CAGV's 15th Annual Luncheon

The Santa Barbara Coalition Against Gun Violence Presents:

CAGV's 15th ANNUAL LUNCHEON

"New Decade, New Challenges"

The Coalition Against Gun Violence invites you to attend our 15th Anniversary Celebration—an elegant luncheon on Sunday, May 16th 2010 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Mar Monte, located at 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Our theme this year is "New Decade, New Challenges." You may read about some of these challenges in the more intimate new format of CAGV’s newsletter.

We are very honored to have as our keynote speaker Josh Horwitz, a two-decades long advocate working on gun violence prevention issues, author and Executive Director of two nonprofits – Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence and Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Mr. Horwitz is responsible for managing two affiliated non-profit organizations that utilize a combination of advocacy, public education and litigation to reduce the illegal trafficking of firearms. Coincidently 15 years ago, Mr. Horwitz developed "Hands Without Guns," a youth anti-violence project.

Mr. Horwitz also implemented an advocacy campaign in California, in which CAGV was actively involved, that led to the first state law requiring that all new models of semiautomatic handgun, include microstamping technology (2005-2007).

Nationally known, Josh Horwitz is frequently invited as a presenter and lecturer. He testified on a variety of firearm-related issues before the U.S. House of Representatives, the Council of the District of Columbia, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates, the California Assembly and several other states.

Our current Mayor Helene Schneider and former Mayor Marty Blum are members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG). Mr. Horwitz was a panelist at the MAIG National Illegal Gun Summit in 2006. He also was a presenter at the MAIG 2006 seminar discussing, The Promise of Microstamping Technology.

The author of many articles, Mr. Horwitz's latest book, Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea, (2009) co-written with Casey Anderson, challenges the proposition that more guns equal more freedom and exposes insurrectionism as a true threat to freedom in the United States today. This book is an important first step in demonstrating how reasonable gun regulation is essential to the survival of democracy and liberty.

"When gun enthusiasts talk about constitutional liberties guaranteed by the Second Amendment, they are referring to freedom in a general sense, but they also have something more specific in mind—freedom from government oppression. They argue that the only way to keep federal authority in check is to arm individual citizens who can, if necessary, defend themselves from an aggressive government. In the past decade, this view of the proper relationship between government and individual rights and the insistence on a role for private violence in a democracy has been co-opted by the conservative movement. As a result, it has spread beyond extreme militia groups to influence state and national policy."

Following tradition since 2007, the Bell Ceremony will be part of our celebration. Mary Leigh and Charles Blek, originators of The Million Mom March, originated the concept of the Bell Ceremony as a family “remembrance” of their 21-year old son’s death. They brought their Bell to our event in 2007. We have continued to ring the Bell in honor of the families and victims of the Goleta Postal shooting tragedy. Any member of the audience who has lost a family member or a friend to gun violence is welcomed and encouraged to come up, say the name of their loved one and ring the bell. The response is always profound. Please join us on May 16th in welcoming Josh Horwitz to our community and in celebrating CAGV’s 15 years working for nonviolence and a safer Santa Barbara.

Please join us on May 16th in welcoming Josh Horwitz to our community and in celebrating CAGV’s 15 years working for nonviolence and a safer Santa Barbara.

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