Brevard NOW

National Organization for Women

Advocating for Women & Girls

Donate Join NOW

  • About
  • Issues
    • Constitutional Equality
    • Economic Justice
    • Freedom from Violence
    • LGBTQ Rights
    • Racial Justice
    • Reproductive Rights
  • Get Involved
    • Join
  • News
  • Events
  • Resources

October 14, 2017 by NOW National

NOW Challenges the NRA at Monthly Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence

“You Will Not Silence Us,” says NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is making support for the monthly vigil at the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, October 14 part of NOW’s board meeting, which is taking place this weekend in Virginia.

The vigil is held on the 14th of every month in remembrance of the Sandy Hook massacre that occurred in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14, 2012 that took the lives of 26 innocents, mostly children.

“This month’s vigil is particularly heartbreaking,” says NOW President Toni Van Pelt. “In the wake of the Las Vegas attack that is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, we have a solemn obligation to speak our truth to the terrible power that is the modern NRA.

“The NRA wants to keep our truth out of sight, out of mind, and out of earshot, but our message to the NRA is simple: despite the millions of dollars that you spend to silence members of Congress, you will not silence us. We will not stand for women being killed by abusers, families and workers being gunned down with assault weapons, school children massacred and happy crowds being slaughtered without remorse or accountability by the gun industry and the Congress who refuses to regulate gun ownership.

“We know that people with a history of committing domestic violence are five times more likely to subsequently murder an intimate partner when a firearm is in the house. And over the past 25 years, more intimate partner homicides in the U.S. have been committed with guns than with all other weapons combined.”

More than half of women murdered with guns in the U.S. in 2011 — at least 53 percent — were killed by intimate partners or family members. And research by Everytown for Gun Safety establishes that this is also true for mass shootings: in 57 percent of the mass shootings between January 2009 and June 2014, the perpetrator killed an intimate partner or family member.

NOW supports the Democratic candidates who are running for statewide office in Virginia and appearing at Saturday’s vigil, Lt. Gov Ralph Northam, candidate for Governor, Justin Fairfax, candidate for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General Mark Herring, who is running for re-election. In addition, NOW calls on Congress to close the loopholes in the federal gun prohibitions to ensure that stalkers and dating partners are barred from gun ownerships just like other dangerous abusers. Congress must also require comprehensive background checks and ensure that prohibited domestic abusers cannot easily evade background checks by purchasing guns from unlicensed sellers.

“Domestic violence is inextricably linked to gun violence,” says Toni Van Pelt. “It’s long past time to stop playing politics with women’s lives. We will shame the NRA, confront the NRA and defy the NRA at every turn.”

Contact
M.E. Ficarra, press@now.org, 951-547-1241

About NOW National

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Get Brevard NOW Updates

Take Action

Attend an Event

Become a Brevard NOW Member

Learn More

Follow Us on Twitter

Brevard NOWFollow

Brevard NOW
Retweet on TwitterBrevard NOW Retweeted
Florida_NOWFlorida NOW@Florida_NOW·
22 Jan

To mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and #ReimagineRoe, we are getting loud for #AbortionJustice and calling for:
✨ abortion coverage
✨ fair wages
✨ protections for immigrants & essential workers
Join us:
https://allaboveall.org/campaign/100-days-agenda/

Reply on Twitter 1352722389944172547Retweet on Twitter 13527223899441725472Like on Twitter 13527223899441725475Twitter 1352722389944172547
Retweet on TwitterBrevard NOW Retweeted
ReproRightsCenter for Reproductive Rights@ReproRights·
26 Jan

📆 EVENT ALERT: Anti-abortion pregnancy centers exist to talk people out of abortions. Nearly 200 of these centers are in Florida alone. The @FLReproFreedom Zoom Power Hour on 1/28 @ 7pm aims to #ExposeFakeClinics. Register now! https://forms.gle/pqc8CuAfo7k46CVh7

Reply on Twitter 1354137281137934336Retweet on Twitter 135413728113793433614Like on Twitter 135413728113793433620Twitter 1354137281137934336
Retweet on TwitterBrevard NOW Retweeted
NARALNARAL@NARAL·
29 Nov

9 out of 10 women will use birth control at some point in their lives. Contraception shouldn’t be controversial.

Reply on Twitter 1332866884237217792Retweet on Twitter 1332866884237217792281Like on Twitter 13328668842372177921690Twitter 1332866884237217792
Retweet on TwitterBrevard NOW Retweeted
NARALNARAL@NARAL·
20 Nov

Repeal the racist Hyde Amendment.
Pass the EACH Woman Act.

#BeBoldEndHyde #4EACHofUs

Reply on Twitter 1329605393786560519Retweet on Twitter 132960539378656051921Like on Twitter 1329605393786560519117Twitter 1329605393786560519
Retweet on TwitterBrevard NOW Retweeted
NARALNARAL@NARAL·
20 Nov

Today is Trans Day of Remembrance, a day to honor those whose lives have been lost to transphobic violence and systems of oppression. It’s also a day to commit to fighting for the fundamental freedom of 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 body. #TDoR2020

Reply on Twitter 1329801691890393091Retweet on Twitter 132980169189039309152Like on Twitter 1329801691890393091131Twitter 1329801691890393091
Load More...

Brevard NOW

Brevard NOW’s purpose is to take action through intersectional grassroots activism to promote feminist ideals, lead societal change, eliminate discrimination, and achieve and protect the equal rights of all women and girls.

Learn more about us.

Contact

Mailing Address
Brevard NOW
P. O. Box 33104
Indialantic, FL  32903

E-Mail
President@BrevardNOW.org

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Handcrafted with by Mapped Digital. NOW Chapter Websites Reinvented.