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Getting Involved Partner Organizations Newsletter | ||||||
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CAGV’S 13th Anniversary Celebration"Bullets or Crayons"The Coalition Against Gun Violence invites you to attend our 13th Anniversary Celebration – an elegant luncheon on Saturday, April 19, 2007, 11:30 a.m. at Santa Barbara’s Hotel Mar Monte, located at 1111 E. Cabrillo Boulevard. Our theme this year is “Bullets or Crayons: What Can We Do to Help Our Youth Make Correct Choices.” Continuing a tradition begun last year, we will be honoring the memories of individuals who have been victims of gun violence with the “Bell Ceremony,” which will include participation by anyone in the audience who has lost a family member or friend to gun violence.
We are honored to have as our keynote speaker, Assemblyman Kevin de León. Assemblyman de León has been representing the 45th District of Los Angeles since 2006. He has worked as a community organizer to empower working families and the poor.is an advocate for public schools and worked as a U.S. Citizenship and English as a Second Language teacher. During his five years at the California Teachers Association, Assemblyman de León fought for more funding for “high-priority schools” in low-income neighborhoods, more school construction, and health insurance for children. As a Senior Associate for the National Education Association in Washington, DC, Assemblyman de León advocated for more resources for schools in low-income neighborhoods. He also coordinated a team that fought schemes to take funds from public schools in the form of taxpayer-funded vouchers.thwarted efforts to impose academic censorship on public school teachers. Now, as an Assemblyman, in addition to sitting on several committees, including the Select Committee on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, de León has the important job of assistant majority floor leader and is in charge of helping Democrats get elected. He says, “People think of California as a progressive, liberal state – and it is – but 48 of its 58 counties are Republican. My job is to protect the Democratic majority.” Assemblyman de León, who is fluent in two languages, grew up in the San Diego barrio of Logan Heights. The son of a maid at San Diego’s Hotel Del Coronado, he was the first in his family to graduate from high school. He attended U.C. Santa Barbara and graduated from Pitzer College at the Claremont Colleges with Honors. He has one daughter, Lluvia. Please call (805) 564-6803 for further information or to be sure you receive an invitation, send an email to sbcoalitionagv@hotmail.com.
For more CAGV News and Views including "Guns & Votes: Prayers Just Won't Do. Presidential Candidates' Positions on Gun Control," "The Costs of Gun Violence," "Re-interpreting the Second Amendment Threatens Existing Laws," and "Legislation: Ammunition Background Check Bill and Owner-Authorized Handguns, " download our latest newsletter... Click HERE! BUILDING
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With Special Introductory Speaker, Michael MehasWe are also honored to have as our introductory speaker, Michael Mehas, a renowned author of the extraordinary novel, “Stolen Boy,” the drama of Jesse James Hollywood, and associate Producer of the film, “Alpha Dog,” based on the novel. (There will be a special book signing at the Event.) A Ventura resident, Mehas was attending Pepperdine University in the early 80s, and while working for his mentor – independent film legend John Cassavetes – received from him this sage advice for an aspiring writer: “get experience in life to write from.” Mehas took heed and pursued a two-pronged career. In 1988, Mehas received his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law, and the following year graduated from the Academy of Justice School of Advocacy. He followed this with a brief stint with the Public Defender’s office and private practice where he researched, prepared, and tried felony criminal matters, including a death penalty case in only his third trial. In the 1990s, working also as a screenwriter and freelance journalist, he again teamed with writer/director Nick Cassavetes to produce “Alpha Dog,” a major motion picture from Universal, starring Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, and Sharon Stone, based on his novel “Stolen Boy.” Both novel and film evolved from unprecedented research, access to confidential case files, and interviews with key participants. The following is an excerpt: “In the privileged neighborhoods of Southern California, bored teenagers string one lazy afternoon into another, searching for their next thrill. When you live life without consequences, anything can happen. And on one heated summer day something terrible did.” We’ll hear firsthand from Michael Mehas about the tragic tale of a “Stolen Boy” and the drama of Jesse James Hollywood, a drama that continues in the Santa Barbara courts. At the beginning of the film, the father, played by Bruce Willis, says, “This is a story about parenting.” Yes, and much more as we listen to author Michael Mehas describe the thinking behind his novel. Guns in Colleges and Schools? The gun lobby is threatening school safety. Visit the Brady Campaign."D.C. Gun Case: The Second Amendment on Trial" and a 2008 Report on Regulating Guns in America: Visit the Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV) website... click the logo below:A Child’s Perception of
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