Our board members and fellow activists, the Fosters, lost their 7-year-old son, Evan, to gun violence. Both Evan and their then 1-year-old son Alec were shot by men using high capacity magazines. Over 70 bullets were fired into the park where Evan was getting his soccer trophy. Now the Fosters’ son Alec, who survived the shooting and works alongside his parents as an activist, is going off to college. This family is a true inspiration. WATCH the video: […]
Women Against Gun Violence was proud to stand with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on August 7, 2015, as he signed the measure to ban large-capacity magazines. […]
This May alone, 43 children were shot, and 4 people were shot by small children — all due to the fact that negligent gun owners left loaded guns accessible to young children. While the NRA has previously stated that children should not be unsupervised around guns, they continue to lobby against laws requiring gun owners to safely store their weapons, and push for laws allowing children as young as 5 to have access to their own guns.
Seventeen years ago, I was raped.
I had a gun in my purse.
I guess it seems fitting that I write this on March 6th, the 17th anniversary of “the trauma.” I should preface this by telling you that I grew up in a very ‘pro-gun’ home, raised by a full time police officer (my dad) and a reserve officer (my mom). At the age of seven, tucked in between gymnastics, ballet, and karate, I shot my first handgun. My dad called me a natural. On special occasions throughout my life, Daddy would take me to the police training center so I could get “real world” training. I consider the hours spent in this environment, along with the hours at the firing range, to have given me […]
December 8, 1997
18 years ago today, pregnant me took my little boy, Evan, to Marina del Rey to the movies to see 101 Dalmatians, while Dad was away on a business trip. […]
Almost 15 years ago I was the parent of a first grader, a stay-at-home mom, glued to the media coverage of the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. A few months later, the Los Angeles Jewish Community Center day care shooting happened. I will never forget the news photo of officers leading little ones across a parking lot to escape a madman who had fired 70 rounds in their building with an assault weapon, wounding several. I was heartsick but had no idea what to do about it.
Less than a year later, in March of 2000, our then 7-year-old daughter Sophie wrote to Rosie O’Donnell – a three-page highly decorated letter – and in May, appeared on Rosie’s national TV show talking about […]
Women Against Gun Violence is excited to announce that its continuing relationship with Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles has resulted in the beautiful and inspiring artwork for its LIGHT LA campaign to be held on December 11, 2014 at 7 pm.
The artwork, designed by Wendy Trinidad, a student in the Communication Arts Department at Otis College, can be seen as the masthead on our website and on our Facebook page and on Twitter. It is being used throughout Los Angeles County as well as in other areas of California, Ohio, and North Carolina.
Wendy’s professor, Kim DeMarco, is an artist and designer with work appearing in […]
WAGV qualified for the final round of Fast Pitch, a training and mentoring program that teaches us how to “pitch” our program in three minutes or less! Watch Margot Bennett pitching on behalf of Women Against Gun Violence at the 2014 Social Innovation Fast Pitch below: […]
In August of 1999, I was six-years-old, attending the North Valley Jewish Community Center Day Camp in Los Angeles. It was mid-morning, a sunny day. I was walking back from a game of Capture the Flag when I was faced with a man I assumed was a construction worker, because at his hip he was holding what my six-year-old mind perceived as a power drill. But what I was looking at was a Neo-Nazi wielding a semi-automatic weapon and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. […]
At a press conference in Los Angeles, Mike Feuer announced the first ever filing of a criminal case for safe storage violations. He also announced his long-standing relationship with Women Against Gun Violence, who will partner with the City Attorney’s Neighborhood School Safety Program in educating the public about safe storage of firearms. […]