On behalf of the Board of Washington Ceasefire we thank you for attending this, our 34th annual luncheon. Gun violence is a critically important but challenging public health issue that has claimed over two million victims since the start of the new millennium a little more than 17 years ago. Yet despite the horrific toll, the chances for meaningful national legislative remedies are remote in the foreseeable future. Despite this discouraging backdrop Washington Ceasefire is optimistic for the future and our ability to make a real difference. Public health experts will tell you that along with legislation and educational campaigns, technology has often had the biggest positive impact on critical issues such as drunk driving. And we at Washington Ceasefire take great pride that over the past three years we’ve established ourselves as the leading national voice for the technology path. We’ve persistently made the case that child-proof smart guns that can only be fired by the authorized user can save thousands of lives by reducing child firearm accidents, youth firearm suicides, adult suicides with third party firearms, gun grabs in domestic disputes and law enforcement, and violence caused by the estimated 250,000 stolen guns annually. Along the way it’s safe to say we’ve gained the respect and support of the leading public health experts in the field from Harvard and Johns Hopkins who all agree that smart guns can save many, many lives. We’re proud that our media outreach efforts have resulted in dozens of placements including the New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News, MSNBC and CNN. We believe the path for smart gun adoption must travel first through law enforcement and this August in DC, we’re undertaking our most ambitious endeavor yet, the “Smart Guns and Law Enforcement” international symposium. We are hopeful that our efforts will enable market availability of safer, child-proof smart guns over the next 2-3 years.
Program
11:30 Check – in
11:45 Welcome
Ralph Fascitelli, CeaseFire Board President
12:05 Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes
12:10 Keynote Speaker
Bob Ferguson WA State Attorney General
12:30 Video – A Mother’s Story
12:35 Marilyn Kremen
Washington CeaseFire Board Member
12:45 Person of the Year Award
Introduced by Jeanette Ashmun
12:50 Bharat Shyam
Recipient of Jeanette Ashmun Person of theYear Award Thanks again for your support today and special thanks to our wonderful Attorney General Bob Ferguson for making today’s luncheon extra special.
Ralph Fascitelli
Washington Ceasefire Board President