Protecting Families from Gun Violence: The Overlooked Toll on Children, Teens, and Expectant Mothers
When reports say a child died from a ‘firearm assault,’ it means something horrific — that a child was intentionally shot and killed, most often by a parent or other family member. 68% of children killed by guns are murdered by their parents. That’s what ‘firearm assault’ really means. Domestic violence involving firearms has profound […]
My healing journey advances with Survivors Empowered Retreats
‘In three decades working with numerous state and national gun violence prevention groups, only Survivors Empowered really saw and understood my trauma. They had skills and tools that helped me onto a path to healing and peace, and made me stronger in my work as an advocate.’ By Gerry HillsGun violence survivor, advocate, and participant […]
Amid mindless violence, mindfulness provides life preserver
Mindfulness is a puzzle. You don’t fit together all the pieces at once. It takes time to learn and practice the tips and techniques. And it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Everyone is different. Every situation is different. Every part of the world is constantly changing, posing new and different challenges for mindfulness to address. AI […]
You have a right to say “no” to guns in your home
Homeowners, renters, and people who have control over a private premise (e.g. people who host an event at a rented home such as an AirBnB) have the right to prohibit firearms on the premises. A sign advising people that firearms are prohibited on the premises can be placed on the premise or in an invitation […]
Firearms fuel domestic violence-driven killing of women
Firearms are used in more than half of intimate partner homicides and two-thirds of pregnancy-related homicides in the United States. Reducing access to firearms can prevent suffering and deaths of women and children. The United Nations defines femicide as “an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation, [that] may be driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and […]
Harris’s continuing gun conversation helps define and model responsible US gun ownership
by Sandy & Lonnie Phillips As parents of a daughter fatally shot in the 2012 Aurora, CO theater mass shooting, we urge Vice President Harris to continue a frank discussion about gun ownership to help quell the current scourge of US gun violence. Vice President Harris’s conversation about gun ownership, which began during her interview […]
What to say to survivors of suicide loss
Being heartfelt is best, but we all sometimes struggle for words. Finding the right words when speaking to a survivor of gun violence can be difficult; that difficulty can be compounded when someone’s loved one dies of suicide by firearm. Here are some suggestions: Stay simple. A simple statement like “I’m sorry” or “I’m so […]
Named one of CNN’s Champions for Change a year ago, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips continue championing change in 2024…and beyond
‘We found our joy again and we want other survivors to find their joy again, too.’ -Sandy Phillips during Anderson Cooper/CNN interview Last September, CNN’s Anderson Cooper profiled his chosen Champion for Change, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips of Survivors Empowered. In the interview, Sandy said that their legacy, in honor of their daughter, Jessi—slain in […]
Gun industry immunity law repeal draws closer with 12 new Congressional HR 4184 cosponsors
Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, Newtown Action Alliance, and Junior Newtown Alliance secure additional support, bringing total to 129 cosponsors Marking 12 years since their daughter’s brutal shooting death along with 11 others in an Aurora, CO theater, Sandy and Lonnie Phillips recently collaborated with Newtown Action Alliance and Junior Newtown Alliance in Washington, DC to […]
3 Supreme Court Elephants trample gun violence prevention
Weighty influence of Roberts, Thomas, Bruen opinions Amid the endless parsing of the US Constitution’s Second Amendment to support gun rights is another famous declaration from the US Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that […]