RICAGV – RI Future

June 13, 2016August 2, 2016

Rhode Island responds to the Pulse tragedy

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The Dark Lady/Alley Cat are holding a vigil tonight (Monday 8pm). Folks will gather at 17 Snow St. Providence and as of this writing march to the State House.

“Please join us for a candellight vigil Monday in honor of those lost, injured, families, friends, and community. We will meet between 8:00-8:30pm and walk to the State House. More details will follow please share and feel free to post here. xoxo, The Dark Lady & Alleycat and Stable Family”

A Memorial Service for Pulse Massacre is being planned for Tuesday, June 14, from 6-8pm at the Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 North Main Street, Providence. Directions: https://www.nps.gov/rowi/planyourvisit/directions.htm

The service is being co-planned by RI Pride, the Religious Coalition for a Violence-Free Rhode Island and others.

Governor Raimondo is scheduled to be at the vigil on Tuesday.

Members of the LGBTQ community, and allies from throughout the state will gather to mourn the dead, remember the wounded in body and spirit, and proclaim our strength, our hope, and our love.

Please join your brothers and sisters, in this important moment.

We are Pulse; we are Orlando; we are Rhode Island.

RI Pride statement on Rhode Island PrideFest and Night Parade Safety Concerns
“In the wake of the tragic killings in Orlando, Rhode Island Pride has reviewed its Safety Plan for this weekend’s PrideFest and Parade. Prior to this past weekend’s tragedy, Rhode Island Pride had already recognized that growing attendance numbers required significant improvements and took steps to supplement our all-volunteer Safety Team with a trained, private security firm, and worked more closely with the Providence Police Department to ensure their police detail were better positioned throughout the event. Our First Aid Station is provided by the RI Disaster Medical Assistance Team and they are fully prepared and trained for any incidents. We are confident that we already had coverage in place that to make our attendees feel safe and secure.”Today, Rhode Island Pride representatives met with Providence Police, Rhode Island State Police, the Providence Emergency Management Association, other public safety officials, and our local business owners, to review our safety plan and coordinate our efforts and communication. There will be a significantly increased law enforcement presence at this year’s PrideFest and Parade with the RI State Police supplementing the Providence Police, and we have every reason to believe this will be a safe and enjoyable 40th anniversary celebration.”For those attending PrideFest and the Parade, we ask that if you see something suspicious, say something immediately to a law enforcement officer or a RI Pride volunteer. Be aware of your surroundings, limit the size of your bags and do not leave them unattended. Most importantly, remember that this is a celebration of our community and the progress that we have made in the past 40 years – we will not let hate and fear send us back to the closet. Be proud!”

The Rhode Island State Council of Churches issued the following statement:

“Our nation is reeling in the wake of yet another horrific mass shooting, this time our nation’s deadliest. In response to this heinous event that ended at least fifty lives, left many more wounded, and broke hearts worldwide, we, the religious leaders of Rhode Island, call on our communities to pray for healing and wholeness amidst our brokenness. Empowered by our relationship to the Divine, we endeavor to stand up and speak out against all acts of violence.”As people of faith, we voice our loving support for the people of Orlando, the LGBTQ community and our Muslim neighbors. The terror that ensued has affected us all and we will not rest until we assure that such terror will not happen again.”We are inherently concerned about the increasing violence in our society and we commit to bringing it to an end. Working in solidarity we will move our nation from darkness to light. Together we will bring our communities from despair to hope. We will not give in to fear!”In the face of such hatred and anger, we are called to elevate love. We are called to pursue justice, and we are called to bring about an enduring peace for all people in all places, regardless of faith tradition, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”

RI celebrates Pride this weekend. Pride will be reviewing security for the event with city and state officials today.

There is also an effort underway to remember the victims of the Pulse shooting by wearing black armbands at Pride this weekend. The following note has been making the rounds on Facebook.

“In response to the hate crime at Pulse Orlando, Rhode Island community members have entered a group in the Pride Parade this Saturday, to remember the victims of hate crimes and celebrate Queer and Trans resilience.

You will recognize us at the staging area by our signs. All are welcome to join. All are also encouraged to make signs.
“This is an apolitical contingent, so please let your signage reflect the theme of remembrance and resilience.

Please note that the night of the attack was Latinx night, and largely attended by People of Color, who are not only disproportionately victims of this attack but of anti-Queer/Trans hate crimes in general. So let your signage reflect themes of intersectionality in addition to remembrance and resilience.

“There will be black arm bands available for everyone, including those who are already committed to other groups but wish to observe in that way.”

Representative James Langevin issued the following statement:

“We awoke today to another headline about senseless violence, and yet we are astonished and heartbroken once again with news of the worst mass shooting in United States history. We can never understand or explain the hate that drives someone to commit an atrocity such as this. What we need right now is to reach out to those affected and show our support, because while we mourn as a nation, we cannot allow hate to invade our own hearts or minds. America is better than that.

“This is a tragedy beyond comprehension, and I join the chorus of prayers for both the families of the victims and also the injured who continue to suffer. I pray that no more lives are lost in the wake of this attack.

“My heart breaks for Orlando, and for the LGBT community nationwide. We recognize Pride Month in June, and last night’s shooting was an attack on the very values for which Pride Month stands. The victims were gathered in what should have been a safe space for them to be true to themselves and celebrate our shared belief that all people should be treated equally, and no one should be subjected to violence or discrimination.

“The details of the case continue to unfold, but I have every confidence that local law enforcement, in conjunction with the FBI, will fully investigate what is believed to be an act of terrorism. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I will monitor the investigation closely and in the coming weeks and months I hope my colleagues will come together and take action to ensure we no longer have to wake to headlines of violence. For now, we pray for Orlando, but prayers alone are not enough.”

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) has issued the following statement:

“The tragedy in Orlando, Florida is just the latest reminder that access to deadly weapons of war like the AR-15 has irreversible consequences. The families and friends of the 103 victims will be forever affected and forever wondering why. Our lax gun laws turned hatred into horrific violence in Orlando last night.

“Once again, our Senators and Congressmen send out their tweets, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this horrendous act in ______________________(fill in the blank).

“The RI Coalition Against Gun Violence is demanding that instead of offering “thoughts and prayers” to the 103 victims of the recent Florida shooting, the general assembly starts voting bills out of committee to make all Rhode Islanders safer.

“Many States including Massachusetts and Connecticut have laws to prevent domestic violence abusers from access to guns. Many States including Massachusetts and Connecticut have banned High capacity magazines. Almost every State including Massachusetts and Connecticut do not allow concealed carry of firearms on K-12 School property.

“Yet, for 3 years in a row, these bills are being “held for further study” here in Rhode Island. You can study your way through law school in three years.

“How much more study do we need to pass common sense legislation to keep guns away from domestic violence abusers (HB 7283, SB2730)? Do we need to wait any longer to ban high capacity magazines over 10 rounds (HB 7199/SB 2835)? Do we need to wait for a tragedy at our K-12 School grounds before we pass HB 7243/ SB 2761)?

“We are urging the Governor, the Speaker and the Senate President to do everything necessary to have these bills voted out of committee. It is time for the Judiciary Committees to stop hiding behind a pretext of study. In a recent poll, the vast majority of Rhode Islanders said they want a vote. It is time to respect not only their wishes but their health and safety as well. We want a vote.

“The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence is an organization that was created by concerned citizens of Rhode Island. The organization came to be in 2013 after the Rhode Island General Assembly failed to pass common sense gun legislation. We recognize gun violence as a public health issue. Using common sense means and methods, we seek to reduce injuries and deaths from gun violence.”

Representative David Cicilline‘s statement on the Pulse Tragedy:

“Like all Rhode Islanders, I am keeping the people of Orlando, the victims, their families and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers today.”

“It’s outrageous that LGBT Americans continue to be the targets of such horrific hatred and violence in 2016. Don’t let anyone tell you that we have full equality in this country. LGBT people are not political wedge issues – we are human beings and we are entitled to full equality under the law. I hope that, in the aftermath of this horrific shooting, our country will move towards greater love and acceptance of all Americans.”

“Lastly, it is absolutely infuriating to read reports that this shooter used an assault weapon to murder 50 innocent people and wound 53 more. It just should not be this easy for someone to walk into a gun store and walk out armed with a weapon of war that is designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible.”

“As we saw in Charleston last year, lone wolf terrorists are a threat to all of us. We simply cannot continue to live in a country where it’s easier to buy an AR-15 than it is to buy cold medicine.

“Access to these weapons is a threat to our public safety, and it’s time for Republicans in Congress to come to the table and restore some sanity to our nation’s gun laws.”

Full video and statement from President Barrack Obama on the tragedy here.

Senator Jack Reed writes, “This was a horrific attack. Our condolences go out to the victims and their families, and our thanks to the brave first responders and fellow citizens who did everything they could to help. While investigators are still gathering all the facts, the shooter was clearly a hate-filled individual. His bigotry has no place in our society. We are a resilient nation and we stand in solidarity with the LGBT community. Right now there are more questions than answers, but law enforcement will get to the bottom of this and every federal resource will be made available to ensure they do.”

Speaker Nicholas Mattiello wrote his first ever tweet about the tragedy, but some took issue with the Speaker, asking him to pass some common sense gun bills out of committee and bring them to the floor for a vote.

GPSJenn wrote, “@RISpeaker thoughts & prayers? That’s all you got? U r a lawmaker. Make some laws. Shooter was a wife beater. Pass H7575 to make #RI safer.”

His A+ rating from the NRA was noted as well.

Governor Gina Raimondo has ordered that all flags be lowered to half-mast “until sunset on June 16, 2016 in honor of the victims of the shooting in Orlando.” This is in accordance with President Barrack Obama‘s national proclamation.

Her full statement:

“In accordance with a Presidential Proclamation, Governor Gina M. Raimondo has ordered U.S. and Rhode Island flags to be flown at half-staff at all state facilities and buildings. The flags will remain at half-staff until sunset on June 16, 2016 in honor of the victims of the shooting in Orlando.

“‘We woke up this morning to horrific news – a senseless, cowardly mass shooting in Orlando. It’s an act of terror. It’s an act of hatred. And it has no place in our communities. Like so many, I feel incredible sadness and outrage,’ Raimondo said.

“‘Our prayers are with the victims and their loved ones, but we must do more than pray. It is time to take greater action to keep America safe,’ Raimondo continued. ‘I also want our LGBT brothers and sisters in Rhode Island to know that our hearts are with you – we will redouble our efforts to keep you safe and free from fear, and commit to building a more peaceful, more tolerant society.’

“There are no specific threats in Rhode Island at this time, but the Governor remains in close touch with Colonel O’Donnell of the State Police, and security efforts will be increased around Pride festivities.

“Raimondo also asks Rhode Islanders to lower their flags as a mark of respect.”

RI Pride‘s statement on the tragedy in Orlando can be read here.

In the wake of the terrible incident at the Orlando nightclub, AIDS Project RI and the Family Services of RI shared some tips:

S.A.F.E.T.Y. tips in a Rhode Island Parent Magazine article written by Family Service of RI’s Dr. Susan Erstling. Read the article by clicking here.

To see a range of tips on related subjects, visit the National Child Traumatic Stress Network page in response to terrorist acts by clicking here. See a tips page from Family Service of RI by clicking here.

May 20, 2016May 20, 2016

RI poll shows strong support for modest gun law reform

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Jerry Belair, President of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) had hinted at the poll results during the recent rally against gun violence outside the State House, but yesterday the coalition released the full poll on Rhode Islander’s attitudes towards some common sense gun legislation currently under review by the General Assembly, and the numbers were staggering.

92% of Voters Support Restricting Possession of Guns by Domestic Violence Offenders
82% of Voters Support Restricting the Carrying of Concealed Guns in Elementary Schools
75% of Voters Support Limiting the Number of Bullets in Magazines to 10 Rounds

Remarkably, in Speaker Nicholas Mattiello‘s own district, the numbers for keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers is higher than the state wide pol, at 95%. Mattiello has an ‘A’ rating from the National Rifle association (NRA) and has been obstinately opposed to any proposed gun legislation. In the case of ethics reform, it took a disaster to change the Speaker’s mind. Is the Speaker waiting for another kind of disaster to occur before he gets behind common sense gun reform?

You can watch the full press conference below. The bills under consideration are: No Guns in Schools (H7243, S2761), Disarm Domestic Abusers (H7283, S2730, S2491) and the High Capacity Magazine Ban (H7199, S2835)

You can access the full poll here.

2016-05-19 RICAGV 09 — Rep Aaron Regunberg

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016

RI Coalition Against Gun Violence holds 2nd annual State House rally

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The RICAGV (Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence) held their second annual rally outside the State House, reaffirming their support for three critical pieces of legislation that would ban guns on school grounds, take guns away from domestic abusers and limit magazine capacity to ten rounds. The General Assembly has shown little appetite for these bills in past years, though there are some signs that some sort of compromise bill on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers might pass this year.

This rally comes after a punishing Senate Judiciary hearing Tuesday night that lasted until after midnight. (I’ll have a piece on that over the weekend.) Speaking about Tuesday night’s hearing, Jerry Belair, president of the RICAGV, said that though he doesn’t like to speak ill of any elected officials, Senators Stephen R. Archambault (Democrat District 22, Smithfield, North Providence, Johnston) and Frank S. Lombardi (Democrat – Distict 26, Cranston), “did more testifying than almost anybody else. They seemed to be unwilling to listen.”

Between the first three witnesses, all representing the gun lobby, and the Senators own “testimony” it took three hours before a single member of the public representing the other side of the argument could testify, said Belair. When his side finally got to speak, said Belair, the Senators did everything they could to interrupt and disagree, “doing everything they could to not make us as effective” in delivering our message.

Belair teased a poll that the RICAGV will be releasing soon that indicates that Rhode Islanders, 3 to 1, want a ten round magazine limit. The same poll says 4 to 1 Rhode Islanders don’t want guns in schools (contrary to Senator Lombardi’s fantasy scenario spelled out here), and 92 percent of Rhode Islanders don’t want domestic violence offenders to possess guns.

The bills to disarm domestic abusers are House Bill 7283 and Senate Bill 2730.

The bills to keep guns out of schools is House Bill 7243 and Senate Bill 2761.

The bills to ban high capacity magazines are House Bill 7199 and Senate Bill 2835.

The RICAGV is encouraging Rhode Islanders to contact their elected officials and demand their support.

Below is all the music and speakers from the rally, plus plenty of pictures.

April 9, 2016April 11, 2016

Mattiello at the Grange

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I got to the event a good half hour early. As I crossed the small parking lot outside the Oak Lawn Grange I was intercepted and asked about my business.

“I’m just here to take notes and a few pictures,” I said, “for RI Future.”

Pause. “We’re not set up yet,” said the man, “you’ll have to wait.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll sit over at the picnic tables.”

“Sure,” said the man, “Why not? It’s a beautiful day out.”

It was. I sat for a few minutes, reading my phone, when another man holding a clipboard approached me. We introduced ourselves. He was Leo Skenyon, Nicholas Mattiello’s chief of staff.

“I don’t know if we can get you in,” said Skenyon, “We’ve got over 130 people coming, and priority will be given to Cranston residents.”

“Okay, “ I said, “I get that. I can stand. I just need to take some notes and a few pictures.”

“We might get you into the basement with a TV,” said Skenyon, “You’ll be able to hear the answers, but you might not hear the questions.”

“We’ll see what happens then,” I said.

Mattiello at the Grange 003 — Tom Wojick

I waited outside near the entrance, watching people arrive. I saw two people from the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) handing flyers to passers by. One of them was Tom Wojick.

“Do you support common sense gun legislation?” asked Tom, holding out a flyer to a man and his wife.

“No,” said the man, “I’m a NRA member.”

I had taken a bus on a Saturday morning to the middle of Cranston to see Representative Nicholas Mattiello, the Speaker of the House and arguably the most powerful politician in Rhode Island, engage with his constituents.

This isn’t an every day occurrence. Some reps have regular events with their constituents, some have none, but as Mattiello told the crowd, his duties as Speaker take up a lot of time, and he doesn’t often get the chance to hold events like this. Today was a rare chance to see Mattiello engage with his constituents and hear what voters in Mattiello’s district care the most about. [Spoiler: It’s RhodeWorks]

Mattiello wasn’t alone either on stage or behind the scenes. Organizing the event were about a dozen men delivering coffee and donuts, escorting people to their seats and acting as what seemed like de facto security. There were two Cranston police officers stationed at the event. In addition to Leo Skenyon, who was organizing, I saw Larry Berman, communications director for the RI House of Reps, helping out.

On “stage” with Mattiello were RI State Senators Frank Lombardi and Hanna Gallo, Rep Robert Jacquard and RI Department of Transportation director Peter Alviti, there to answer technical questions about truck tolls and RhodeWorks.

When I entered the Grange Larry Berman saw me and said, “He can come in,” but behind me Leo Skenyon said, “He’s taking a couple of pictures and heading downstairs.”

That’s what I did. Here’s one:

Downstairs in front of the TV was a man who was interested in RhodeWorks but happened to live in Providence, so he was sent to the basement with me. A minute later we were joined by Lorraine Savard, wearing a small version of her “Save Burrillvile: No New Power Plant” sign pinned to her lapel.

At least I was in good company.

We ended up watching everything on closed circuit TV, downstairs from the main event. We laughed when the camera upstairs went to a wide shot, showing at least seven empty seats in the main room. We laughed again when we noticed that the two police officers were in the downstairs room with us, leaving no police presence in the room above, where over one hundred people were in attendance.

Most of Mattiello’s talk was a defense of RhodeWorks. One idea the Speaker was keen to dispel was that RhodeWorks was broadly unpopular. He said that he has in his district 14 thousand constituents and 10 thousand registered voters. When he counted the number of emails he received opposed to RhodeWorks, it was thirty.

“I don’t believe that,” said the man from Providence sitting next to me.

But I don’t think Mattiello lied. People in Mattiello’s district aren’t that upset about RhodeWorks, or at least not upset enough to threaten him politically. Mattiello maintains that the reason people don’t like RhodeWorks is because they are misinformed about it.

“We have a talk radio community,” said Mattiello, “misinformation gets out through that medium” either through callers saying things that aren’t true or talk show hosts repeating false information.

“Misinformation takes your vote away from you,” said the Speaker.

Lombardi and Jacquard also defended their RhodeWorks votes. Lombardi said, “We live in a post 38 Studios world. RhodeWorks opposition is based on a distrust of [any] legislation, not on the plan itself.”

Gallo went a different direction, touting the work she does on education, including full day kindergarten.

Eventually the question and answer phase of the discussion, nearly three hours into the event, got around to a subject other than RhodeWorks. A woman (it was very hard to hear the specifics of her question on the TV) asked about the three bills the RICAGV has brought forward, including the bill to prohibit people with concealed carry permits from bringing guns into schools.

“There are two sides to this issue,” said Mattiello (who incidently has an A+ rating from the NRA), “There are those who want no change [to our guns laws] and there are those who want to abolish guns.”

This opening surprised me. The RICAGV has worked hard to strike a nuanced position on guns, and here Mattiello was claiming that the group was simply seeking to abolish all guns.

As for guns in schools, said the Speaker, “Please tell me where this has been a problem. And if its never been a problem, you’re affecting the rights of law abiding citizens.”

Mattiello gave the hypothetical situation oaf a man with a concealed carry permit picking his kid up at school. Is he supposed “to leave his gun on the sidewalk? Leave it in his car where it might be stolen, or drive home and drop it off first?”

“In trying to solve a problem you’re creating a bigger problem,” said the Speaker.

Guns are not allowed in courthouses or airports, countered the woman (and I might add, not allowed in the State House where Mattiello works either.)

Senator Lombardi cut in at this point, saying that the problem isn’t gun owners, it’s the mentally ill accessing guns. Columbine and Sandy Hook were the results of mental illness, said Lombardi, not lack of gun control.

“If,” said Lombardi, “God forbid, a [gunman] goes into a Cranston school, I hope the first person he sees is a law abiding citizen with a concealed carry permit.”

“We have to address the mental health aspect of this equation,” added Mattiello, “People with concealed carry permits are not the problem. I don’t think they’ve ever been the problem.”

Mattiello’s last words on the issue of guns were, “You can affect the behavior of people who respect the law, but not the behavior of those who don’t respect the law.”

That kind of makes me wonder why we pass any laws.

The next question was about the ethics commission.

“Senator Sheehan’s bill is the worst bill I’ve ever seen,” said Mattiello, “I can’t imagine supporting that bill because it make’s no sense to me.”

“Conflict of interest rules are ‘gotcha’ politics,” said the Speaker, “lawyers in the General Assembly serve clients across the country. Technically they are always in conflict of interest. They would never vote!”

Mattiello feels that Sheehan’s bill will encourage “frivolous complaints”. “What’s going to happen is good people are not going to want to run [for office],” said the Speaker.

“Most people in government are extremely ethical,” continued Mattiello, “Everybody up there, I believe, is entirely ethical and good.”

Mattiello seems to believe that the job of identifying conflicts of interest falls to the fourth estate, saying, “Kathy Gregg is a great reporter. She points out every conflict of interest.”

Somewhat echoing his last word on gun control laws, Mattiello said about ethics, “Ethics commissions don’t make better people. That’s [the electorate]’s job.”

Other random things of interest Mattiello said during the meeting:

“I disagree that the Speaker is the most powerful person in the state. Sometimes it’s the governor.”

Ex-Speaker Gordon Fox, now in prison, “had his problems but he did good things policy wise.”

“I don’t believe in trickle-down economics. I just want to be competitive with our neighboring states.”

“Rhode Island right now is in excellent shape.”

March 23, 2016March 25, 2016

State House licenses for all rally gets loud

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Providing licenses for undocumented immigrants in Rhode Island is an idea that is not going away. After Governor Gina Raimondo failed to deliver on her campaign promise to issue an executive order allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue operator licenses to undocumented immigrants, the General Assembly took up the issue at the Governor’s request. Bills were introduced in the House and Senate. The House bill was heard by the Judiciary committee and held for further study.

Todos Somo Arizona (TSAZ) is a coalition of groups including Jobs with Justice, English for Action, Fuerza Laboral, Comite de Inmigrantes, RI Interfaith Coalition, 32BJSEIU RI, AFCS, Estudios Biblicos and ONA, that is holding a series of actions at the State House to keep attention focused on the issue and on Tuesday activists were loud and their presence was felt, even in the midst of a Second Amendment Rights rally happening at roughly the same time.

At least 400 2nd Amendment Coalition members turned out to pressure the House Judiciary Committee on a raft of bills being heard concerning guns. Nearly 100 members of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) turned out to have their say on the bills as well.

This lead to some friction, like when former candidate for Mayor of Warwick Stacia Huyler decided to chide the Licenses for All coalition for being too loud. The irony of a Second Amendment activist complaining about people using their First Amendment rights was lost on Huyler.

The issue of granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants is not going away. Everyone, regardless of status, deserves to be allowed to function in our society, and until this becomes the law in Rhode Island, these protests will continue.

Here’s all of this year’s coverage of the issue from RI Future:

2016-03-22 Licenses 020 — Mike Araujo- RI Jobs with Justice

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016

Common sense gun legislation once again before House Judiciary

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The State House will be a raucous, contentious place this evening as a series of bills dealing with guns will be heard in the House Judiciary meeting in room 101 at the rise of the House, around 4:30-5pm. Testimony is expected to run until late in the evening. Ahead of the testimony the 2nd Amendment Coalition, the Official National Rifle Association (NRA) Affiliate for the State of Rhode Island, is holding a rally at 3pm in the State House rotunda and they will have a parade of guest speakers.

The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) is backing three bills.

H7283 would take away guns from those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors.

“Rhode Island law prohibits gun ownership and possession by individuals convicted of a domestic violence felony,” says the RICAGV, “This law is weaker than federal law which prohibits gun ownership and possession by those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. There is ample evidence that misdemeanor domestic violence offenders present an extreme risk to domestic partners when in possession of a firearm. Rhode Island should help protect the victims of domestic violence, not their abusers.”

H7243 would close a loophole that allows guns in schools and on school grounds.

“Concealed Carry Permit (CCP) holders can carry their weapons ‘everywhere’ including schools, but not in RI courthouses, airports and most government buildings,” says the RICAGV, “RI’s concealed carry law came into existence in 1990, long before Columbine and other school shootings, so schools were not exempted at that time. Currently, any CCP holder (staff, parent, visitor) can carry a firearm on school grounds including the school, surrounding property, parking lots, and after school sporting events and gatherings without knowledge of police or school officials.”

H7199, a high capacity magazine (HCM) ban, limits the number of rounds in a weapon to 10.

“Limiting HCMs to 10 rounds saves lives,” says the RICAGV, “Limiting rounds in a magazine requires that a shooter pause to change out the magazine. The shooter in Sandy Hook Elementary School killed 20 small children in less than 5 minutes with HCMs. Evidence reveals that several children escaped the schoolroom when his magazine jammed and he was forced to reload. Similarly, the shooter in the Gabby Gifford Tucson, AZ mass shooting was disarmed when he dropped his HCM clip during reloading. This enabled bystanders to subdue him saving lives.”

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

RI Coalition Against Gun Violence supports Obama’s Executive Orders on guns

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We commend President Obama for his Executive Orders today to better protect Americans from the out of control epidemic of gun violence.

None of what the President ordered adversely affects the rights of Americans to firearms except for criminals or people with mental health issues that are prohibited from possession of a gun. Private gun dealers and online firearms dealers who presently refuse to obtain a firearm dealer’s license will be required to do so and will now have to perform background checks for every gun they sell. There will be an improved National Instant Criminal Background System (NCIS) greatly expanding the inclusion of mental health records of prohibited firearms buyers. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF&E) agents will be added to perform the increased demand for NCIS Background checks. Firearms purchases by Federal Agencies will be directed to gun manufacturers who invest in “smart gun” technologies and who market their products in an ethical manner.

While the Gun Lobby will undoubtedly issue bombastic claims that the President’s actions violate our 2^nd Amendment rights and are a slippery slope to gun confiscation none of that is true. Over 90% of Americans and a large majority of gun owners support expanding Background Checks for every single gun sale. Hopefully, these common sense measures will encourage a national debate that will lead to reforms that result in a reduction in the nearly 90 daily gun deaths each day in America.

We thank President Obama for standing up to the Gun Lobby and call on Congress to take meaningful action to protect American lives.

(From a press release)

You can watch the President Obama’s announcement Here:

December 11, 2015December 12, 2015

Interfaith vigil against gun violence remains optimistic despite ongoing tragedy

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2015-12-10 Interfaith Vigil 007 — Imam Farid Ansari

A sense of optimism was expressed by many speakers at last night’s Interfaith Memorial Vigil, held at the Second Free Will Baptist Church in Providence. Despite the steady, deadly drumbeat of mass shootings and the hysteria being generated by the Republican presidential front runner over refugees and Muslims, forces are beginning to coalesce around a series of reforms to our gun laws on both the sate and national level.

The day before Governor Gina Raimondo held “a two-hour discussion… about ways to reduce gun violence” and though the NRA was represented through the Second Amendment Coalition‘s Frank Saccoccio, his views did not dominate the discussion, a far cry from what is usually seen at the State House, where legislators seem to treat his every word and opinion as gospel.

Former State Representative Linda Finn, one of the founders of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) talked about Saccoccio at the governor’s discussion when she addressed the crowd.

“Yesterday I got to sit in on the governor’s round table discussion,” said Finn, “and it was wonderful because one of the guys who comes to every hearing and just throws out so many lies and misperceptions had three judges sitting there telling him, ‘That’s just not true, what you’re saying, it just doesn’t happen… When a domestic violence charge is issued it’s not two people [who are typically charged] it’s just one person. It’s not two people. [Saccoccio] was saying that most of the time it’s two people that get charged. And if a woman gets charged then she can’t carry a gun to protect herself [from her abuser]. And our politicians and our legislators believe that. And one of the judges who sits on the court she said, ‘I have 800 cases that I’ve been dealing with this year and I only had one situation where two people [were charged with domestic violence.]’”

Last year, said Finn, “was the first time we had more people who were for the gun bills than [the gun proponents] did.”

These facts give Finn hope that this will be the year that real gun reforms bills could pass out of the General Assembly. Specifically a bill to ban domestic abusers from owning or purchasing guns, and a bill to prevent people with conceal/carry permits from bringing those guns into public schools.

Also of particular interest were the words of Imam Farid Ansari. “Obviously the Islamic community has been affected by this scourge of gun violence,” said Ansari, but, “Let me assure you that the images that are being portrayed in regard to Islam is not the true picture of Islam… As an American I myself most certainly condemn these acts of violence that are being perpetrated in the name of Islam.”

Ansari talked about the current climate of Muslim scapegoating and fear mongering. “There is a vocabulary emerging today that is unfortunately being focused on the Islamic community. We hear the words jihadist, terrorist, fundamentalist, all these words are words that are designed to inflame and incite the passions of the people… It’s an evil. It literally is an evil.

“Don’t be persuaded by this vocabulary, of this image being portrayed about Islam. And please do not listen to – I don’t know how to describe him – but you know who I’m talking about.,” said Ansari, getting laughs for his allusion to Donald Trump.

“This portrayal of us as a menace,” said Ansari to a standing ovation, “is absolutely evil.”

I’ll have a full 90 minute video later today of the entire Vigil, but for now I’ll leave you with two more speakers. First up is The Reverend Jametta Alston of the United Church of Christ giving a rousing sermon against gun with a powerful reference to the Biblical commandment “Thou shall not kill.”

And here’s Jennifer Smith Boylan speaking about her awakening to the issue of gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings and her involvement with Moms Demand Action.

2015-12-10 Interfaith Vigil 005 — Reverend Jametta Alston

October 14, 2015October 16, 2015

Support the RICAGV with Jim Langevin and Teresa Tanzi

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Congressman Jim Langevin and State Representative Teresa Tanzi will be the guests at a RI Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) fundraiser Thursday evening. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is the honorary host, but is unable to attend. The event is taking place at a private residence and tickets are $50 per person. Contact RICoalitionAgainstGunViolence@gmail.com to purchase tickets and confirm the event’s address.

With the debate on guns in the United States taking a long slow turn against the intractable positions of the NRA (National Rifle Association) and towards instituting common sense gun legislation, it is only a matter of time before the RICAGV starts making real progress in the RI General Assembly.

Based on the first Democratic Party presidential debate it seems that a taste is developing for taking on the NRA with both Hilary Clinton and Martin O’Malley claiming the group as a political enemy. Even Bernie Sanders, thought to be “soft on guns” has a D- rating with the NRA and has consistently called for the kind of common sense legislation the RICAGV has been calling for in Rhode Island.

President Obama has issued an executive order and called for Congress to pass legislation that might deal with the almost daily issue of mass shootings.

State Senator M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Speaker Nicholas Mattiello may well find that their staunch support for the NRA a political liability as the local Democratic Party moves ever further away from the values and positions of the national party.

Last year the RICAGV was stunned to find little appetite in the General Assembly to deal with guns. Bills to limit ammo clips to ten rounds, keep guns out of schools and keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers all died in committee despite overwhelming public support.

This year these bills and more must pass, or there will be big changes coming in both the make-up and leadership at the General Assembly. Become a part of this change and consider volunteering or donating to the RICAGV.

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015

Group seeks to close loophole leaving guns in the hands of domestic abusers

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Under Federal law, a person “convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic abuse” is banned from owning a gun for life. Yet in Rhode Island, this law is not often prosecuted, leaving weapons in the hands of domestic abusers. Worse, even when this statue is prosecuted by the state, it falls short in several ways.

Under Rhode Island law, domestic abuse includes dating partners as well as married and co-habitating couples. Federal law does not include dating partners. Also, under Federal law, there is no mechanism defined for actually removing guns from the homes of domestic abusers, but there is under Rhode Island law.

Under Rhode Island law § 11-47-5 (b) “…no person convicted of an offense punishable as a felony offense…shall purchase, own, carry, transport or having in his or her possession any firearm, for a period of two years following the conviction.” Often a domestic abuser will plead down their offense from a felony to a misdemeanor, which has the effect of leaving guns in the possession of abusers.

The upshot of this legal maze of federal and state law is that guns too often remain in the hands of domestic abusers, and the statistics on the intersection of guns and domestic abuse are stark. According the the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, (RICAGV) between 2001 and 2012 more than 6,410 women were murdered in the United States by an intimate partner using a gun and abused women are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser has access to a gun.

According to the Center for American Progress and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, “of the 67 female homicide victims in Rhode Island from 2003 to 2012, 27 were the result of a domestic violence incident.”

A study from the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, “Batterers’ Use of Guns to Threaten Intimate Partners,” domestic abusers use their guns in many ways as a form of threat. Abusers may threaten to shoot their victim or a person or pet the victim cares about. Abusers may clean, hold, load or even fire a gun during an argument with the victim, driving home their threat without the use of words.

Most gun advocates will agree that guns need to be in the hands of responsible gun owners, not criminals. To that end, the RICAGV is backing legislation that will close the maze of legal loopholes surrounding gun ownership and domestic abuse. The changes in RI § 11-47-5(b) being suggested would:

Reduce the sentence from felony to misdemeanor, thereby forcing domestic abusers to lose the right to their guns,
Increase the ban on possessing firearms from 2 years to lifetime, since domestic abusers are typically repeat offenders and can easily “wait out” a two year restriction, and
Include a clause that would allow persons who have expunged their records, thereby demonstrating that they have reformed themselves, to have their right to firearms reinstated.

A form of this legislation passed the Rhode Island Senate last year unanimously, but died in committee in the House. This year it is hoped that the House has the leadership to pass this common sense legislation out of committee and bring it to the floor for a full vote. Like the legislation that seeks to close the loophole allowing guns in schools, this should be an easy win for gun safety advocates in Rhode Island.

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015

Group seeks to close loophole allowing guns in schools

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The law seems quite clear when RIGL 11-47-60 (a) states that, “No person shall have in his or her possession any kind of firearm or other weapons on school grounds.” But there is a curious exception. Under RIGL 11-47-11 it is stated that a person with a concealed carry permit (CCP) may carry their weapon “everywhere.” Presumably, this means schools.

Which law takes precedence?

Attorney Julia Wyman with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence (RICAGV) asked the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office and the Rhode Island Department of Education for clarification, but neither party could “figure out which law prevails,” she said.

The Department of Education has no regulatory authority, and therefore does not have the power to decide on this issue. As a result, legislation is going to be introduced to the General Assembly this year that seeks to clear up any ambiguity in the law, banning weapons from schools, even for those with a CCP.

As it stands now, anyone with a concealed carry permit may bring weapons into schools.

Rhode Island is one of only 18 states that allow guns to be brought in schools, according to a report by NBC News last year. Most of the 18 states on the list require that school officials give permission to bring the weapons into the schools, leaving Rhode Island one of only 5 states in which people may bring guns into schools without the knowledge of police or school officials.

The danger is obvious. In September of last year a teacher in Utah shot herself in the leg when her weapon discharged in class. In Idaho a “state university instructor was wounded in the foot after a concealed handgun in the person’s pocket discharged during a chemistry lab session with students in the room.” In each case, say news reports, the teachers had concealed carry permits.

Though some may argue that since Newtown, some teachers should be armed in the event that children need to be protected from intruders, depending on randomly armed, untrained teachers with CCPs is not a policy. Good policy needs to be vetted and debated so that the full implications might be considered. Policies such as this need to be done right and can’t simply be instituted by taking advantage of defects in a law written decades ago.

The General Assembly has an opportunity to correct this oversight, and should do so this year.

December 12, 2014December 12, 2014

A vigil for the 2nd anniversary of Sandy Hook in Providence

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On Thursday night the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence and the Religious Coalition for a Violence-Free Rhode Island held its second annual Sandy Hook memorial and vigil, A Voice for Victims, at the First Unitarian Church of Providence. In addition to speakers such as Lisa Pagano, Wendy Bowen and Gladys Brown, who have all lost families and friends to gun violence, speakers included Providence mayor-elect Jorge Elorza, Central Falls Mayor James Diossa, Providence Commissioner of Public Safety Steven Paré, Rabbi Sarah Mack of the Greater Rhode Island Board of Rabbis and the Reverend Don Anderson, of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.

The 250 attendees was about double the number who attended last year’s No More Silence vigil. The program ran a little long at 75 minutes, and was heavy on political, religious and law enforcement speakers. The most moving talks were given by those who lives were impacted by gun violence, those who lost loved ones and whose worlds were turned upside down in the time it takes for a trigger to be squeezed.

Coalition President Jerry Belair emceed the event, noting that this was just one of 197 similar events taking place across the country. Belair said that there have been 99 new gun laws passed in 37 states, adding that, “Massachusetts has the lowest gun death rate in the nation because they passed common sense gun control laws that work.”

Lisa Pagano is the executive director of the Lt. Jim Pagano Foundation. Jim Pagano was shot by his next door neighbor in Cranston, after an argument over an errant tennis ball. The neighbor was upset that the children playing outside during a birthday party allowed the tennis ball to hit his car while they were playing. “What could have been a simple neighborhood dispute,” said Lisa Pagano, “turned deadly because a gun was in the wrong hands.”

“I will never forget that fateful afternoon,” said Gladys Brown, whose son Michael was shot in 2009 at the age of 33, leaving behind two children, “when two Pawtucket police detectives knocked on my door with the most shocking and heartbreaking news a mother could bear…”

Wendy Bowen was a teacher at a Newtown Middle School when a gunman killed 20 students and six teachers next door at Sandy Hook Elementary. She was in lock down with her class, the majority being regular students with some mainstreamed special needs students mixed in, communicating by text message with the outside world as sirens and helicopters filled the air. “Along the way I learned from my sister that the principal of Sandy Hook, a colleague and friend that I knew well, had died along with many children. This was hard for me to hear and not cry, but I could not fall apart in front of my students…”

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré spoke briefly about passing wise laws that make it more difficult for guns to get into the wrong hands.

Here’s the full video from the event:

Correction: An earlier version of this piece mistakenly implied that the entirety of Wendy Bowen’s class was special needs students. This has been corrected.

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October 3, 2014October 4, 2014

Sandy Hook parents speak out against gun violence

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Mark Barden, whose seven year old son Daniel was murdered along with nineteen classmates and six teachers at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, spoke at the first annual fundraiser for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence last night in Barrington. A self described guitarist and dad, Barden didn’t think much about gun violence before the tragedy that took his son’s life.

“I wasn’t engaged. I didn’t know about this. I didn’t think it could happen.”

There’s barely a dry eye in the room while Barden speaks. His story is heartbreaking. He passes around a picture of his children, and I can’t look at it for too long before I pass it along. It’s overwhelming. Daniel was Barden’s youngest, a bright and kind kid who should be starting second grade and turning nine this year.

“I’m not proud to say it changed my life,” says Barden, “Now that I know what I know, I wish I had been engaged…”

Representative David Cicilline began the evening, describing a Congress that responds with unconcern towards horrific news stories of gun violence. Every shooting, says Cicilline makes us think that “this will be the moment” when common sense gun laws can be passed, but nothing, not the murder of twenty children, not even the shooting of one of their own, Representative Gabby Giffords, can move an apathetic Congress to action. “The only way to make progress on this issue,” says Cicilline, “is through organizations like this.”

This is the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, which started as a response to the Newtown shootings as an offshoot of Moms Demand Action, but quickly snowballed into a statewide coalition of thirty groups and 30,000 members. The coalition is still growing, with more groups showing interest every month. This is a coalition dedicated to passing common sense gun legislation favored my a majority of voters, not repealing the Second Amendment.

Even as violent crime overall continues to drop, gun violence and deaths from guns remain pretty constant, with about 32,000 victims each year. Smart laws that keep guns out of the wrong hands will help to stem the tide. “We have the responsibility and the ability to reduce gun violence considerably,” said Cicilline.

Po Murray is a mother and a resident of Newtown. She helped to found the Newtown Action Alliance. Her neighbor was the killer who entered Sandy Hook Elementary and shot Mark Barden’s son, along with 19 other children. Needless to say, her community is still healing, and may never be fully whole. Newtown was once considered to be one of the safest cities in the United States. “If a horrific mass shooting can occur in my town,” says Murray, “it can happen anywhere.”

“The NRA (National Rifle Association) puts gun company profits ahead of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” says Murray, adding that Wayne LaPierre, the president of the NRA, “enraged us” when he declared that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

“My daughter (Natalie) asked, “How do we know who the bad guys are?’” says Mark Barden, “My son James asked if there’s anything we can do to save another family from this.”

To honor his son’s memory, Barden did the only thing he could do. Get engaged.

“We worked hard and closed the pessimism gap,” says Murray, making Connecticut second in the nation for gun safety laws as a result of their efforts. “We are hoping that Rhode Island will join Connecticut and Massachusetts for a safer New England.”