Ceasefire PA and Moms Against Guns "Join Forces"

[anonymouse]

http://ceasefirepa.org/node/147

CEASEFIREPA AND MOMS AGAINST GUNS OFFICIALLY JOIN FORCES TO INCREASE CAPACITY AND POWER TO FIGHT FOR BETTER, STRONGER GUN LAWS IN PA

LYNNE HONICKMAN AND SISTER MARY SCULLION JOIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Philadelphia, PA (June 16, 2010)—CeaseFirePA today announced the handgun law reform campaign “Moms Against Guns,” founded by philanthropist and children’s issues activist Lynne Honickman, will officially join forces with their organization to decrease illegal guns in PA. Honickman has also agreed to join the CeaseFirePA board of directors along with one of Moms Against Guns’ most influential partners – Sister Mary Scullion, Project H.O.M.E. co-founder and the City’s most respected nonprofit leader.

“This alliance represents more voices, more power and more resources to fight one of Pennsylvania’s most contentious issues: illegal guns,” said Honickman. “While we have loosely partnered with CeaseFirePA in the past and stand at their side as they advocate for stronger gun laws, there has never been a formal partnership. Today, that changes.”

CeaseFirePA Board President Phil Goldsmith said the organization has been seeking new ways to increase its strength as the gun law reform issue becomes more hotly debated in the state, and as gun violence and murder caused by illegal handguns continues to increase in communities and cities throughout PA.

While CeaseFirePA has made significant strides in the last three years to unite concerned citizens around this issue and to inform state policy makers about their constituents’ interests in decreasing illegal guns and gun violence in their towns, much more work remains to be done statewide.

In the past two years:
• 43 Pennsylvania municipalities have taken local action in support of a simple reform (a lost or stolen handgun reporting requirement) to help police curb illegal gun trafficking.
• Nearly 190 Pennsylvania mayors have joined forces in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition.
• Nearly 100 PA police chiefs and 370 faith leaders statewide have joined coalitions to reduce and prevent gun violence.

But even with these accomplishments, 22 police officers have been shot and killed in Pennsylvania the line of duty over the past decade - seven officers since 2009 alone. Nearly 1,200 Pennsylvanians die in gun-related incidents each year.

All these challenges remain as CeaseFirePA and Moms Against Guns join forces.

“We need a unified voice on this issue, if we are to continue our success in going head-to-head with the powerful gun lobby in Pennsylvania,” Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith said Moms Against Guns’ influence will help CeaseFirePA reach more residents across the state – especially women. Honickman agreed, saying "The Moms Against Guns viral campaign was originally created to rally women to be more active voters. We never expected so many men to sign up.

“Our voices are our power,” she said. “We all need to do more to protect children and youth against gun violence.”

CeaseFirePA Executive Director Joe Grace welcomed the new alliance with Moms Against Guns. “The most influential voices in Pennsylvania on the issues of gun violence and reducing trafficking in illegal guns are mayors, police chiefs and mothers; mayors because they see the pain caused by gun violence first-hand in their towns. Police because officers are on the front lines every day, risking their lives to protect us.

“Moms are the critical third piece – they feel and understand the pain of losing a child more than anyone," said Grace.

The Moms Against Guns campaign focuses on a petition to state legislators. Residents are asked to sign an online petition that is sent directly to the signer’s state representative and state senator.

Honickman set a goal of reaching 50,000 petition signers. “Today we have garnered close to 7,000 signatures on our petition,” said Honickman, “thanks to many amazing women – and men—who have stepped up to support us. But we’re far from our target."

“We set an ambitious goal of 50,000 signatures, but that goal was not arbitrary. We were told by advisors that 10,000 signatures would get some policymakers’ attention; and 25,000 would show we were serious. But 50,000 could turn a vote – that’s why we set this bold goal. The violence from illegal guns has caused a public health crisis."

"With mayors, police and law enforcement, and now PA moms on our side,” said Joe Grace, "we will break through to the vast majority of Pennsylvanians who want to see change on the gun issue.”

For more information about CeaseFirePA: www.ceasefirepa.org and Moms Against Guns: www.momsagainstguns.org

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blair Kahora CeaseFirePA
Blair.Kahora@CeaseFirePA.org, 215-923-3151

Sharon Gallagher, Sage Communications
SGallagher@Sage-Communications.com, 215-209-3075

Just saw this on the enemy's website...

[Devrbd]

“We all need to do more to protect children and youth against gun violence.”

And now Ceasefire has a lock on the much coveted "children" mantra.

[WhiteFeather]

The other side is building their coalition to take your rights away, and they are not going away anytime soon.


If anything they are getting more active and better able to spin their BS and propaganda at more places all over PA by a willing media that gives them a pass without challenging their BS claims.


We have them out numbered 100’s to one yet they win tactical victories because we are too busy having fun instead (rationalizing to ourselves they are not after our guns) to get involved or bother to show up in most cases to oppose them and their gun control schemes are proposed.


These anti-gun groups are dedicated to taking away your firearm rights by thousand of little cuts and reasonable sounding comprising slices with a continuous squeeze of your rights.


It’s All justified because of the actions of criminals that these same anti-gun groups remain total silent about the revolving door of injustice that routinely doesn’t aggressively prosecute and incarcerate repeat violent criminals with existing firearm laws that quickly teach criminals that there is no consequence for criminal action of using firearms.


So what are you going to do to personally help stop these anti-gun groups & protect your rights?

How about investing some time to get involved, educate yourself and engage them on the political battlefield.


Think you can't make a differance?


Join with US and learn how to shake up the system as active, educated involved Citizen working for the cause of fighting for freedom by protecting the Constitution.


http://www.foac-pac.org/

What your firearm heritage worth to you?

Do your part to protect it for the next generation of American’s to enjoy and all of protections firearms offers to Free individuals.

[thefirstndsecond]

When is the FOAC going to get representatives in other areas of the state?

[theshadow]

How about the thread I just started, think that'll help with any remediation?

[WhiteFeather]

When is the FOAC going to get representatives in other areas of the state?

Soon as we can find people willing to organize local monthly meetings of gun owners in other parts of the state for the long haul.

FOAC is doing is part to locate them and trying to raise the cash to support this statewide efforts of local chapters of FOACtivist to reshape who holds elected offices. Everything take some time to set in motion

FOAC doesn’t have rich anti-gun groups like the Joyce foundations to support US like CeaseFirePA get with grants of $350,000 at a drop of the hat to pay their Mercenaries lobbyist efforts to take our firearm rights away.

FOAC activist are ALL unpaid Volunteers.

Find some sugar daddy to give FOAC 350,000 a year grant, and or BETTER YET lots of willing people to defend their right by giving their time to fight gun control and we can get the local chapters set up to change the debates in PA from gun control to criminal control.

[andrewjs18]

oh great..2 useless groups joining forces.

I'm a card carrying member of FOAC.

I think they're working on bringing FOAC out to central and eastern PA.

[S&WM&P40]

And now Ceasefire has a lock on the much coveted "children" mantra.

seriously this "think of the children" bs is getting old. It almost seems as if every gun shoots a heat seeking bullet out which only targets children according to these people.

[YllwFvr]

The amount of spin they are willing to try is unreal. I saw an anti gun thread about a gun collector arrested. When I looked it was that mexican drug lord he was talking about. But he didnt make it out that way.

They will do anything to make guns look bad, and cast lawful gun owners in a bad light. They say "illegal" guns, but they mean all guns. These are the people who say they dont care about lawfully owned guns but would have a heart attack if they walked in on a meet and greet.

[Brick]

So let's look at basics. What is Ceasefire? What is Moms Against Guns? What is the combination? Are they PACs? Are they Non-profit educational orgs? Are they Not-for-Profit? Are they Orgs that must file federal income tax returns? If yes, are they required to make the returns public? If they are 501 C (?) orgs are they engaging in activitities forbidden them? (e.g. a non-profit educational org cannot endorse a candidate for office) If they are "educational" is the information they put out accurate?

In short is there a way to attack them through the Federal agency that oversees such orgs, the IRS? Given enough complaints against them the IRS will stomp them.