In the aftermath of the recent Planned Parenthood and San Bernardino shootings, many have expressed frustration at elected officials' lack of leadership in addressing the proliferation of guns.
This Saturday, December 12th, the San Francisco chapter of the Brady Campaign, a national organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, hopes to address San Franciscans' concerns about guns by hosting a gun buyback event and anti-violence rally in and around SoMa and Civic Center, two SF neighborhoods particularly affected by gun violence. They'll be joined by local anti-violence group United Playaz and other organizations, in an effort to raise awareness and get guns off the street.
The date of the buyback event was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of 2012's Sandy Hook mass shooting, in which 20 young children and six teachers were tragically killed in Newtown, Connecticut. In spite of this shooting, and the hundreds that have occurred since, the federal government has taken little legislative action on gun violence.
As a result, many activists have come to realize that they'll need to lead the charge in their own communities. "[Politicians' thoughts and prayers] are empty words," said Emma Tao White of the Brady Campaign. "They show how conservatives are hypocritical, because they do not follow up with any action to show that they really care."
"I'm not going to stand up for a moment of silence again and then watch us do nothing," said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA14), who will be speaking at on the steps of City Hall at tomorrow's event. "It's hypocritical, and it speaks to our impotence that we think that it's good enough to just take out one minute and pray. The families of those who have died don't want our one minute of silence. They want some assurance that this kind of conduct is not going to be sanctioned in this country moving forward."
Speier herself was shot five times in 1978, while working as a Congressional aide on a fact-finding mission to Jim Jones' Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Despite waiting 22 hours for help, she survived. Recently, she introduced new gun-control legislation to Congress in the form of the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2015, which has 70 congressional sponsors.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier, in orange stripes, with leaders of the SF Brady Campaign. (Photo: Courtesy of SF Brady Campaign)
A series of gun control-related events are planned for Saturday. They include a screening of “Shell Shocked," a documentary about New Orleans' staggering murder rate, and how gun violence affects the city's youth. The film will screen at the SF Main Library's Koret Auditorium (100 Larkin St.) at 10am, followed by a discussion with director John Richie.
After the screening, a "Stand United Against All Violence" rally will be held from 12-2pm at UN Plaza, with speakers including Speier, Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor London Breed, religious and community leaders, and survivors of violence. Designed "to show the broad base of support for better gun laws and gun safety," the event will also include entertainment and refreshments.
The buyback itself will run from 8am to noon at United Playaz' headquarters at 1038 Howard St. It will offer $100 for a handgun and $200 for assault weapons— no questions asked.
"One in three homes with children have guns, and many are unlocked," Rudy Corpuz, who runs United Playaz, told this reporter in an SF Weekly story earlier this year. Corpuz, a former gang member and drug dealer, now works to help young people, particularly those in the black community, through his SoMa-based community center and advocacy group. Corpuz mentors youth with job placement programs, talks to kids in schools, and attempts to defuse altercations before they escalate into life-threatening situations.
Rudy Corpuz. (Photo: Brittany Hopkins/Hoodline)
"If we only get one gun off the street, it's a victory," Corpuz said. "One gun has 10 bullets, so we can save 10 lives. We can also save an 11th life—the life of the person pulling the trigger."
"I think many Americans care about this issue," said the Brady Campaign's White. "However, too many are cynical about their ability to effect change, and are not participating in the political system or speaking up. With so many shootings happening, more people can no longer sit by. After each incident hits the news media, people sign up with Brady and other organizations, saying they want to do something to change the status quo."
White added that the media needs to continue reporting on this issue, but that the focus should be on the victims, not the perpetrators.
"Every day, 282 people in America are shot. 50 of them are children and teens," said White. "90 of them die, many of them from guns that were bought without background checks or illegally obtained. We need to note how easily guns are obtained by virtually anyone, and the harm they can do. Mass shootings are sensational and get our attention, but they should not obscure the everyday deaths and injuries from guns."
