October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Info at Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse: https://www.emergecenter.org/. Don’t forget to wear purple on October 18, 2018 on Wear Purple Day.  Check out all the other activities for the entire month of October. As a former staff attorney for a DV Victims Advocacy project (in Hawaii) and the former Interim Director of the Domestic Violence … Read more

Democratic Candidates for Tucson’s CD2 Congressional Seat Renew their Demand for Gun Safety

Democratic candidates for Congress in CD2:
Democratic candidates for Congress in CD2: Yahya Yuksel, Billy Kovacs, Ann Kirkpatrick, Mary Matiella, Bruce Wheeler, Barbara Sherry and Matt Heinz.

On the day when a teenage shooter killed 10 and injured 10 at a Texas school, all seven of the CD2 Congressional candidates renewed their demand for gun safety legislation.

The candidate forum took place on Friday, May 18, for the residents at an active-living retirement community in Tucson. The candidates are Yahya Yuksel, Billy Kovacs, Ann Kirkpatrick, Mary Matiella, Bruce Wheeler, Barbara Sherry and Matt Heinz.

Mary Matiella

“My heart is broken over the shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. That is horrible. One more time we are just beyond ourselves with the pain we feel.”

“I have a cousin who was murdered in her home in front of her children. The most vulnerable are the children in schools. Women in the US are 15 times more likely to be killed by a gun than in other developed countries. We have to do something big. All we want is sensible gun legislation. We’re not trying to take on the Second Amendment. We should keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. Why would you not do that?”

Ann Kirkpatrick

“Just today my heart was broken one more time because 10 families are not going to have their children home for dinner because of a school shooting today. I was a law clerk for Judge John Roll when he was shot and Gabby was injured. It was something I’ll never, ever get over. Enough is enough.”

“Preventing gun violence has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. It says people in the US have a right to bear arms and to have a well-regulated militia. What we have is a completely unregulated system, that we need to have regulated to keep our children and victims of domestic violence safe, and to keep terrorists from getting guns in our country.”

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1st Annual Conference on Gender-based Violence at UA

“From Betsy DeVos’s rescinding of Obama-era campus sexual assault guidelines to increasing public outcry against sexual harassment and assault, there couldn’t be a more poignant moment to discuss the most complex issues surrounding gender-based violence. At the First Annual Conference on Gender-Based Violence, we will:

-​Learn practical tools for building and participating in survivor-driven programming, activism, and advocacy
-Engage in conversation on eradicating cycles of violence and misogynistic culture
-Gain insight into how to effectively support those most vulnerable to gender-based violence

The conference will be held on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3 and SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, at the University of Arizona Student Union. UA faculty, staff, and students, Tucson community leaders and activists, and health and legal advocates will come together to address complex issues surrounding the epidemic of gender-based violence and marginalized populations.

Workshops, keynotes, performances, and panel discussions will focus on how to build survivor-driven, intersectional activism and programs aimed at providing the best possible care to survivors while radically uprooting the social and cultural attitudes that recreate cycles of violence.

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Wear purple on Paint Pima Purple Day on October 20

“Join us in raising awareness about domestic abuse in our community. Together we can create safety for all Tucsonans! (from Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse) Our annual Wear Purple Day celebration will be held October 20th from 7am to 7pm at the Emerge! Voices Against Violence Site, located at 4101 E. 22nd Street. The event … Read more

Paint Pima Purple on Oct. 17

Paint Pima Purple Logo_bumper_FINAL

As part of the Paint Pima Purple campaign, Pima County employees, friends and residents are encouraged on Friday, Oct. 17 to wear purple clothing,  and to help Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse to “Stuff the Bus” with donations to help victims of domestic abuse.

From PaintPimaPurple.org and Emerge! Center against Domestic Abuse:

Domestic abuse does not discriminate. It affects families of every background, people of every sexual orientation and gender identity, and people from every socio-economic class. It is widely considered one of the most under-reported crimes in the United States.

If someone told you they were being abused, would you know what to do? Hearing about someone’s abusive situation is scary, especially if they are looking to you for help and you have no idea what to do. Knowing how to respond can help you save a life.

Call the experts: Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse’s 24-hour hotline is available to people in abusive situations and for those who want to learn how to help a friend or loved one. Local: 520-795-4266 Toll-free: 888-428-0101. If you are in a dangerous or life-threatening situation, always call 911.

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