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Lady Gaga Is Fully Funding 162 Classrooms in Dayton, El Paso, and Gilroy Following Mass Shootings


Lady Gaga is no stranger to activism and promoting messages of love—and in the wake of the recent string of mass shootings in the United States, the “Shallow” singer found an incredible way to show support for and directly help the cities of Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; and Gilroy, California—communities that have all experienced horrific massacres in recent weeks. On Friday (August 9), Gaga posted a heartfelt letter to the survivors of the shootings on Facebook, sharing that she will fully fund classroom project needs in those cities.

“My heart goes out to those who were taken from us too soon and to their families, loved ones, and communities who are left to grieve. Everyone has the right to laws that make them feel safe in their communities,” she wrote. “In this moment, I want to channel my confusion, frustration, and fury into hope. Hope that we are there for each other and for ourselves.”

She then directed her readers to visit the website DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit organization that allows people to donate directly to public school classroom projects in select communities.

Gaga explained that her Born This Way Foundation is partnering up with the organization to “fully fund the next classroom project needs” in the cities of Ohio, Texas, and California. “14 classrooms in Dayton, 125 classrooms in El Paso, and 23 classrooms in Gilroy will now have access to the support they need to inspire their students to work together and bring their dreams to life,” she wrote in her message.

“Surviving and recovering from these tragedies also means prioritizing your mental health and checking in on your loved ones. If you’re struggling, please be brave and tell a trusted someone. Don’t be scared to ask for help, I beg you,” Gaga continued. “If you see a loved one struggling, please be brave and reach out, remind them it’s ok to not be ok, and listen to them. We cannot turn away from ourselves. We cannot turn away from our loved ones. We need each other. Don’t turn away.”

“In loving memory of the victims of the tragic shootings in Dayton, OH, El Paso, TX, and Gilroy, CA,” she ended the post.

Read Gaga’s full post, below—she also included a link to a fundraiser page for the public.



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New Zealand Bans Assault Weapons in Wake of Mosque Shootings


It has been less than a week since a lone gunman opened fire in two Christchurch, New Zealand mosques, killing 50 people and injuring dozens more, and the country’s elected officials have already taken steps to change its gun control laws.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that all military-style semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles and high-capacity magazines will be banned in New Zealand. “On 15 March our history changed forever,” she said during a press conference. “Now our laws will too. We are announcing action today on behalf of all New Zealanders to strengthen our gun laws and make our country a safer place.”

“Six days after this attack, we are announcing a ban on all military style semi-automatics (MSSA) and assault rifles in New Zealand,” she said. “Related parts used to convert these guns into MSSAs are also being banned, along with all high-capacity magazines.” Even the leader of the country’s opposition party, Simon Bridges, is supportive of the ban, signaling widespread support. He said it was “imperative in the national interest [that] we keep New Zealanders safe.”

“Every semi-automatic weapon used in the terror attack on Friday will be banned,” Ardern continued. “This legislation will be drafted and introduced in urgency.” According to CNN, this announcement comes after New Zealand’s cabinet agreed to overhaul its laws just 72 hours after the attacks. The country is planning to offer an amnesty period for those owning firearms that will now be reclassified as illegal and a buyback program may be part of the new legislation, as well. According to the BBC, the buyback program could cost New Zealand up to $200 million (in NZ currency) but “that is the price that we must pay to ensure the safety of our communities,” says Ardern.

The swift action in the wake of a mass shooting drew praise from many progressives stateside. “Sandy Hook happened 6 years ago and we can’t even get the Senate to hold a vote on universal background checks w/ #HR8,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted. Christchurch happened, and within days New Zealand acted to get weapons of war out of the consumer market. This is what leadership looks like.”

“This is what real action to stop gun violence looks like. We must follow New Zealand’s lead, take on the NRA and ban the sale and distribution of assault weapons in the United States,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) wrote.

“See. It’s not that hard,” tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has been particularly active on gun issues since the Sandy Hook massacre in his state.

NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch responded to Sanders’ tweet: ” First, define ‘assault weapon.’ Words are important and certain laws come into play depending on which words are used, so define this. Secondly, the US isn’t NZ. While they do not have an inalienable right to bear arms and to self defense, we do.”

Ardern says New Zealand’s new gun regulations may be in place as soon as April 11. She also says another round of amendments will be forthcoming—and could include changes to gun registration laws.



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Sarah Huckabee Sanders Holds Back Tears When Kid Reporter Asks About School Shootings


On Wednesday, 13-year-old Benje Choucroun made a special appearance at a White House press briefing for his role as a writer for Time for Kids magazine. And, as any good reporter would do, Choucroun came prepared with a few questions, one of which left White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders nearly in tears.

During the briefing, Sanders smiled, pointed to the back and called on Choucroun to ask his question. The middle schooler, who currently attends Marin Country Day School in California, proudly stood up and explained, “At my school, we recently had a lockdown drill. One thing that affects mine and other student’s mental health is the worry that we or our friends could get shot at school.” He then asked, “Specifically, can you tell me what the administration has done and will do to prevent these senseless strategies.”

Sanders immediately jumped into an answer — as press secretaries tend to do — but this time, her voice shook as she appeared to be holding back tears.

“I think that as a kid and certainly as a parent, there is nothing more terrifying than for a kid to go to school and not feel safe, so I’m sorry that you feel that way,” Sanders replied. “This administration takes it seriously and the school safety commission that the president convened is meeting this week, again, an official meeting, to discuss the best ways forward and how we can do every single thing within our power to protect kids within our schools and to make them feel safe and to make their parents feel good about dropping them off.”

Following the briefing, CNN’s Dana Bash commented that “It looked like it was going to potentially be a light-hearted moment. And he had the toughest question in the room.” MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson called it “an unusual moment from a very articulate young man.”

Since January, there have been at least two dozen school shootings across the nation, which according to CNN equates to at least one school shooting per week so far. But, in the wake of these tragedies, it appears to be the voices of children, not adults, that ring out the loudest. Following the February school shooting in Parkland, Flordia, students affected by the senseless violence have come together to push lawmakers to take action. And their efforts appear to be working.

According to the Sun Sentinal, since the Parkland shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people, “14 states have changed their laws, while six major actions have been undertaken by cities and counties. Meanwhile, 10 companies tweaked their policies related to guns and 19 businesses have cut ties with gun lobbying groups.”

President Donald Trump is expected to visit the survivors of the latest school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas on Thursday. That shooting, which took place on May 18, claimed the lives of 10 people, including both students and teachers. However, on May 4, Trump walked back on his promise to the Parkland students that he will be tougher on the National Rifle Association. Instead, while speaking at an NRA conference, Trump enthusiastically told the crowd, “Your Second Amendment rights are under siege. But they will never, ever be under siege as long as I’m your president.”

Related Content:
Parkland Students Show Support for Survivors of Maryland School Shooting on Twitter
Two Parkland Students Have a Message for People in Power: ‘Do the Things We Can’t’
Santa Fe High School Shooting Survivors Call for an End to Gun Violence ‘Inaction’





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