Don Lichterman

National Gun Violence Week, Brenda Mitchell, Shannon Watts, NRA, Share Your Story, Gun Safety Report

Don Lichterman
Feb 24, 2021
6 min read

Gun violence survivors share their stories in their own words

Have you been personally impacted by gun violence? Consider sharing your unique lived experience in your own words by submitting your story. The voices, faces, and stories of survivors put a spotlight on the human toll of gun violence. Share your story

Brenda Mitchell, Everytown Survivor Network

Today is the first day of both National Gun Violence Survivors Week and Black History Month. As a survivor of gun violence and a Black woman, these next several days hold deep importance for me.

That's because I'm remembering my son, Kenneth. In a few days, it will have been 16 years since I last spoke to him, saw his face, and called his name. He was shot and killed while trying to intervene in a fight. A single parent, Kenneth left behind three sons: Tyler, John, and Mykhi.

Kenneth was the center of our family and a role model for his younger siblings and cousins. He was responsible and considerate of the people around him, and had a very strong sense of family. He was the one who would organize a barbecue if too much time had passed between family gatherings.

It hurts to write those words. But in the gun violence prevention movement, I have found a community of fellow survivors and activists who help me and countless others understand that we are not alone in this process.

That's why for National Gun Violence Survivors Week, I'm asking you to read and share the stories of survivors of gun violence.

We commemorate National Gun Violence Survivors Week the first week of February because by the beginning of this month, more people are killed with guns in the United States than are killed with guns in any other high-income country in an entire year. Many more are wounded, witness gun violence, or have loved ones who experienced gun violence, leaving 58 percent of American adults—including 68 percent of Black and Latino Americans—as survivors of gun violence.

But Don, know this: survivors of gun violence have experienced loss to a degree that absolutely no one should, and even still, we are resilient. America's gun violence survivors, despite experiencing incredible trauma, are leading work on the ground to support other survivors and advocate for common-sense gun safety measures that save lives.

And we need your help accomplishing that change. This week, help bring awareness to the need for action by reading and sharing the stories of gun violence survivors.

As I reflect on the history and resilience of my communities this month—as both a gun violence survivor and a Black woman in America—I know there is still much more to be done to achieve racial justice and an end to gun violence in this country, two issues that are deeply interconnected. This Black History Month and beyond is a time for us to highlight the important work of Black survivors and activists, as well as frontline workers, health care workers, and faith leaders, and to make clear why we must center Black lives in our advocacy.

So as we continue this work, I will be thinking about Kenneth. I never stop missing him or wanting him. I am grateful for the love we shared, the son he was to me. I thank God for him.

His sons feel the loss; they struggle, but they keep getting up. He will always be what he has been to us.

We love you, Ken Ken. You were our love. You were our heaven.

Please read and share the stories of gun violence survivors this National Gun Violence Survivors Week, and thank you for being a part of this movement.

The NRA

For decades, the NRA has peddled the far-right's dangerous conspiracy theories, spread fear to sell more guns, fought life-saving gun safety measures at every turn, and promoted dangerous gun bills at the state and federal level.

But recently, the NRA declared a financial status that matches its longstanding moral status: bankrupt.

The NRA has done everything in its power to stand in the way of common-sense gun safety laws that would save lives. Its bankruptcy announcement is a desperate attempt to avoid accountability for years of alleged fraud and illegal self dealing. But while the NRA's legal, financial, and political woes have only grown over the past year, the NRA continues to spread fear to sell more guns and promote dangerous gun bills across the country.

With your support, we can continue to grow this movement so that we have the resources necessary to take on, outlast, and defeat the NRA.

Can we count on you to help out today?

The NRA remains a vocal opponent of common-sense gun safety measures in Congress and in statehouses around the country. With the recent rise of armed extremism, we must be ready to continue to hold the NRA accountable and defeat its dangerous agenda.

Shannon Watts

For decades, the NRA has peddled the far-right's dangerous conspiracy theories, spread fear to sell more guns, and fought life-saving gun safety measures at every turn. But this year, we have the best opportunity in a generation to defeat the NRA's dangerous agenda and pass life-saving gun laws.

To do that, we've set a bold fundraising goal to make life-saving progress this year: 150 new monthly donors a day for the remainder of February for the NRA's 150th year.

You can help us plan ahead this year, respond quickly to the NRA's constant lies and abuses, and do whatever it takes to end gun violence and save lives. Strengthen our movement by becoming a monthly donor today.

With the NRA and its extremist allies continuing to pursue their dangerous "guns everywhere" agenda, your sustained support will be a huge advantage for our movement and one we will need to meet this moment.

Holding the NRA accountable and defeating its dangerous agenda will require a steady, predictable source of support. Help us make the NRA's 150th year its worst year yet by becoming a new monthly donor.

Amanda Chase

From the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, to the Virginia Beach shooting in 2019, to the daily gun violence in our Commonwealth, we have been hit hard by gun violence in recent decades. And every death is painfully hard to take.

But in the last few years, Virginia has made significant progress on gun violence prevention -- by expanding background checks, implementing an Extreme Risk law, and enhancing protections for domestic violence survivors.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that Amanda Chase -- the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for Governor -- wants to eliminate all the protections we fought so hard to implement.

Don, for the safety of our children and families, we can’t let her anywhere near the Governor’s Office. So today I’m asking you to step up and make a contribution of any amount to our campaign to help us fight back.

My position couldn’t be further from Chase’s. I fought a Republican legislature to pass the first meaningful gun violence prevention laws in decades, and I’ve proposed banning the sale of assault weapons. I want to strengthen the laws we already have in place, not erase them.

On the other hand, Amanda Chase wants to turn our Commonwealth into a warzone with fewer safety restrictions and more guns on our streets and in our neighborhoods.

It’s sickening.

I’m going to fight with every ounce of energy I’ve got -- but I’m only as strong as the support I get from you. Please support the campaign however you can.

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The Sustainable Action Network (SAN), A Don Lichterman non-profit organization dedicated to building a global community raising awareness of corruption, injustice and the need for action across a full range of issues impacting people and animal/wildlife welfare around the world, such as conservation, climate change, campaign law, lobbying, government action and rescue work. SAN’s vision is to create safer world, free from political, environmental, and social oppression, where all the inhabitants of Earth can live in harmony within their own natural environments. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment, animal welfare, wildlife issues and encouraging employee volunteerism.

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Refuse to Ride, Elephant set on fire, Poachers hack tusks in Hindol last week, Elephant in the Room!

Don Lichterman
Feb 24, 2021
7 min read

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar - Katie Valentine

Riddled with bullets from 10 poachers, a defenseless elephant fell to the ground and tragically died in India’s Hindol forest range. The poachers then hacked the tusks off the majestic creature’s lifeless body, Down To Earth reported.

Forestry officials responded but fled the scene when the poachers fired at them. After the poachers left, the forestry officials returned to the gruesome scene and found the elephant’s mutilated remains.

Poaching is on the rise in the region, but arrests are scarce, said Odisha Environmental Society Secretary Jayakrushna Panigraphi. Authorities are currently searching for the suspects.

The poachers who brutally gunned down this innocent elephant, hacked the tusks from his body, and fired at forestry personnel must be apprehended before any more animals or people are harmed.

Sign this petition urging Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to push authorities to use all available resources to find and charge all suspects in this appalling crime.

Refuse to Ride: How to Identify an Elephant in Distress

Elephants are social and sentient beings that express pain, joy, discomfort, and anger just like humans. As a traveler, you might not know that captive elephants that are used for begging, riding, in parades, weddings, or processions go through horrific training methods in order to be ‘tamed’.

Repeated thrashings, starvation, prodding of bull-hooks, heavy chains restricting their movement, and the unending psychological abuse that an elephant undergoes is just the first step of a lifetime of abuse and neglect.

Be watchful of the following signs as they may help you understand that the elephant is being abused:

Stereotypic Behavior

Image courtesy of Wildlife SOS

The most commonly noticed behavior in captive elephants that displays the immense stress that they are under can be observed as the repetitive and monotonous motion of head bobbing, weaving, and swaying. The overused excuse that follows is that the elephant is merely enjoying their surroundings by shaking their head in joy! Elephants that are used for ceremonies and processions, surrounded by loud music, display their discomfort by head bobbing that many people assume is “grooving to the music”. For an elephant in the wild, with nothing but natural wild calls, the cacophony of traffic and loud music is unnatural, painful, and nothing short of torture.

If you notice an elephant displaying this behavior, understand that they have been traumatized and are under severe stress.

Sunken Temples and Distinct Spines

The elephants used for tourist rides have their distinct, protruding spines that are usually masked under brightly colored, ornate garb. The overbearing weight of a wooden or an iron carrier that exceeds 400 kgs sits on the elephant’s back for the most part of the day wherein they receive little or no respite from their monotonous routine. With their sunken temples showing signs of dehydration and old age, these elephants have spent most parts of their life walking on unnatural surfaces in scorching heat and bone-chilling winters.

Older elephants require special care and in no way should be exerted this way for the purpose of entertainment. Most elephants in old age lose their teeth and gradually, tend to lose vision as well, in spite of their deteriorating condition, they are not allowed to rest.

Opacity in the Eyes

Image courtesy of Wildlife SOS

Opacity or a white layer covering the elephant’s eyes is a telltale sign that the elephant is suffering from impaired vision and a major cause for this is severe malnutrition as they are deprived of fodder and fruits only to be fed dry grass and water to save cost.

In addition to this, the painful process of ‘phajaan’ involves the elephants being subjected to repeated beatings wherein the bull-hook or the stick with iron nails hurts their eyes and permanently damages their cornea.

These elephants also develop cataracts due to neglect and malnourishment and never receive any treatment for it. Would you really want to ride an elephant who can barely see where it is headed? Not only does it put them under immense stress but also puts your life at risk!

Condition of Their Feet

Image courtesy of Wildlife SOS

As tourists accustomed to watching elephants in captive and restrained spaces, we are seldom aware of the reality of elephant behavior in their natural habitat. When you observe an elephant in captivity, you will always notice that their feet are in terrible condition, as they were never designed to walk on roads; they belonged rightfully only in the forest. The elephants foraging through the thick forests often scratch their backs and feet against trees that allow their toenails to not grow beyond a painful point. In captivity, there has to be a proper foot care routine that has to be charted out for their care.

Elephant cracked foot pads

Image courtesy of Wildlife SOS

An elephant’s limbs carry the weight of the entire body in a 60 to 40 ratio between the forelimbs and hindlimbs. Overgrown and cracked toenails, severely torn and delicate footpads, and wounded cuticles affect the elephant’s ability to walk comfortably, often leading to fractures in the digits that remain untreated.

The use of spiked chains is illegal but they continue to be used on elephants. When pulled, the spikes tear at the flesh and create immense pain for the elephant and this is how they are controlled. The wounds often don’t heal and can become infected and gangrenous over time.

In spite of their pain, they are forced to walk around on unnatural stone surfaces and tied to concrete floors at the end of the day, where lying on one side gives them painful wounds and bedsores that end up getting infected.

Visible Wounds and Scars

While observing the footpad of an elephant may have its own challenges, it is very important to notice that the truth is right in front of us, should we look carefully.

One may spot visible discoloration of the skin, scars, rope burns, and often, fresh wounds on an elephant. Contrary to the claims that may be made that the elephant hurt itself on “its own” or “while playing”, the elephant would genuinely have been beaten up brutally. The wounds will not be cleaned properly and end up becoming seriously infected, causing the elephant immense and unimaginable amount of pain. If you spot any such visible wound, please understand that the elephant has suffered for your entertainment. Is it, then, really worth it?

What You Can Do

While these are some of the most common signs of distress in an elephant, this is certainly not the entire list that highlights the abuse that elephants undergo. As animal lovers and conscientious citizens, it is very important that we are aware of the abuse that an elephant undergoes, in order to be abused for the entertainment and tourism industry.

If you spot an elephant in distress, please write to the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State and request them to take action. You can also reach out to us at our Elephant Helpline (+91-9971699727) or write to us at info@wildlifesos.org!

Understanding these important signs will bring you face-to-face with the brutal reality that elephants have to undergo when they are poached from their natural habitat and subjected to unnatural urban spaces. Be an aware tourist and acquaint yourself with reality. For more information, please visit our Refuse to Ride website and #RefuseToRide!