176: Guns & Art with Artist Bonnie Lautenberg and Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

ON THE KNOWS with Randall Kenneth Jones, the NEW Jones.Show Podcast

This episode is dedicated to the extraordinary Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her remarkable contributions to health, safety, humanity and the human spirit.

Bonnie Lautenberg is an artist, photographer and writer. Her works have been featured in gallery shows, museums and art fairs throughout the country. In 2022, Lautenberg was appointed by the White House to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

Lautenberg is the type of artist who seamlessly communicates her seasoned life experiences through the lens of her camera and her digital canvas. Currently, she divides her time between New York and Palm Beach ‒ retaining the ties she nurtured in Washington, DC while she was the wife of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg. She has been described as “having enough Washington insider stories to fill a book.”

Giffords Senior Advisor Debbie Mucarsel-Powell was the first South American-born immigrant ever elected to Congress. Debbie immigrated to the United States at the age of 14 with her mother and three sisters. When she was 24, Debbie’s father was murdered, which led her to dedicate her life to advocating for commonsense gun reform.

Debbie was elected to Florida’s 26th Congressional District in 2018. In Congress, she focused on foreign affairs, education, healthcare policy, environmental sustainability, and gun violence prevention. She sat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security and served as Vice-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, where she led efforts to pass the first gun safety legislation in 25 years.

Debbie came to Congress with more than 20 years of experience at the FIU College of Medicine, FIU College of Health & Urban Affairs, FIU College of Social Work, Justice and Public Affairs, and Miami-Dade College, as well as experience at nonprofits providing social services, education, and environmental sustainability. Fluent in Spanish, Debbie is also available for Spanish-language media.

As someone that has spent her life’s work on expanding access to quality healthcare – impacting the lives of thousands, she knows that it’s inconceivable that politicians in D.C. would consider ripping away healthcare access from our families. Debbie understands we must continue to improve on what’s working and fix what’s broken in our health care system, not abandon people who need it the most.

Giffords (www.Giffords.org) is a leader in the movement to end gun violence in America. Led by the former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the organization brings decades of political, legal, and policy expertise to the fight for gun safety. Nearly 50,000 people died from gun violence in the U.S. in 2021. This uniquely American crisis leaves no community untouched — but it doesn’t have to be this way. From universal background checks to community-based violence intervention strategies, we know that there are proven solutions that will make our country safer. In statehouses and courthouses across America, we’re taking on the gun lobby and winning.

Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook in December 2012, the organization has helped pass more than 525 gun safety laws in nearly every state and Washington DC. Gun violence is a complex problem, and ending this epidemic will require a wide range of solutions. Giffords is committed to seeing this fight through, until the promise of a safe and just country is a reality for every person and community in America.

JONES.SHOW is a weekly podcast featuring host Randall Kenneth Jones (author, speaker & creative communications consultant) and Susan C. Bennett (the original voice of Siri).

JONES.SHOW is produced and edited by Kevin Randall Jones.

Lautenberg, Mucarsel-Powell & Powell Online:

Giffords: www.giffords.org Bonnie Lautenberg: https://jmof.fiu.edu/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/lady-liberty-a-bonnie-lautenberg-retrospective/ Debbie Mucarsel-Powell: https://giffords.org/people/debbie-mucarsel-powell/

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