Ideas before ideology. Research before rhetoric. Policy before politics.
Full AJC Article honoring Maura & outlining the lack of research funding over the causes of gun violence.
"Maura Binkley grew up as part of a generation scarred by mass shootings. Days after a gunman killed 17 students and staffers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year in Parkland, Fla., Binkley joined thousands at Florida’s Capitol for a rally. The Florida State University senior and Dunwoody native, who wanted to be a diplomat, felt compelled to find a way to stop gun violence, friends and her father said.
Less than nine months later, Binkley’s life was cut short by the same gun violence she had pledged to fight. A man who police said hated women positioned himself behind Binkley during a class at a Tallahassee yoga studio, pulled a pistol and shot and killed Binkley and 61-year-old Dr. Nancy Van Vessem. The gunman wounded five others before killing himself in a spasm of violence that shook Tallahassee.
On Monday, on what would have been Binkley’s 22nd birthday, her parents, Jeff and Margaret Binkley, friends and Florida State administrators and students will unveil a nonprofit dedicated to understanding the causes of gun violence and funding research to inform policy and other responses to reduce gun deaths.
Jeff Binkley said Maura’s Voice Research Fund will fill a gap where state, federal and nonprofit dollars currently don’t go, and back research to better understand the connections between mental illness, hate and violence and how it all affects public safety.
Maura’s Voice also will delve into issues of violence against women.
Binkley sums up the nonpartisan group’s mission as “Ideas before ideology. Research before rhetoric. Policy before politics.”
Mon, March 4, 2019 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Location - Liberty Plaza of Georgia Capital - Capitol Ave SW Atlanta, GA 30334
Maura's Voice Research Fund (Maura's Voice) will serve to realize the vision of deepening the scientific understanding of and effective responses to the epidemic of gun violence in America. Maura's Voice will champion a unique and robust focus on researching and responding to the complex causes and effects of firearm violence. The Fund will develop knowledge for and test innovative approaches to forensic evaluation, management, treatment, and prevention strategies, as well as for sound policy development and implementation.
The FSU College of Social Work is committed to developing and testing "real world" approaches that change lives and communities through effective practices and policy reforms. Maura's Voice will synergize and build upon the College of Social Work and Florida State University's current research initiatives with a targeted focus on firearm violence, particularly the interacting phenomena of gun violence and behavioral health.
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