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Suicide Prevention Walk Organizers Tell Gun Control Advocates to Keep Away
A suicide prevention walk in San Diego Saturday will feature pamphlets with gun safety tips co-created by a gun lobbying group, but gun-control advocates will not be allowed to distribute materials.
“Their organization’s legislative stance related to guns is inconsistent with our efforts,” said Jessica van der Stad, regional director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “As a suicide prevention organization, we are not in the business of saying who can and cannot own firearms. We are in the business of saving lives.”
Van der Stad was referring to the local Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America group, which sought a booth at this weekend’s “Out of the Darkness” community walk. Another local gun control group was also told not to promote their cause if they attend, emails shared with Voice of San Diego show.
On Thursday, Vicki Shepperd Chin with the San Diego Brady Campaign, gave the suicide prevention group a head’s up about their plans.
“We are planning on wearing our standard t-shirts that say Brady Campaign and ‘gun violence prevention saves lives,’” wrote Shepperd Chin in an email to the organizers of the march. One of the goals “is to educate and put measures in place to prevent firearm suicides – is this an appropriate place to spread that word by wearing our t-shirts?”
Che Hernandez, chair of the suicide prevention foundation’s San Diego chapter, replied: “Upon consulting with our National leadership we still are unable to have the Brady Campaign / Moms Demand Action promote itself at our community events. We value the work you are doing to create awareness around the effects of firearms in our communities as it relates to suicide means. And you rightly point to the possibility of our walker guests being negatively affected by any depiction of guns, printed word, etc.”
She went on.
“AFSP has formed a partnership with National Sports Shooting Foundation, and has developed a new educational program and materials emphasizing Firearm Safety. Acknowledging that firearms are a primary means of suicide, this effort is a vital component of AFSP’s goal to achieve 20% reduction in suicide by the year 2025,” Hernandez wrote.
Mentioning the partnership raised tensions more.
The suicide prevention foundation describes the partnership — which began in 2016 — on its website as “strategic” and says it allows both organizations to “build and implement public education resources for firearms retailers, shooting ranges, and the firearms-owning community about suicide prevention and firearms.”
More at ...
Gun Control Advocates Not Welcome at Suicide Prevention Walk
A suicide prevention walk in San Diego Saturday will feature pamphlets with gun safety tips co-created by a gun lobbying group, but gun-control advocates will not be allowed to distribute materials.
“Their organization’s legislative stance related to guns is inconsistent with our efforts,” said Jessica van der Stad, regional director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “As a suicide prevention organization, we are not in the business of saying who can and cannot own firearms. We are in the business of saving lives.”
Van der Stad was referring to the local Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America group, which sought a booth at this weekend’s “Out of the Darkness” community walk. Another local gun control group was also told not to promote their cause if they attend, emails shared with Voice of San Diego show.
On Thursday, Vicki Shepperd Chin with the San Diego Brady Campaign, gave the suicide prevention group a head’s up about their plans.
“We are planning on wearing our standard t-shirts that say Brady Campaign and ‘gun violence prevention saves lives,’” wrote Shepperd Chin in an email to the organizers of the march. One of the goals “is to educate and put measures in place to prevent firearm suicides – is this an appropriate place to spread that word by wearing our t-shirts?”
Che Hernandez, chair of the suicide prevention foundation’s San Diego chapter, replied: “Upon consulting with our National leadership we still are unable to have the Brady Campaign / Moms Demand Action promote itself at our community events. We value the work you are doing to create awareness around the effects of firearms in our communities as it relates to suicide means. And you rightly point to the possibility of our walker guests being negatively affected by any depiction of guns, printed word, etc.”
She went on.
“AFSP has formed a partnership with National Sports Shooting Foundation, and has developed a new educational program and materials emphasizing Firearm Safety. Acknowledging that firearms are a primary means of suicide, this effort is a vital component of AFSP’s goal to achieve 20% reduction in suicide by the year 2025,” Hernandez wrote.
Mentioning the partnership raised tensions more.
The suicide prevention foundation describes the partnership — which began in 2016 — on its website as “strategic” and says it allows both organizations to “build and implement public education resources for firearms retailers, shooting ranges, and the firearms-owning community about suicide prevention and firearms.”
More at ...
Gun Control Advocates Not Welcome at Suicide Prevention Walk
