Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

Formation	1974
Headquarters	Washington, DC
Membership	45 national organizations
Website	http://www.csgv.org/

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) and its sister organization, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV), emerged from the civil rights movement in the early 1970s to campaign for measures aimed at reducing firearms deaths. The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence or CSGV is a non-partisan group of 45 organizations representing 100,000 individual members that was founded in 1974 to ban handguns and currently seeks to ban various semi-automatic firearms and to strengthen other gun control laws in the United States. The coalition works at the state and federal level to prevent gun violence through both litigation and legislative lobbying.[1]

This organization was first known as the "The National Coalition to Ban Handguns", which was often confused with the similarly-named National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH). [2] Rather than endure the confusion, and to be more subtle in its goal of incrementally acting to ban guns, its name was changed to "The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence". It continues, however, to use the icon associated with banning handguns, a handgun with an international "no" slash. [3],[4]

Mission

CSGV lists the following as their mission:

A progressive legislative agenda to close illegal gun markets. CSGV developed a step-by-step plan to regulate firearm distribution to stop the flow of guns into our communities. These legislative steps include closing the gun show loophole, mandating criminal background checks for all firearm sales, and licensing and registration.

Litigation. The Educational Fund has developed sophisticated strategies and resources to use the civil justice system to reform the irresponsible practices of the gun industry itself.

Building a stronger grassroots gun control movement. This means recruiting, training, and supporting new activists, especially young people, in the campaign for stricter gun control laws.

Changing laws by changing our elected leaders. Through grassroots education and get-out-the-vote efforts, CSGV supports candidates for public office who support gun control.

CSGV and the Ed Fund also provide a unique emphasis on identifying focused strategies and realistic plans to achieve goals. Their leadership in this area benefits the entire gun violence prevention movement.

Leadership

Michael K. Beard is the President of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence/Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, a title he has held since the inception of the respective organizations.

Joshua Horwitz is the Executive Director of CSGV/EFSGV. Mr. Horwitz is an attorney who joined the Ed Fund in 1989 as Legal Director.

Ladd Everitt has served as the organization's Director of Communications since May 2006.

Manda Kelley has served as the organization's Development Associate since November 2006.

Membership

CSGV's organizational structure is unique among national gun violence prevention organizations. It is comprised of 45 national organizations working to reduce gun violence. Coalition members include religious organizations, child welfare advocates, public health professionals, and social justice organizations. CSGV believes that this diversity allows the organization to reach a wide variety of grassroots constituencies who share its vision of non-violence.

1. American Academy of Pediatrics
2. American Association of Suicidology
3. American Ethical Union
4. American Jewish Committee
5. American Jewish Congress
6. American Psychiatric Association
7. American Public Health Association
8. Americans for Democratic Action
9. Assoc. of Japanese Families of Gun Violence Victims in the U.S.A.
10. Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
11. The Bible Holiness Movement, International
12. Center for Science in the Public Interest
13. Central Conference of American Rabbis
14. Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
15. The Communitarian Network
16. The Council of The Great City Schools
17. The DISARM Education Fund
18. Fellowship of Reconciliation
19. Friends Committee on National Legislation
20. Jesuit Conference - Office of Social Ministries
21. Jewish Community Center Association
22. Jewish Women International
23. Loretto Community
24. Mennonite Central Committee
25. National Association of School Psychologists
26. National Association of Social Workers
27. National Council of Jewish Women, Inc.
28. National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
29. National Urban League, Inc.
30. North American Federation of Temple Youth
31. Pan American Trauma Association
32. Peace Action of Washington (state)
33. Presbyterian Church USA
34. Union of American Hebrew Congregations
35. Unitarian Universalist Association
36. United Church of Christ
37. United Federation of Teachers
38. United Methodist Church Board of Church & Society
39. United States Conference of Mayors
40. United States Student Association
41. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
42. Woman's National Democratic Club
43. Women's League for Conservative Judaism
44. YWCA of U.S.A.

Websites

• Official CSGV Website
• CSGV Facebook Page

Published Articles/Letters

• "Guns and the Mentally Ill" from the The New York Times
• "Stamping Out Violence" from the Los Angeles Daily Journal
• "Please Don't Shoot" from the Legal Times
• "Parker Ruling Encourages Insurrection" from the Richmond Times-Dispatch
• "Gun Control Ruling Affirms the Confederacy" from Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
• "Guns and the Constitution in the District" from the Washington Post
• "Follow the Gun Trails" from the Washington Times
• "Lock Guns, Save Children," from the Washington Times
• "Gun-limit Proposal Would Help Save Lives," from the Tribune-Democrat
• "Gun Advocates Won't Consider Conflicting Rights," from the Tampa Tribune

Radio Interviews

• Josh Horwitz on "Conversations with Joy Cardin" on Wisconsin Public Radio on 4/18/07, 7:00 AM
• Josh Horwitz on Barry Lynn's "Culture Shocks" show, #861, 2/13/07