KHSD Trustees first voted to allow non-staff CCW permit holders, including parents, to carry guns on campus on June 27th. Then on November 17, 2016 they called together a special meeting under outrageous circumstances, where they approved a proposal allowing teachers and other school personnel to carry arms on campus. The public was given a mere 24-hour notice and the meeting was held at an hour which made it difficult for parents, teachers, and other community members to attend. Over the past few months, the public—including teachers, school administrators, parents, elected officials and retired law enforcement officers—have come out strongly in overwhelming opposition to these dangerous policies which threaten to harm children and add more lawsuits to the many the district is already facing. Some of the most vocal proponents in favor of these policies are firearms trainers at local gun stores. In an apparent conflict of interest, some of the non-staff CCW holders who were granted permission to carry guns on campus are members of a church in which former Trustee Chad Vegas is their pastor. They meet on KHSD grounds during the weekend. These policies have the potential to endanger children who rely on public schools, and they were passed by Vegas even though he has removed his own children from the public school system and has gone on record encouraging his parishioners to do the same. In December 2016, Joey O’Connell, the new trustee replacing Chad Vegas, will be sworn in. During his campaign, he told members of the local chapter of the California Teacher’s Association that having more guns at schools creates more problems. A new board of trustees creates an opportunity to raise our voices and demand that they rescind these misguided firearms policies. Permitting more guns on high school campuses is dangerous. Having ready access to guns actually increases the risk of homicide. This puts over 37,000 students at risk. Gun violence disproportionately affects students of color. The KHSD is a racially diverse school district with some campuses having ethnic minority populations of 89% or more. Additionally, this policy will increase liability costs. Increased liability will likely take general funds away from classroom instruction.

Destinee’s Pledge against gun violence & bullying was observed in schools October 24, 2016, a day to remember Destinee Ford whom was shot & killed walking home from school.

The deadliest mass shootings happen when dangerous people get their hands on military-style assault weapons utilizing high-capacity magazines. We saw it in Orlando when a single gunman was able to murder 49 people. These weapons are designed first and foremost to wipe out enemy combatants on the battlefield, not for hunting or self-protection. They should have no place in our neighborhoods. We can't wait around for the next mass shooter to strike. We need to act urgently to protect our people.

At Emerge America, we’re fighting to elect more Democratic women to stand up for the change we need to move America forward. Our board member and Moms Demand Action founder, Shannon Watts, knows exactly why we need more women in office: “It’s proven that women are more likely than men to support the kinds of legislation that Moms Demand Action promotes, such as stricter laws governing gun sales.” Where should we start? We start by closing the loopholes that allow stalkers, abusive ex-dating partners and people with emergency restraining orders to legally buy and own guns. It’s common sense.

Last week, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey took a very bold step by announcing that she will be stepping up enforcement of her state's long-standing assault weapons ban. Massachusetts is one of just seven states with such a ban, but for many years, the gun industry has been defying the ban by manufacturing copycat assault weapons that are nearly indistinguishable from the weapons used in Orlando, Newtown, San Bernardino, Aurora, and other mass shootings. There were 10,000 of them sold in Massachusetts last year alone. The NRA and its local affiliate are fighting back hard against Attorney General Healey. They've activated their national network of supporters to draft petitions and organize rallies. And they're flooding the phones of state legislators and Republican Governor Charlie Baker, who initially supported the AG's action but is now starting to cave to NRA pressure. In Attorney General Healey, we have a law enforcement leader who is willing to stick her neck out and stand up to the NRA. It's incredibly important that we stand with her. We encourage you to join this letter/petition.

There has been too much bloodshed so that it is time to make a change. I myself have lost a family member to gun violence. Innocent people have lost their lives because of this.

As seen by last week's events in Dallas, military-style weapons of war pose a threat to both police officers and public safety. We must ban more from being sold and regulate those in current circulation.

The Democratic National Committee has taken a very meaningful step by including a plank on gun violence prevention in the 2016 Democratic Party Platform. However, given misleading GOP efforts that PRETEND they want stronger gun laws, it is important for the Platform to be precise in its goals. Current language calls for expanding background checks, but is not explicit that they should be for ALL gun purchases. We must distinguish between universal background checks and the weak legislation introduced by Republicans in the House and Senate. The goal of keeping "weapons of war" off our streets mentions assault weapons, but omits large capacity magazines (LCM). Experts agree that banning LCMs would do more to reduce gun deaths than an assault weapons ban alone. The platform calls for keeping guns out of the hands of "violent" criminals. Our standard should be higher; no criminal should have access to firearms. Finally, the plank sets the goal of keeping guns from people with "severe mental health issues." The Platform should take care not to stigmatize those who suffer from severe mental health issues, the vast majority of whom are not violent and in fact are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent acts. The language should be modified to "keeping guns from those with severe mental health issues who may be a danger to themselves or others."

To ensure the governmental protection of civil liberties under due process.

In order to guarantee that criminals, domestic abusers, the dangerously mentally ill and others are denied unchecked access to guns, the State of Florida should enact a law requiring verified comprehensive background checks on all sales of firearms. To date, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has prevented more than two million convicted felons and other dangerous individuals from buying guns. Unfortunately, current federal law requires criminal background checks only for guns sold through licensed firearm dealers, which account for just 60% of all gun sales in the United States. Further, this amendment nullifies the 'default proceed' rule which states a firearm purchase can proceed if not performed in three days by requiring a verified background check. This rule allowed 3,722 gun sales to prohibited persons in 2012.

American civil liberties and my Constitutional rights are being threatened because political rhetoric cannot address a key social-environmental issue, namely the de facto subsidy of alcohol consumption. The CDC report at http://www.cdc.gov/features/costsofdrinking/ presents the facts at hand. guns & alcohol KILL cars & alcohol KILL pills & alcohol KILL sex & alcohol KILL What Is So Hard To Understand? Distributed Beverage Alcohol is simply not paying the social cost incurred by its distribution. This is a key social-environmental issue. There will be plenty of money to fund universal health care, public schools, judicial matters, police, parks, and infrastructure maintenance if the USA makes beverage alcohol pay its way in real dollars. This is no more to ask of drinkers and of the beverage alcohol industry than what voters have insisted smokers and tobacco companies pay for the damage caused by distributed tobacco products. The CDC estimates the real cost of drinking beverage alcohol to be $2.05 per serving. [see http://www.cdc.gov/features/costsofdrinking/ ] . To know this cost of use exists and yet to not tax it commensurately constitutes a de facto subsidy for public intoxication. This cruel absurdity is fostering violence, including gun violence. The States and the Federal Government share equally in this blind duplicity. A majority of gun violence in America, including domestic violence, is caused by alcohol intoxication. Consequently, taxing beverage alcohol use is gun control. This petition calls for the Federal Government to institute a $2 per serving excise tax on distributed beverage alcohol to be shared equally by the States and the Federal Government, and includes this caveat: If convicted of Driving Under the Influence, one loses their right to keep guns in their possession during that correctional period. Clearly, if you can not be trusted to drive a car, you cannot be trusted with an arsenal. Sex & alcohol are likewise a recipe for tragedy because intoxicated sex produces so many unintended pregnancies which lead to abortion. Americans have the right to drink alcohol and the right to use tobacco just as they have a Constitutional right to own guns. These options can co-exist if and only if each pays its own way. The governments do not have any obligation to subsidize these activities. However, any government concerned with public well being and sustainability is obligated to hold in check choices known to have a negative impact. Keep a simple fact in mind: A distributed beverage alcohol excise tax would be a tax no one has to pay because you have the right to make your own beverage alcohol or you can simply abstain. Taxing beverage alcohol use is gun control.

Limiting Gun Magazine Capacity (the number of bullets in a gun) will help to reduce the number of deaths in mass shootings and greatly help potential victims at a massacre to escape or stop the shooter.