Activism

Marin to Host Gun Buy-Back Event June 4

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there was an historic increase in gun deaths in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gun-related homicides have risen by 35% since 2019, the CDC reported on May 10. More than 45,000 Americans died from guns in 2020 and more than half of those were suicides.

Published

2 years ago

May 28, 2022

Oakland Post

Part of a collection of guns turned in at a previous buy-back event.

DA’s Office, law enforcement, other stakeholders have eye on public safety

Courtesy of Marin County

Marin County’s effort to enhance safety in the community includes the goal of collecting and disposing of unwanted and unneeded firearms. On June 4, the Marin County District Attorney’s Office, the City of San Rafael, and local law enforcement agencies are conducting a gun buy-back event at the sheriff’s headquarters in San Rafael.

The collaborating agencies are working to help reduce gun violence, the risk of accidental discharges, domestic violence, suicide, and gun theft by encouraging people to voluntarily turn in or sell guns they no longer want in their homes. All guns collected will be destroyed.

District Attorney Lori E. Frugoli noted that firearms are not only used impulsively for self-harm but can be used against gun owners in their own homes. About 25% of guns used in crimes are stolen, which is one of the reasons why free gun locks will be available at the San Rafael buy-back event. Also, the presence of firearms in a household can only increase the danger of domestic violence, especially against women. A woman is five times more likely to be killed at the hands of her batterer if there is a firearm in the household.

According to the California Department of Justice, 2,500 firearms were sold in Marin between 2019 and 2020. Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30, 2021, 719 firearms were sold in Marin.

“Law enforcement statistics show that Marin is a safe place to live, and we want to keep it that way,” Frugoli said. “The gun buy-back program is an opportunity for those who wish to dispose of their firearms to ensure the weapons are out of our community. It is also a time to have a conversation with family and friends about gun safety and reflect upon whether they want guns in their homes and, if so, how to store them safely.”

The event will take place in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office at 1600 Los Gamos Drive in northern San Rafael, just off the Lucas Valley Road / Smith Ranch Road exit on Highway 101. The buy-back station will be behind the main building, or on its east side, closest to 101. Signage will be in placed along Los Gamos Drive on the day of the event.

From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., organizers will offer $100 for functional handguns, rifles, and shotguns, and $200 for semi-automatic weapons. No questions will be asked and showing identification will not be necessary. The drive-up event is limited to three operable firearms per person. All weapons must be brought to the buy-back event in vehicle trunks. Boxed ammunition will be accepted as well.

Sean Stephens, Marin County Veterans Services Officer, said families of military veterans often don’t know what to do with firearms when a veteran dies.

“Often, gun buy-backs are painted as an effort to take guns away from people, when in reality they are a means to protect the guns from getting into the wrong hands,” he said. “This is especially important information when it comes to gun owners passing away. Gun buy-backs provide a safe, effective way to dispose of unwanted weapons.”

There are an estimated 100,000 firearms stored in Marin, raising concerns about the safety of law-abiding gun owners and their families. Not enough of the weapons and ammunition are locked up, leaving them vulnerable to the hands of young kids, people in emotional distress, or those intent on violence against others. All guns should be locked up with only an adult having access to the key or electronic access code, and ammunition should be locked up separately.

Call (415) 485-3070 with questions about the buy-back event or about obtaining gun locks.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Marin Adopts State Housing Statutes

Don't Miss

Headline Concerts Announced for 2022 Marin County Fair – So Happy Together!

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

2 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

13 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.