Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Formation | 1974 |
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Headquarters | Washington, DC |
Membership | 45 national organizations |
Website |
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.
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Association of Suicidology
- American Ethical Union
- American Jewish Committee
- American Jewish Congress
- American Psychiatric Association
- American Public Health Association
- Americans for Democratic Action
- Assoc. of Japanese Families of Gun Violence Victims in the U.S.A.
- Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
- The Bible Holiness Movement, International
- Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Central Conference of American Rabbis
- Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
- The Communitarian Network
- The Council of The Great City Schools
- The DISARM Education Fund
- Fellowship of Reconciliation
- Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Jesuit Conference - Office of Social Ministries
- Jewish Community Center Association
- Jewish Women International
- Loretto Community
- Mennonite Central Committee
- National Association of School Psychologists
- National Association of Social Workers
- National Council of Jewish Women, Inc.
- National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
- National Urban League, Inc.
- North American Federation of Temple Youth
- Pan American Trauma Association
- Peace Action of Washington (state)
- Presbyterian Church USA
- Union of American Hebrew Congregations
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- United Church of Christ
- United Federation of Teachers
- United Methodist Church Board of Church & Society
- United States Conference of Mayors
- United States Student Association
- United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
- Woman's National Democratic Club
- Women's League for Conservative Judaism
- YWCA of U.S.A.
Websites
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
References