ICYMI: Congressman Dan Goldman Launches ‘NY-10 Alliance Against Gun Violence’ Event Series, Unites Survivors, Elected Officials, and Community Organizations in the Fight to End Gun Violence
Goldman Convened Virtual Fireside Chat with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New Yorkers Against Gun Violence to Discuss Strategies at Federal and Local Level to Combat Gun Violence Epidemic, Answer Questions from NY-10 Constituents
Goldman Hosted New Yorkers Impacted by Gun Violence for a Gun Violence Survivors Roundtable with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Local Elected Officials Who Heard Stories from Survivors and Discussed Action Necessary to End Scourge of Gun Violence
Goldman Brought Together Community-Based Organizations in a Stakeholder Roundtable with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams to Discuss Funding Opportunities for Critical Work of Organizations on the Frontlines of the Fight Against Gun Violence
Congressman Goldman Joined WABC and WNYW to Discuss Gun Violence Survivors Week
Congressman Goldman is Vice Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and Chair of the Dads Caucus Gun Violence Prevention Working Group
Watch Recording from Virtual Fireside Chat
View Recording and Photos from Gun Violence Survivors Roundtable
View Photos from Stakeholder Roundtable
Watch Recordings from WABC and WNYW Interviews
New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) this week launched ‘NY-10 Alliance Against Gun Violence,’ a series of events in communities across New York’s 10th Congressional District to highlight National Gun Violence Survivors week.
“I am thankful for everyone throughout New York City who participated in the ‘NY-10 Alliance Against Gun Violence’ events,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Combating the scourge of gun violence must be a priority for all of us at the local, state, and federal level. We must push for resources to address the root causes of gun violence as well as ensuring that common sense gun safety laws can help keep our communities safe. I am proud to have brought together survivors, local elected officials, and community organizations on the ground to discuss strategies to eliminate gun violence. Together, we must protect our communities.”
On Tuesday, Congressman Goldman hosted a Gun Violence Prevention Virtual ‘Fireside Chat’ with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Rebecca Fischer, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. The three answered questions from NY-10 constituents and discussed the policy and legal work being done at both the city, state, and federal level to combat the scourge of gun violence.
Goldman and Bragg discussed the implementation of the historic ‘Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,’ how the mental health crisis contributes to gun violence in America, and how variance in gun safety legislation on a state-by-state basis can make it difficult for individual states to enforce their own laws. The participants also spoke about how New York’s strong gun safety laws can be a lesson for other states.
On Wednesday, Congressman Goldman and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso hosted a Gun Violence Survivors Roundtable with New York gun violence survivors. During the event – attended by New York City Councilmembers Alexa Avilés and Crystal Hudson and moderated by Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council – gun violence survivors from across New York shared their stories with Congressman Goldman, Borough President Reynoso, and local elected officials.
The survivors focused on the human impact of gun violence and the solutions they would like to see implemented at the local and federal level. Highlighting their personal experiences, many of the survivors pushed for greater investment in community resources and intervention programs. Congressman Goldman also shared resources available to survivors and families and highlighted the work of local organizations leading the fight against gun violence.
Additionally, Congressman Goldman joined WABC to discuss the impact of the Gun Violence Survivors Roundtable and how everyday New Yorkers can help make real change in Congress.
On Thursday, Congressman Goldman and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams hosted a roundtable discussion with 13 community-based organizations to discuss how federal and local government can better support the organizations leading the charge in the fight against gun violence in New York.
Representatives from Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady United Against Gun Violence also attended the roundtable to serve as a resource for organizations fighting against gun violence locally.
Additionally, Congressman Goldman joined WNYW to discuss the week’s events, particularly the Gun Violence Survivors Roundtable and his support for the ‘Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act.’
VIDEO of the WABC interview is available here
A rush transcript of the interview is available below:
DAVID NOVARRO: Gun violence is down in the City by more than 15% from last year, but for any victim of it, that stat is little consolation. To shed light on the problem, national officials designated this week as National Gun Violence Survivors Week, and today local leaders held a roundtable discussion with those impacted by gun violence in Brooklyn. Eyewitness News reporter Sonia Rincón live in Downtown Brooklyn with more.
Sonia.
SONIA RINCÓN: And David, it's not only national Gun Violence Survivors week, it's also an election year, and those who have been impacted by gun violence and lost loved ones are hoping to turn their pain into purpose.
PAM HIGHT: Listen to us. As survivors, you don't want to be in these shoes.
RINCÓN: For those who've lost loved ones to gun violence, the pain is always still fresh.
HIGHT: I can count the bullets that was on the floor.
RINCÓN: Some have become vocal advocates. Jackie Rowe-Adams lost two sons. She founded Harlem Mothers Save.
JACKIE ROWE-ADAMS: We started off with five mothers, and now we have 50 plus mothers and fathers.
RINCÓN: Oresa Napper Williams founded Not Another Child after losing her son.
ORESA NAPPER WILLIAMS: He never got the chance or the opportunity to live out his dream.
RINCÓN: At a roundtable organized by Congressman Dan Goldman at Brooklyn Borough Hall, they spoke with sympathetic policymakers like Councilmember Alexa Avilés, who lost her father when she was five.
COUNCILMEMBER ALEXA AVILÉS: And I kind of feel like I still want to cry. I'm a 51-year-old woman.
RINCÓN: The hope is to reach policy makers who may not be as sympathetic, at the federal level.
ANDREA MURRAY: Extreme risk protection orders make it so that we can prevent people having to go through what my family and I have gone through.
CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN: Even though New Yorkers overwhelmingly support gun safety legislation, there are a lot of Republican members of Congress from New York. And they can and need to hear from everyday New Yorkers who are sick and tired of hearing about two mass shootings every day.
RINCÓN: Allison Glenn lost her brother to gun violence and hopes they're listening.
ALLISON GLENN: The ways that these mothers today spoke confidently about their children and are using their pain as momentum to change is very inspiring.
RINCÓN: So how to make real change? Well advocates and elected officials here are urging New Yorkers to get engaged in Congressional races this year, six in particular, in New York, that could help determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Congressman Goldman says without Democrats in control, it is almost impossible to initiate a discussion or legislation when it comes to gun safety.
Live in Downtown Brooklyn, Sonia Rincón, Channel 7, Eyewitness News.
VIDEO of the WNYW interview is available here
A rush transcript of the interview is available below:
BIANCA PETERS: Well, gun violence in the spotlight this week as local leaders meet with those whose lives have been devastated by this epidemic.
NATASHA VERMA: New York Congressman Dan Goldman has been an advocate for victims and their families and is pushing for Congress and local communities to make changes. He is here now. Thank you so much, Congressman, for joining us.
CONGRESSMAN DAN GOLDMAN: Thanks for having me.
VERMA: So this is all part of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, where families are turning their pain into purpose. In meeting with loved ones and hearing their emotional stories, what have you learned?
GOLDMAN: Well, we always learn from talking to the survivors and the ones closest to the devastation, and yesterday we had a really meaningful roundtable at the Brooklyn Borough President's office with several survivors of an assortment of different types of gun violence, both in terms of local murders, suicides.
And it just reflects the pervasiveness of this problem and how it hits different families in different ways and why basic commonsense gun safety laws that would simply just make it safer for this country, for people to own guns is really so so needed but also so frustrating that the Republicans in Washington just do not have any interest in protecting our communities.
PETERS: What we also know that's needed is resources for victims of gun violence, which is why you introduced some legislation to do just that this past week. Explain to our viewers what that looks like.
GOLDMAN: Yeah, look, we need to make sure that gun violence survivors and their families get the appropriate resources both to assist them with their financial ramifications and consequences that often come with such a devastating incident as a murder, but also the mental health issues.
One of the things that really stuck out yesterday in our roundtable is how long the trauma and the mental health issues last after the incident.
And many people may just think it will go away and it doesn't. And the survivors need long term care and long term help, and that's why we're introducing this bill, to try to give it to them.
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