The details of the panel were slow coming, but students from 12 Santa Fe high schools have organized a tremendous panel and it is tomorrow, so I wanted you to know. Let’s show support for the students. Also info on an interesting Town Hall on road easement issues in Española Valley.Apologies about a second post today, but I didn’t get details (below) on the Friday (TOMORROW) student-organized and led panel discussion on Gun Violence Prevention until after today’s post and once I did, I thought you would want to know with enough lead time to make it. Roxanne and I will be leaving from the panel discussion for the Democratic Party State Central Committee Hearing, so we will miss the Poor People’s Campaign kickoff on Friday night. But I’d encourage all of you to attend. Click here for details.
Easement Issues in Española Valley with Rep. Ben Ray Lujan. Monday, April 23, 2018, 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Northern New Mexico College, Nick Salazar Center for the Arts, 921 Paseo del Onate, Espanola, NM. Join Congressman Ben Ray Luján and tribal, state, county and municipal officials as well as title insurance experts for an informational update to the community regarding ongoing issues with road easements and title insurance within the Espanola Valley. To RSVP or for more information please contact Congressman Ben Ray Luján’s office at (505) 994-0499 or email joseph.casados@mail.house.gov
Santa Fe University of Art & Design. While the page says that the second and more detailed online survey closed on Wednesday, April 18, the link is still live and so input is still possible. Click here.
Friday, April 20, 10:30-12:30pm. Roundhouse Room 307. Student Organized Gun Violence Prevention Panel Discussion. And as the agenda that follows demonstrates, the students are not tossing out softball questions. Should be a tremendous discussion. Please show support for the students and plan to attend. Panelists include; Speaker Egolf, Sen. Wirth, myself, and representatives from State and local police. The agenda for the event is as follows:
- In your opinion, what is the best way that we move forward as a community to ensure and maintain the safety of our schools, and what are some of your personal goals for our community’s school and student safety?
- What do you propose we do as students to come together to keep our schools safe, regardless of our political views?
- What do you feel is the most important aspect within our country’s gun violence issues with school shootings and marginalizing youth of color?
- With the funding available now, what would you prioritize: more emotional support (counselors, etc.) or more armed officials in schools?
- Considering that more than 50% of my school are students of color and are disproportionately affected by gun violence, what changes can we expect that will alleviate this reality?
- In 1996, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment, which cut funding and effectively ended the CDC’s research on gun violence as a public health issue. This means that the federal government has largely abandoned efforts to learn why people resort to gun violence against others and themselves and what can be done to prevent it. We strongly believe funding for gun violence prevention research will greatly help our state and its current gun death statistics. Our question for you is, given the recent changes in CDC funding, what are your plans to ensure that research for gun violence prevention will be properly funded and be used to inform our gun laws?
- Considering the fact that some children might not have direct or immediate access to mental and emotional support, what can be done to make such access available to them?
- What additional support services do schools need to meet the social and emotional needs of all of our students?
- How did losing a friend to gun violence shape your views on gun regulation?
- How much influence does the NRA Whittington Branch have on the Roundhouse and the decisions made within it?
- New Mexico has a well-cultivated gun culture in which guns have many purposes, such as hunting, sports, etc. New Mexican history consists of many rebellions in which our people took up arms to fight for our rights. Therefore, we are not anti-guns; we are anti-gun violence. What laws can be enacted so we can not only keep our guns but also ensure the safety of our schools and communities?
- How does the correlation between domestic violence and gun violence impact our students?
- Currently, in New Mexico, an individual is not required to have a permit to purchase rifles, shotguns, or handguns. Recently, a legally purchased 9-mm Glock handgun was used in the Aztec high school shooting, resulting in the deaths of two students as well as the shooter. Other than what has been already stated, what legislation can be passed (and what protocols can be initiated) that would prevent these types of tragedies?
- If legislation requiring schools to have additional student support services––be they in the form of additional counselors, armed teachers or other armed officials, and so on––were to pass, where would this funding come from?
- Do you support the presence of armed teachers or officials in schools? Why or why not?
- What precautions can be taken to lower the rate of youth suicide by gun in New Mexico?
Categories: Criminal Justice & Public Safety
I believe it is imperative that we support the VOICES of the youngers! I am showing up tomorrow as are many friends…this has a chance to really make a difference in the local and national scene (Parkland Movement)–also we need to get Wells Fargo “out of town”…big big financial supporter of gun manufacturers!