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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2000)
Rally, march to educate and to promote safe firearms use ■ A gun safety rally on Wednesday and a march set for mid May are not anti-gun; they’re anti-gun violence By Josh Ryneal Oregon Daily Emerald Following numerous school shootings around the country and stagnating gun control legislation, Eugene gun control advocates are organizing two events to give a lo cal edge to gun control efforts. The Community Action Fo rum, an Oregon advocacy group, is hosting a gun safety rally at the Downtown Athletic Club on Wednesday to promote stricter gun control laws and educate people about the risks associated with owning a firearm. Featured speakers will include Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey; Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland; and Million Mom March organizer Lisa Lauren Thirkill. A march intended to pressure lawmakers into controlling access to firearms will take place on Mother’s Day, May 14, at the Eu gene Water and Electric Board plaza. The Eugene Million Mom March is one of many “echo marches” around the country that will coincide with a larger march in Washington, D.C. The rally will not be a protest or demonstration but instead will focus on providing information about gun safety issues, said Dan Close, a professor at the College of Education and member of the University Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior. “We are not anti-gun,” Close said. “We are anti-gun violence.” Citing the increasing number of ( ( You can’t solve all the problems with guns with one ballot measure, but background checks are key. Hali Burley gun safety rally coordinator child deaths attributed to firearms, Close said that the aim of the group is not to take away guns but instead to push for stronger child access prevention laws, something that is bitterly contested by pro gun groups such as the National Rifle Association, which main tains that locking up guns makes them useless for self-defense. “The vast majority of gun own ers are responsible,” Close said, but those with children "often don’t assess the risk” of keeping a loaded firearm in the home. CAF strongly advocates trigger locks, which its members say are not currently mandatory but are cheap, easy to use and readily available at most gun stores. The problem, Close said, is the “conflict between people who own guns for self-defense, keeping them loaded in the home, and those who practice ‘safe storage,’ or keeping the guns and ammo separate.” Close will speak at the rally on why gun safety is a critical issue for households with children. Burdick, who will speak about the importance of background checks, is currently collecting sig natures for a November ballot ini tiative that would require checks at gun shows. Torrey will speak about Eu gene’s efforts to support gun con trol measures. “We want to let people know about the various issues that threaten our kids,” said Hali Bur ley, former schoolteacher and event coordinator for the rally. She also stressed the need for background checks and ex pressed support for Burdick’s bal lot initiative. “You can’t solve all the prob lems with guns with one ballot measure, but background checks are key,” she said. Burley and Close both said that Wednesday’s rally will be fun and informative, with food and a marimba band. The rally begins at 7 p.m. and is free to the public. Holocaust Remembrance Week Monday, May 1, 2000, 6:30 pm, EMU Amphitheater The ceremony sets the tone for the 24 hour reading of Holocaust victims' names and establishes a supportive community for those involved. Hlttfli9ii|a(tfeKNa»s Monday-Tuesday, May 1-2, 2000, 7:00 pm-7:00 pm, EMU Amphitheater Holocaust victims' names will be read by volunteers in ten minute intervals. _For more information call the JSU at 346-4366 We bring the storage unit to you. You pack it, we pick it up and store it. We’ll deliver it when you’re ready. Perfect for the summer! 485-2115 Gioovy Weekly Reader Polls. Vole online See results instantly n9Kw.dailpmemld.eom "Pretty tasty notes aren't they?" LectuRe ncvres . rEview & exam preparatioN . study gRoups (AmonG otHer acAdemic tReaTs) -always (1440,365) open
