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mr-styles · 1 year

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Harry Styles and Everytown Partnership Gets Young People Involved in Gun Violence Activism

“He’s using his platform to help save lives," one Everytown organizer says.

BY RACHEL JANFAZA for Teen Vogue | FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Mia Tretta was 15 years old when she was wounded in the Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California. On that day, a student opened fire on the campus quad, killing two students, one of whom was Tretta’s best friend, and wounding three others, including Tretta.

Just months after the shooting, Tretta, who is now 18, joined Everytown for Gun Safety’s Students Demand Action, a network with more than 500 groups of student activists across the country committed to ending gun violence.

As a survivor and activist, Tretta has advocated for gun safety, met with members of Congress to push for gun violence prevention methods, and introduced President Joe Biden at an event that celebrated federal action to help prevent the sale of ghost guns. She is also part of a group of Students Demand Action organizers who, over the past year, worked to engage other young Americans in the movement for gun safety via a partnership with Harry Styles’ Love on Tour.

Just days after last spring's tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Styles announced his plans to team up with Everytown for Gun Safety. At the time, Styles said he was “absolutely devastated by the recent string of mass shootings in America,” up to and including Uvalde.

Beyond the partnership, Styles and Live Nation — the entertainment company that produced his Love on Tour — donated $1 million in proceeds from the tour to the Everytown Support Fund, the group’s education, research, and litigation arm.

In cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Austin, gun safety advocates and gun violence survivors with Students Demand Action met Styles’ fans at 44 shows. Whether handing out Students Demand Action wristbands to fans in line or setting up Student Demand Action tables in the concourse and encouraging fans to text "LOVE" to 644-33 — a system that connects interested folks with Students Demand Action staff who help them get plugged into local work — the organizers worked to spread their message and reach Styles’ fans, most of whom are young people.

Beyond engaging young people, the Styles and Everytown partnership inspired corporate engagement too. According to Everytown, the Moody Center in Austin donated $100,000 to the organization and put custom T-shirts on every single seat in the stadium for concert attendees.

The Styles and Everytown partnership was recognized by the concert industry as a success, winning a Pollstar Award for brand partnership/live campaign of the year.

Tretta, for her part, spread the word about Students Demand Action at a Love on Tour stop in Los Angeles in November. “People walking by were just so happy that we were there, happy that we were fighting for this cause, and really eager to sign up and learn more,” Tretta tells Teen Vogue.

She says fan reactions ranged from, “something as simple as, ‘Oh, my God! I'm so excited to use this hashtag, #endgunviolence, on my post later today with this backdrop,’ to ‘I'm going to sign up, I'm going to start a chapter in my school.’”

Tretta's been in touch with one group of fans from a nearby school, she adds, who want to start their own Students Demand Action chapter to help them with that process.

“It was great seeing how eager people were to kind of fight for what we believe in, what I've been fighting for for three years," she recalls. "And then, of course, we got to see the show, which was amazing.”

Tretta says she is grateful to Styles and his team for championing this issue and highlighting the role of young people in the fight for gun safety. And, she continues, the people she spoke with at the concert also appreciated Styles’ decision to get involved in the fight against gun violence.

“Obviously, most of the people going to Harry Styles are around my age — not everyone, but a good majority. I think hearing from other people your age is much more powerful than hearing from someone older or just reading a tweet or seeing a post about the next shooting," says Tretta. "I think it’s so much more powerful to have someone standing there in front of you who is doing something about this problem and realizing that you could too.”

Chloe Gayer, a Students Demand Action volunteer and fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network, decked out her car with information and drove roughly six hours from Iowa to Chicago to attend a Love on Tour show — her first concert ever.

“I got the text that asked if I wanted to go to Harry Styles, and I think my entire dorm building could hear me scream at the top of my lungs that I was very happy about it,” recalls Gayer, a student at Drake University. Of the partnership, she says, “It was amazing to be able to have an artist that I love as well as something that I am so passionate about.”

As a student survivor fellow, Gayer, who tells Teen Vogue she experienced abuse in a relationship that “involved firearms as a means of control,” shares her experience of domestic violence to empower other young people affected by gun violence and show her peers they’re not alone. She says she started advocating for gun safety when she was in eighth grade, after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. And she’s been involved with campus initiatives to prevent teen dating violence and advocated for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which was signed by Biden last year.

Says Gayer, “It’s really powerful” that Styles decided to partner with Everytown. “He obviously knows who his audience is. The majority of us are Generation Z, a generation that has grown up surrounded by gun violence. I am a survivor of gun violence, but I also take into account that pretty much everyone in my generation has been affected by gun violence. We all grew up surrounded by mass shootings. I was eight years old when Sandy Hook happened, and so many others as I was growing up."

Gayer continues, "It’s very powerful to know that an artist who has an audience like he does, who has the standing that he does — and he isn’t even from the United States — is taking the time to stand with us. Even though it’s a very controversial issue, he’s using his platform to help save lives.”

Justin Funez, a national advisory board member with Students Demand Action, tells Teen Vogue that he is originally from Honduras and grew up around gun violence there and in Compton, California. He tabled at two Love on Tour concerts in Chicago, where he attends the University of Chicago. Many of the young people he spoke with at the concerts, he says, shared their own experiences of gun violence.

Says Funez, “Because it was a young audience, using the fact that gun violence is the number one killer of kids and teens in America, a lot of young people actually related.”

Though Styles isn’t from America, Funez says, it’s powerful that the pop icon is engaging in work to prevent gun violence here in the US: “It’s important for him to engage with these issues because it’s his fan base that this issue affects.”

#harry styles #article #teen vogue #philanthropy

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kingstylesdaily · 2 years

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How to help Uvalde families following yesterday's elementary school shooting

Uvalde, Texas, is reeling from the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history after a gunman killed at least 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.

Many family members — some of whom gave DNA swabs to help investigators identify victims — waited for hours for news of their loved ones.

Onlookers in and beyond Texas may be wondering what support they can offer. The community is looking for blood donations, legal assistance and funds for victims' families. Read on to learn how you can help.

Donate blood in the days and weeks ahead

University Health System — the largest transfuser of blood in the San Antonio area — is encouraging community members to donate blood to hospitals and centers.

"Your donation can help ensure we have supplies immediately available for the victims of this tragic shooting," it tweeted. Many of its online appointments are booked through the end of the month.

South Texas Blood & Tissue said on Tuesday that thanks to donors, it was able to send 15 units of blood to the school and local hospitals immediately after the shooting, and another 10 to an area hospital later in the day upon request.

"We will continue to work with hospitals in the area to make blood available as it's needed and to rebuild their supply for other patients in need," the organization said.

The blood center is holding an emergency blood drive in Uvalde on today, which it said has already filled up with appointments. It later tweeted that donors were experiencing a 2-hour wait time and that all of its appointments were booked through Saturday. But the center stressed that help would still be needed after beyond that point, added slots to its Memorial Day blood drive and encouraged people to schedule (and keep) appointments for the following week.

"This tragedy highlights the importance of always having blood available on the shelf and before it's needed," the center said.

Learn more about the blood donation process.

Support verified fundraisers

GoFundMe has established an online hub of verified fundraisers supporting victims and loved ones affected by the shooting, which you can find here.

Those include a fundraiser organized by VictimsFirst (a network of survivors and relatives affected by previous mass shootings) to provide victims' family members with no-strings-attached cash payments.

The group said it started the fund "to make sure that 100% of what is collected goes DIRECTLY to the victim base so the victims' families and those wounded/injured are protected from fraud and exploitation."

As of Wednesday morning, all three verified fundraisers — the VictimsFirst fund, a campaign raising money for funeral expenses for the family of Xavier Lopez and a fundraiser by Austin-based Los Verdes Supporter Group — had exceeded their financial goals.

Two funeral homes in the area, Rushing-Estes Mortuary Uvalde and Hillcrest Memorial Funeral Home, said in social media posts that they would offer their services to families for free.

More places to donate

The school district in Uvalde has opened an official account with First State Bank of Uvalde to support Robb Elementary families affected by the tragedy. People can send checks through the mail (payable to the "Robb School Memorial Fund") or donate money through Zelle to [email protected]

Other institutions and organizations are also raising money for the community.

People can donate directly to a Uvalde Victims Relief Fund created by University Health, for example.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has created a fund for victims and survivors, and says 100% of contributions will go directly to their families.

"Where 90 percent of the students of Robb Elementary School identify as Hispanics and more than four-fifths are economically disadvantaged, this community NEEDS our collective prayers, help, and support," the group wrote.

The community is seeking volunteer legal services

The San Antonio Legal Services Association is seeking volunteer attorneys who are licensed to practice in the state of Texas, according to a Facebook post.

"Volunteer NOW to assist Uvalde Shooting Victims and Families with Unmet Legal Needs," it wrote. "SALSA will respond with pro bono assistance as called upon to do so by community partners and civil leaders over the coming weeks."

The organization is asking qualified attorneys to email them with their area of practice and availability through the month of June.

via NPR.com

#not harry #uvalde #please do what you can #signal boost

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skippyv20 · 4 months

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Moment Meghan Markle makes touching call to check in on sister of Uvalde shooting victim Irma Garcia whose husband died of a heart attack two days after massacre

Comment:

“He adds that the former Suits star sent his family gifts in the aftermath 'none of which was for the media.' “

And yet…..the media knows now….this is her usual trick when she needs a story…when she desperately needs some sympathy because everyone is so racist…..and look…

“In 2023, it was reported that Markle and Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation raised $3 million to build a new park in Uvalde in honor of those killed. “

Sure sounds like they did a great thing….but wait….

Their foundation partnered with the city and another charity to open a new playground for the kids and families still healing from the tragic school shooting.

They always give the impression is was “them” who did great things…but it is always with others…which they brush off and jump in and take the credit….they will let time go by and then change narrative to focus on them and their good deeds….

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jayflrt · 2 years

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tw // school shooting

IMPORTANT ‼️ today a man under the age of 18 walked onto a high school campus with an ak-47. he was detained by police immediately before anyone got hurt, but it’s sickening that someone would be so cruel to do that after the shooting at robb elementary. i’m making this post to remember and honor the victims of robb elementary in uvalde, texas, and i’ve provided some links to verified gofundmes down below so we can provide support to the victims of this horrible event and their families. please try to donate or spread the word. i’ve also provided alternative ways you can help if you can’t donate money!

these are the identified victims of the shooting who were children, all ages 7-10. teachers irma garcia and and eva mireles were also killed. rest in paradise 🤍

MORE UNDER THE CUT

LINKS TO GOFUNDMES TO HELP VICTIMS:

here is a link to a centralized fundraiser created by VictimsFirst (a network of families of the deceased and survivors from over two decades of mass shootings). 100% of the money donated goes directly to the families of the victims and those impacted by the tragedy.

here is a link to a gofundme created by the los verdes supporter group. they’re raising funds for the families in uvalde, texas who were affected by this tragic event.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to amerie jo garza’s family for her funeral expenses.

Hi my name is Jasmine and Kimberly Garcia is my Bestfriend. Sadly she lost her babygirl in yesterdays school shooting at Robb Elementary. Amerie was born May 10th and had just turned 10 years old. Amerie was such a beautiful soul. She touched everyone’s hearts around her and she lit up every room she walked into. She received an award yesterday for honor roll just before the shooting occurred. She was so smart and such a good child. Amerie is known for being a hero and trying to call 911 before the shooter took her life. We appreciate anything you are willing to donate! Please keep Ameries mom her dads and family in your prayers and in Gods name we pray amen

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to felicia martinez and abel lopez’s families for their funeral expenses.

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we have to create this fundraiser for our cousin Felicia Martinez and Abel Lopez. The Medina family is asking for your help at this time both monetarily, for funeral expenses, as well as prayers for her and her family at this time. Her son was tragically taken along with so many other precious angels today in Uvalde, but we as family, know he is now with his Grandpa Benny in the Kingdom of Heaven. Any bit helps and if you cant help at this time, please lift him and all the parents coping this tragedy and loss, up in prayers tonight. If you cannot contribute at this time a share is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God Bless our children.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to nevaeh bravo’s family for her funeral expenses and any other needs for her family.

Hi, my name is Yvonne White, and I am fundraising for my family affected by the Robb Elementary tragedy. We are from Uvalde Texas and are creating this fundraiser for my niece that has sadly passed. This fundraising will be used to cover any/all funeral expenses and any other needs for my family. We appreciate and are grateful for any donations, no matter the amount, and greatly appreciate the support we have received from our community. Thank you all.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to makenna lee elrod’s family.

My name is Allison McCullough. I am Makenna’s aunt. Words cannot express the pain my sister and our family is going through. I know in the coming weeks my sister is going to be overcome with so much and any support is appreciated. Please pray for our family and remember Makenna. She was beautiful, funny, smart, and amazing. She had the biggest heart and loved her family and friends so much. Her smile would light up a room. We will carry her in our hearts and we know she is with our Lord and Savior.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to jailah nicole silguero’s family.

Hi, My name is Nancy Salazar. I'm from Uvalde Tx. Helping my Best friends who is more like Family (Veronica Luevanos and Jacob Silguero) with funeral expenses For their daughter Jailah Nicole Silguero. In Tuesday's tragic school shooting at Robb Elementry School in Uvalde, Tx, Jailah has lost her life. She was only 11yrs old and had her life ahead of her. She was a Delighted, energetic, Lovely little girl that loved to make Tik-Tok Videos for friends and family. Please Help me help my Buddys out through this tragedy. Thank You, God Bless! Fly High Our Angel

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to alithia ramirez’s family for her funeral expenses.

Hello my name is Ernesto Morales and I made this go fund me to help out my nephew Ryan Ramirez and family through this very difficult time with whatever expenses that may come up. Alithia Ramirez was one of the students that were tragically taken from her family in the Uvalde School shooting. This little angel was taken from them, I pray that Ryan Ramirez find peace in this difficult time. My hearts hurts and I’m just torn with all the evil in this world. So if you can please help my nephew. God bless everyone and prayers to the other familys involved in this terrible tragedy. May she Rest In Peace..

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to tess marie mata’s family.

Hi guys my family and I recently lost my little sister to a school shooting in Uvalde, Tx. Any bit of donations you can give to help us during this crazy and difficult time would be helpful and appreciated from my family and I. Thank you.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to jayce luevanos’ family for his funeral expenses.

We are all deeply saddened by the news we received from the Robb School shooting. It breaks my heart having to create a fundraiser for such a need but Jayce’s parents, Christina and Jose Luevanos need as much help as possible in these terrible times. The Cardona family is asking for any and all help both monetarily, for funeral expenses, as well as prayers for their family. Their son was taken along with so many others today in Uvalde. Any amount of help will go a long way to helping Jayce’s parents cope and if you are without means to help at this time, please lift him and all the parents coping this tragedy and loss, up in your prayers tonight. If you cannot contribute a share is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and God Bless.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to irma garcia’s family for her funeral expenses and her family’s needs.

Irma Garcia. A wife and mother to 4 children. Sweet, kind, loving. Fun with the greatest personality. A wonderful 4th grade teacher at Robb Elementary that was a victim in a Texas school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom. She was a hero. She was loved by many and will truly be missed. Funds will be given to help the family for needs and funeral expenses. We love you so much Irma. The Martinez Family. The money will be used for any expenses needed for the funeral and for the family needs

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to uziyah sergio garcía’s family for his funeral expenses.

I am Mariah Mendoza, I am from Grand Prairie, Texas, and I am Uziyah’s older cousin, and I am posting on the behalf of my tio, Sergio Garcia. The Garcia and Renfro families are in mourning today after the terrible tragedy that struck the town of Uvalde, Texas. Uziyah Sergio García, loved his Mom, Mandy Renfro, father, Sergio Garcia, and his two sisters, very much. He was loved by many. These funds will go for all funeral expenses and arrangements which are still to be determined. We ask for your continued prayers and support during this difficult time. Pray for all the families affected as the pain is just too unbearable to fathom.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to rojelio torres’ family for his funeral expenses.

It’s a hurting feeling to know that Rojelio is gone today and not with us, his life was taken May 24, 2022 along with innocent other kids, this was such a horrific tragedy that took place, I’m creating this gofundme for the Torres family as they are in need of funds for funeral expenses anything helps even if it’s a dollar. If you can’t donate that’s ok, if you can share or send prayers for the Torres family that would be greatly appreciated.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to alexandria rubio’s family to support them in this time of need.

I am setting up this fundraiser for my cousin Alexandria Rubio,who tragically lost her life in the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde Tx. The money raised will support the family during their time of need. Thank you for your support.

here is a link to the gofundme to donate to eliahna torres’ grieving mother to support her.

Our family is at a loss for words as we suffer the death of an innocent daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, and friend due to a careless act. Eliahna (Eli) was a victim of the Robb Elementry shooting in Uvalde, TX. All donations are for the grieving mother as she finds peace and a new way of living. She has a long road ahead; We welcome all of your prayers and thank you in advance!

robb school memorial fund: an account has been opened at first state bank of uvalde for the families of robb elementary. if you would like to donate, you can do so at any fsb branch. make all checks payable to the “Robb School Memorial Fund” and please mail checks to

200 E Nopal St. Uvalde, TX 78801

for zelle donations: [email protected]

this tweet has more resources as well.

IF YOU CAN’T DONATE MONEY, HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. donate blood! this is super important!! the south texas blood and tissue center is in dire need of blood donations following the tragic mass shooting, and they are encouraging people to donate blood to hospitals and centers. by donating, you can help ensure that hospitals will have enough resources and supplies readily available to treat victims.

2. parents, guardians, adults, and older siblings play a crucial role in reassuring and supporting children. listen to your kids, tell them you’re there for them, and let them know that you’re doing everything in your power to keep them safe.

3. keep talking about these events, keep fighting for gun control. silence is violence so keep fighting for our youth.

#‼️#texas #tw school shooting #will update if i find more links

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trench · 1 year

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Uvalde cops cowered from AR-15, while shooter wrote 'LOL' in blood

It’s almost been a year since the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Uvalde was not only the deadliest shooting in Texas history, but the third deadliest in US history, only behind Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook. One of the reasons the Uvalde shooting was so deadly was because the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police (UCISD PD) gave the shooter,…

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#Robb Elementary #Salvador Ramos #school shooting #Texas #Uvalde

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reasoningdaily · 11 months

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I know y'all are not planning on letting this mass murderer out of jail knowing that he is mentally unbalanced and still totally in need of care

youtube

This weekend marks 25 years since Thurston High School student Kip Kinkel murdered his parents, then opened fire on classmates in a cafeteria the next day.

Two students, Ben Walker and Mikael Nickolauson, died, while two dozen others were wounded.

The bodies of Bill and Faith Kinkel were discovered in their Springfield home shortly after. Their 15-year-old son was ultimately sentenced to 112 years in prison for four murders and multiple charges of attempted murder.

Dan Hagengruber visits the Thurston Memorial and Wall in Springfield, Ore., on May 20, 2023. He was among the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital who treated two dozen shooting victims from Thurston High School on May 21, 1998.

Brian Bull / KLCC

“Sacred ground,” he said, taking in the scene. “It’s good to be here. Good to see what’s been done, and the memory of those who were lost and injured, and some of the heroics that happened that day.”

Though it was Hagengruber’s first visit to the memorial site, he’s very familiar with the details of the shooting.

On May 21, 1998, Hagenbruber was on duty as an anesthesiologist at Sacred Heart Hospital in Springfield. He remembers seeing more than 20 kids rushed in that day: all had been shot by their classmate, Kip Kinkel.

“I grabbed as many drugs as I could hold in my pockets, not knowing how long I’d be there, or who I’d be taking care of,” he said. “I’d never responded to something like that.”

At the time, the Thurston school shooting was seen as an anomaly. It preceded the mass shooting at Columbine by nearly a year.

In the decades since, mass shootings in schools and elsewhere have become a frequent occurrence in the U.S., including Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde. Gun control, juvenile justice reform, the role of mental health in mass shootings, and school security remain issues in a recurring debate.

Not only did he handle shooting victims from Thurston, Hagengruber said, but he would later see a couple more from the 2015 shooting at Umpqua Community College. Despite the tragic deaths of the two students and Kinkel’s parents, Bill and Faith Kinkel, Hagengruber said, he’s heartened by seeing the survivors grow up and live their best lives.

Related: Years after school shooting in Springfield, Oregon, wounded student’s life has taken on a remarkable trajectory

“Hope we can use this as a place to reflect and learn and grow, so that we can be a safer society overall,” he said.

Kinkel is 25 years into a 112-year prison sentence. The Oregon Supreme Court recently rejected his petition for a murder review hearing, which his attorney says he was entitled to after concurrently serving his four 25-year sentences for murder. Kinkel’s attorney says they will now go through the “more typical channels of legal review.”

In a statement shared with KLCC ahead of the anniversary, Kip Kinkel said he continues to have “tremendous remorse” for the harm he caused in May of 1998. He said he’s declined requests for interviews out of respect for the victims of his crimes and their loved ones, adding that “the sound of my voice may cause additional and unnecessary trauma.”

A file photo from May 2018, when roughly 200 people gathered in Springfield's William S. Fort Memorial Park to hold a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Thurston school shooting.

yes I deleted the replies of the other person because they became downright disrespectful. I also blocked them so don't expect to see any whiplash

#25 years later #memories of Oregon’s Thurston school shooting still haunt community #kinkel #oregon #kip kinkel #mass murderers #school shooters #first school shooter at Thurston High school #springfield oregon #Youtube

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the-empress-7 · 2 years

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« Royal Tea UK also confirmed in Royal Analysis podcast that Meghan did bring NF. «

What’s NF and where did she bring it?

Netflix. To Uvalde, Texas. Within 48 hours of the tragic school shooting.

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texasobserver · 5 months

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“A Paris to Marfa March for Reproductive Rights” by Gayle Reaves, from the November/December issue of Texas Observer magazine:

Above: Louise Culbertson, 15, organized protests and rallies all over Texas on behalf of reproductive rights.

Louise Culbertson’s passion for political activism started when she heard about the murders of 17 students at a Parkland, Florida, school in 2018. With her mother’s help, she organized a demonstration in support of stronger gun laws in her hometown of Marfa. About 200 people showed up.

Culbertson was 10 years old at the time. She was proud to put Marfa on the map of places that had marched against gun violence, a list kept by March for Our Lives, the national organization of young people formed in the wake of Parkland to push back against the epidemic of shootings.

It was something Marfa needed, Culbertson said. The fear of a mass shooting at her own school was real. The shooting at a Santa Fe, Texas, school had happened the same year as Parkland. Four years later, Uvalde’s tragedy would reinforce the bitter, tragic lesson. What happened at Parkland and the other schools “really, really scared me,” she said.

Fast-forward to summer of this year, and Culbertson, now 15, was organizing protests and rallies all over Texas, this time in support of reproductive rights. And doing it from Paris, France. Anger at the reversal of Roe v. Wade had turned up her activism by a couple of notches. Thanks to her mother’s French background, Culbertson and her brother had been able to enroll in school in Paris two years earlier. But Culbertson was coming home to Texas for the summer with a mission.

She started planning in April, and in May got in touch with a nonprofit called Deeds Not Words (founded by former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis) that helps young women build a stronger voice in politics. With their mentoring, Culbertson put together protest events in five cities. Amid Texas’ mind-numbing summer heat, she and her mom, Valerie Breuvart, drove from Austin to Houston, then to Dallas, El Paso, and home to Marfa. In Austin, only a handful of young people showed. In Houston, Dallas, and El Paso, Culbertson said, the turnout was about 20 to 30, from young teenagers to adults. Back home in Marfa, her event drew about 50 fellow protesters. In the other cities, Culbertson said, the events were in one place and featured speakers and people chanting and holding up signs. But in Marfa, she said, “We actually marched.”

“I loved it,” Culbertson said. “I definitely learned a lot. … We had great speakers.” And of course, she got to meet people all over the state and immerse herself in politics.

Where does her determination and interest in politics come from? Her father, Don Culbertson, is a physician’s assistant and her mother a teacher of art history. For more than a decade, they have owned and run a medical clinic in Marfa, with Breuvart working on the business side. “I was raised with my parents talking a lot about politics,” Culbertson said. She described them as “strong Democrats” who took her to polling places to show her how elections worked. “All my passion for politics comes from my parents cheering me along.”

The couple shared their daughter’s fears about gun violence and her concerns about the quality of the schooling that she and her brother would get in Texas. In 2021, they took a year’s sabbatical and went to France.

“We live here [in Marfa]; we have a business, our home. Louise was born on the living room floor here,” Don Culbertson said. But his wife’s background gave them the “opportunity to get a kick-ass education” in Paris for their kids. “And so we’re doing that. We’re so excited,” he said. For now, he and his wife return to Texas for a few weeks several times a year. While in France, Don Culbertson participates in the clinic via telemedicine. The whole family comes home in the summer.

Louise Culbertson said that the language instruction she’s getting in Paris is the best part. The schools she would be going to in Texas offer little in the way of foreign language programs, she said, whereas in Paris, “half of my courses are in English, half in French, and you have to take a third language.” A small city in Texas—even if it’s Marfa—can’t offer the social life that is available in Paris, and then there are, of course, the opportunities for activism.

In Paris, Culbertson is active in a group called Democrats Abroad France doing things like helping register Americans to vote back home. Her brother Victor, 18, is “even more happy than I was to move to Paris.” She called him a “classic teenager … having fun.”

Her activism probably wouldn’t go over as well in other parts of conservative rural Texas. But Marfa and Presidio County tend to be a world of their own—very oriented toward the arts and politically, as she said, “one blue county in a whole pool of red.”

Culbertson “grew up in this town. Everybody looks out for each other here,” said Lisa Kettyle, a founding member of the Big Bend Reproductive Coalition. Culbertson said the coalition has helped her plan her local protest events.

Natasha Acevedo, an outreach manager with Deeds Not Words, said Culbertson contacted the nonprofit last spring via Instagram. She shared her idea of a series of events around the state supporting reproductive freedom. The Roe v. Wade decision had “really made her feel heartbroken,” Acevedo said. Culbertson was one of the youngest activists they’d ever worked with, she’d reached out to them only about six weeks before the first event, and “she lived in a whole other country,” Acevedo said. But Culbertson “wanted some mentorship, and that’s what we do.” So the nonprofit agreed to help.

Deeds Not Words, which has been around about five years, has chapters on a handful of college campuses and is looking to add more. Acevedo said the group’s goal is to empower young people to deal with problems of gender inequality and to think about what a society built on equity would look like. “A lot of young people are very passionate about wanting things to change” but don’t know how to get started, Acevedo said. The nonprofit teaches them about building a community of like-minded people and starting with smaller concepts.

Acevedo helped Culbertson find the people she needed in each city, showed her how to create a pitch for her ideas, and met with her weekly to check on her progress. The 15-year-old was tenacious, passionate, and intelligent in how she dealt with people.

“She ended up having all the events she wanted,” Acevedo said, even though turnout was small for some. It shows that “no matter how young you are, you can make a difference.”

Culbertson said her aim is to “continue to grow awareness” about the repercussions of Texas’ severe abortion laws. A year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, she told the Big Bend Sentinel, “It’s still important to keep on marching … because this hasn’t gone away yet. And I’m not going to stop until it does go away.”

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#students #activism #roe v. wade #abortion rights #reproductive rights #reproductive health #marfa texas #marfa #paris texas #Texas #teenagers

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tearsinthemist · 2 years

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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The Robb Elementary educator whom Texas law enforcement initially blamed for leaving an exterior door at the schoolopen says she is "suffering mentally" after the shooting and its aftermath.

Emilia Marin spoke to ABC's "Good Morning America" about the accusation from Texas police that a teacher had left open an exterior door at the school's west entrance, allowing the shooter to walk in. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw later said the teacher actually shut the door not knowing that it had not locked.

“He said, ‘A teacher left the door propped open,’ and I looked at my daughter and I said, ‘That’s a lie,’” Marin told ABC News' John Quiñones.

Marin said people in her community called for her firing after Texas police made that claim.

But McCraw in June outlined several school security failures that may have contributed to the tragic shooting, including that the exterior door could only be locked from the outside.

She said that the shooting and its aftermath left her with body shakes, anxiety, depression and a stutter.

“I am suffering mentally, of course, emotionally,” she said. “I still don’t sleep. I see those victims’ faces, I pray for them every night.”

#nunyas news #not seeing anything to prove the door wasn't open here

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ncfcatalyst · 2 years

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Rekindling gunfire: Uvalde Memorial Park shooting four months after Robb Elementary

Still recoiling from the tragic destruction of innocent life at the Robb Elementary School shooting just four months before, Uvalde is beset by another shooting—running a calloused finger along wounds still struggling to heal. On Sept. 8 in the Uvalde Memorial Park—established fully in 1927 and named in memorial for veterans of the first World War—a shooting broke out resulting in three…

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#gun control #gun violence #robb elementary #uvalde #uvalde memorial park

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skippyv20 · 1 year

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In the comments from the Youtube Netflix trailer . What disgusting, cold hearted, evil behavior !!

(sorry didn't screenshot)

Sserpent Chic13 3 hours ago I loved the part where she discreetly flew down, fast as she could in a private jet, here to Uvalde Texas after a massive, tragic shooting..

Yes, the grieving parents and community definitely appreciated being shooed away from the site; so she could heroically lay down a couple Walmart bouquets, and hang her head in compassion, solidarity, and grief for the photographers she also kindly brought along.

We were also, so grateful for her generous gift of the Walmart bagged meals she dropped off before jetting back to her palace…thank you Megan!! You are truly an inspiration to us "plebs"!!

Kelly Heath 4 hours ago I love the part where Meghan visits Uvalde undercover as ‘just a mom’ to bring flowers and snacks. She totally wasn’t trying to dig up new material for her histrionic documentary because all she has is her Palmolive story and not even two years as a working royal. She had no idea her Netflix camera crew would be there too! I cried a single tear, left eye. 😢

4 replies Kate C Kate C 3 hours ago whilst moving the mourners away so she could stage her photo opp. Bravery beyond measure

hsmd hsmd 3 hours ago And then she was brave enough to share the photo. I can’t think of anything more genuine!

TheDriftwoodlover TheDriftwoodlover 2 hours ago … and went all the way to a vending machine to buy the sandwiches. Nothing but the finest for Harry’s wife to express her gratitude to the workers there

Mini Haha Mini Haha 3 minutes ago The snacks she offered were Red Cross sandwiches and water bottles. She trooped into their place and handled the sandwiches, which were all thrown out because she handled them without washing her hands

Wow! Unreal! Thank you!😔❤️

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bighermie · 2 years

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The city of Uvalde and the police department reportedly hired a private law firm in Texas to block the release of any public records related to the deadly mass shooting because some of them contain “highly embarrassing information.” The Uvalde police department has been under scrutiny for failing to respond quickly and accurately to tragic…

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grits-galraisedinthesouth · 2 years

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"I'd say the odds just got a lot higher the Brits will forget their manners when she goes up the steps to St. Paul's next week." -Anon (Scroll to the bottom for snark about Meghan Markle’s Uvalde Tragedy Tourism PR Stunt)

Meghan Markle photos from Texas expose a big problem for Duchess

Meghan Markle was seen paying respects in Texas where 19 schoolchildren were murdered - but the photos raise some uncomfortable questions. Daniela Elser @DanielaElser

May 28, 2022 - 6:30AM

Meghan Markle has visited Uvalde in Texas, laying flowers at a memorial for the victims of the mass school shooting. The Duchess of Sussex also donated food and drinks to a blood drive at a local community centre. A Sussex representative says she travelled "in a personal capacity as a mother" and offers "her condolences".

Anyone else remember the forget-me-nots? It was September 1, 2020 when photos popped up of freshly-minted Californians Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, planting forget-me-nots seeds at a preschool in Los Angeles to mark the anniversary of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales’ death.

We know all of this because the couple released touching images of the outing, showing them surrounded by small children as they created a garden bed of the tragic Princess’ favourite flowers in an outing that nearly groaned so heavy-handed was the symbolism and pathos.

That same confluence of Meghan, camera lenses and other people’s children is back in the headlines after the 40-year-old mother-of-two flew three and a half hours from their home to visit Uvalde, Texas where 19 schoolchildren were murdered earlier this week by a gunman.

“Meghan took the trip in a personal capacity as a mother, to offer her condolences and support in person to a community experiencing unimaginable grief,” People, which has a canny knack for getting the inside Sussex scoop, has reported.

The Duchess of Sussex was photographed paying respect in Uvalde, Texas where 19 schoolchildren were murdered. Picture: Chandan Khanna/AFP

That’s a line that might be easier to swallow if she hadn’t chosen to “offer her condolences” smack back in front of the horde of photographers and cameras posted at a memorial to the young victims and if her presence hadn’t immediately ricocheted around social media and news outlets.

Let me say, I have no doubt that her heart is hurting, like millions of other people in the US and around the world, at the thought of such unspeakable loss. What is not up for debate is how genuine, or how strong, her feelings here might be. Not in the least.

But what is deeply problematic is that this trip looks horribly like an attempt to co-opt an unimaginable tragedy for her own PR gain.

The biggest question here is, what did Meghan think would happen when she rolled up in Texas? She is far from being a babe in the woods when it comes to understanding how the press works and surely she must have known that her pitching up in a small Texas town was always going to set off a media storm and would prove a major distraction from the bigger issues at play.

So why go? What did she think she could achieve by going there?

This was not a moment where Meghan’s presence could help highlight an overlooked issue or bring national media attention to bear on a forgotten community.

What did the Duchess of Sussex achieve by being in Texas? Picture: Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

It’s worth pointing out here that President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden and other prominent Texan celebrities like Mathew McConaughy, who has pondered a tilt at the governorship, have stayed away from the town in the immediate aftermath of the heinous killings. (On Friday it was announced that the Bidens would be travelling to Texas this coming Sunday to “grieve with the community.”)

There are any number of generous and smart ways that Meghan could have used her reach and wealth to support the Uvalde community and which did not necessitate her becoming the star of the show.

How about using some of the reported $140 million that Netflix could end up paying the couple to make a sizeable donation to any number of the charities and organisations working towards gun control reform.

Everytown is a “movement of moms, dads, students, survivors, educators, gun owners, and concerned citizens” trying to deal with the scourge of gun violence – why not just give them a whopping cheque and urge their supporters to follow suit?

The Sussexes could have better helped the Uvalde community by making a sizeable donation to US gun control reform charities and organisations. Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

There is also the question, why now? Where was the Duchess last week when ten people were murdered in what authorities believe was a racially-motivated massacre in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York?

There have been 26 school shootings in the United States this year prior to the devastating events in Uvalde. At no other time has gun violence been a cause which the humanitarian Duke and Duchess have spoken out about.

Then there is the Netflix question. With Page Six having revealed last week that Harry and Meghan have agreed to something that sounds markedly like a reality series (sorry, the correct nomenclature here is a “‘at-home with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex-style’ docuseries”) did the TV cameras also travel with Meghan?

Will, months from now, we be watching teary close-ups of Meghan as she recounts her heart string-tugging mercy mission to Ulvade? (At the time of writing, the Daily Mail has reported that it is “unclear” whether the Duchess was accompanied by a crew from the streaming giant.)

On face value, Meghan’s visit looks a lot like Kate, Duchess of Cambridge’s in March 2021 to pay her respects at the memorial for murdered woman Sarah Everard but look a little closer and that argument falls apart.

Most glaringly, the only images we have of Kate were ones taken by those in the crowd at the memorial on their phones and show her walking, head down, and with purpose, to lay flowers.

The only photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge at the memorial for murdered woman Sarah Everard in March 2021 were taken by those in the crowd on their phones. Picture: Twitter/Instagram

Meanwhile, there is a veritable smorgasbord of high resolution shots of Meghan in Uvalde thanks to the fact that the world’s largest photo agencies and news outlets were out in force already at the memorial she visited.

In one video posted to social media, it is clear how close snappers got to the Duchess. Given that her head of security, Alberto Alvarez, was on hand, according to the Daily Mail, and could surely have been interceded here, the most obvious conclusion was that she did not have a problem with photographers getting so close.

(Another distinction – Sarah Everard was abducted from a neighbourhood only a 15-minute drive from the Cambridges’ Kensington Palace residence so this literally hit close to home for Kate.)

Also while in Texas, Meghan visited a local community centre which was running a blood drive and where she donated food. “She did not want anybody to know who she was,” a volunteer there told the Mail.

Just how plausible is this? She is one of the most famous people on the planet. Did she really think she could pop in without being recognised? She could also have ordered pallets of food and water to be delivered to the community centre without ever having to go anywhere near the press.

The Sussexes have quite the track record when it comes to ostensibly private moments finding their way into the public realm. In August 2020 they volunteered at a Baby2Baby event in Los Angeles, handing out back-to-school supplies, and took their own photographer to capture them helping out.

Then in November that same year they staged their own DIY Remembrance Day service by laying flowers on two Commonwealth War graves in Los Angeles with a professional snapper in tow.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a professional photographer with them when they laid a wreath at Los Angeles National Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday in 2020. Picture: Lee Morgan/Handout via Getty Images

Her own husband has spoken about the complexities of grief last year having said of the mass outpouring of anguish at his mother’s death: “(I was) showing one-tenth of the emotion that everybody else was showing: This was my mum – you never even met her. I was so angry with what happened to her and that there was no justice, at all. Nothing came from that.”

The saying goes, charity begins at home. In this instance, it might have been better if charity had stayed at home too.

Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.

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#uvalde #meghan markle #datalounge comments

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