the assault weapons ban. Last week former President George Bush renounced the National Rifle Association for their outrageous action. We call upon all members of Congress to do the same. The statistics read 'that young black males between the ages of 15-25 are more likely to die from gun shot wounds than a United States soldier was to be killed on a tour of duty during the Vietnam War.' The newspaper article that told of Charlie's death said that he became part of these statistics as he was gunned down. Charlie was no statistic; he was my son, my only son; he was my friend, a brother; he also was a father who never got a chance to see his daughter. I am here to represent the many mothers who have lost their children to gunfire. The bottom line is that guns kill people and we will not sit back and let gun manufacturers continue to prosper from the production of more assault weapons. And we will continue to join forces with mothers across the country until our streets are safe for our children. Thank you!" [end of speech] A bus load of homicide survivors from Baltimore boarded a bus from the Department of Education Building to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Handgun Control, Inc. Mother's Day Project. The purpose of their journey was to persuade Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole to stop the repeal of the assault weapons ban. Ms. Cousins presented the above speech at a press conference held on Capital Hill. Following the press conference, 5-foot-high Mother's Day cards which contained photographs and personal messages from loved ones from all over the country were to be presented to Gingrich and Dole as a visual reminder of the effects of gun violence in our country. A special thanks to Lois Hess, a homicide survivor and board member of FBC for coordinating transportation to Washington, D.C. [end]