Hello to all who enter this Blog. This is Lee's Space, a place where I plan to share my thoughts and points of view with others and also provide resources that may be of interest to people. I hope something you find in Lee's Space will be useful.

Thursday, September 21, 2006


Join the Harrisburg Rally for stricter gun laws

Anyone who lives in Philadelphia knows that there is a huge urban gun violence issue here, which unfortunately isn't an issue unique solely to Philly. The Mayor of Philadelphia, John F. Street, has organized a rally in Harrisburg to convince state legislators to pass stricter gun laws in the state of Pennsylvania.

The city of Philadelphia endorses the following priorities to be addressed by the state:

Responsible Gun Ownership:
The Administration supports legislation introduced by the Philadelphia Delegation that requires gun owners to maintain guns in a secure lock box, requires trigger locks on all guns, and requires the immediate report of lost, stolen or missing firearms to the Police.

Limit the Number of Guns in Philadelphia:
The Administration supports legislation that limits the purchase of guns to one-gun-a-month, and legislation that cracks down on straw purchaser activity. It is important to note, that legislation in this category will only be effective if it is implemented statewide. A one-gun-a-month law that only affects guns purchased in Philadelphia will do little to stop the influx of guns into the city.

Increase Penalties for Crimes Committed with Guns:
The Administration supports legislation that makes possession of any illegal firearm a felony and moves more gun violations to state and federal courts


Why is this issue important to LGBT's?
Following is a statement from Michael Hinson who is a managing director for the city and the Mayor's liaison to the LGBT community:

"As leaders in the LGBT Community you might wonder, 'what does this have to do with me?' Remember that our community is made up of many communities. Through our various communities we face a myriad of issues including issues of violence and again specifically hand gun perpetrated violence. we can all think back a little about several high profile cases of LGBT individuals in particularly young people who have been the victims of such violence. Further, because the Mayor has outlined a model that includes social services as part of the solution, one doesn't have to think far about what we can do in our communities especially with young people if we were to receive additional supports for social services. Lastly, this is a "huge" opportunity for us as leaders in the LGBT community to stand side-by-side with other community leaders on issues that affect us all. This will certainly help us in our ongoing efforts to bridge our issues with those of the larger community... .'ally building'."

How can you do your part?
Join the Black Gay Men's Leadership Council, Outfront ( a local political group) and a variety of other LGBT organizations on a bus we have commissioned for the purpose of going to Harrisburg to support the Mayor's efforts. Here are the details:

When: Tuesday November 26, 2006
Time: Bus leaves Philly @ 8am, leaves Harrisburg @ 3:30pm
Departure: William Way Community Center- 1315 Spruce Street

A light breakfast and lunch will be served to attendees in our group. For more information call: 215.817.1417

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am all for tougher gun control, but I am against laws that will discriminate against willing, law- abiding, and able prospecting buyers.

I noticed that Black men are targets to have gun charges that are innocent. What we do to "assist" in our saftey maybe our nemesis in our Black men caught up in the legal system.

I prefer that we waste no time in making laws for gun control altogher. I feel we should pressure police to control area's that are heavy in violence and become more creative in combating these problems. Maybe Philly can take a few lessons from Chicago as crime and murder has significantly dropped. (I know, I am a resident) and no laws were passed. We just demand more from our police officers in combating crime since we pay very well for their services.

Monday, September 25, 2006 9:51:00 AM

 

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