Minutes for the July 2024 meeting

AIUSA Group 342 meeting

17 July 2024 (hybrid)
In attendance (in person): Barbara, Bob, Marsha

In attendance (via Zoom): Kara, Dorothee

GREETINGS AND CHECK-IN

2024 NORTHEAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

• Will be held in NYC on October 25
• Will be in-person only (no remote option)

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION (Bob)

• 30,000 guns seized in NC—but because they weren't reported stolen, the person who had then was sentenced to only 14 months in prison (instead of 30 months)
• June 30 op-ed in The Inquirer by the founder of RAWTools Philly (an organization that turns guns into tools) about challenges to eliminating guns on the streets 
• The police department sells old weapons, thus creating a "blue market"
• GA law mandates that all seized guns must be resold
• NC law prohibits destroying seized weapons
• STATE LEVEL: CeaseFire PA protests again PA State Rep. Craig Williams
• NATIONAL LEVEL: 2 recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions
• 8-1 ruling to ban domestic abusers from owning guns
• 6-3 ruling to overturn the ban on bump stocks

DEATH PENALTY UPDATE

• Recently: 200th death row exoneration
• Questionable convictions: Melissa Lucio (TX); Robert Roberson (TX)
• Other cases:
• Toomaj Salehi (Iran): death penalty has been lifted but still in prison [petition to Iranian authorities]
• Keith Gavin (Alabama): sentenced to die 7/18/24 [petition to AL governor Kay Ivey]
• Rocky Meyers (Alabama): celebrated his 63th birthday [birthday card to sign]

WAR ON GAZA

• Amnesty International calls for a ceasefire and suspicion of weapons shipments [petition to Biden]

SUMMER SOLIDARITY POSTCARD ACTION

• On behalf of Floriane Irangabiye (Burundi), Ilham Tohti (China), and Vahid Afkari (Iran)
• Send postcards c/o AIUSA office in Boston

Next Meeting: Wednesday, 18 September, 7:30 pm (hybrid)