2004-05 DIFFERENCE MAKERS OF THE YEAR: SHOOTING DOWN VIOLENCE BROTHERS RUN FOR CAMPBELL HALL, GUN LEGISLATION.Byline: Sean Martin Sean Martin may refer to:
Theo Milonopoulos gives a simple reason why he and his twin brother, Niko, have spent the past seven years lobbying for laws aimed at preventing gun violence. ``We were afraid of being shot,'' he said. They watched helicopters circle overhead, sirens flash and police tape cordon off Verb 1. cordon off - divide by means of a rope; "The police roped off the area where the crime occurred" rope in, rope off inclose, shut in, close in, enclose - surround completely; "Darkness enclosed him"; "They closed in the porch with a fence" streets as they passed the site of Ennis Cosby's murder on their way to elementary school elementary school: see school. in January 1997. One frightened classmate declared a murderer was on the loose and locked the door to their classroom. Less than two months later, the North Hollywood shootout The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily-armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, and patrol and SWAT officers of the Los Angeles Police Department in North Hollywood, California on February 28, 1997. that injured 18 police officers and civilians and left two robbery suspects dead occurred at the same bank the Milonopoulos family frequented. The twins huddled with fear in the back of their mother's car the next time they visited the building. Theo and Niko Milonopoulos started Kidz Voice-LA to give youth a voice in the political process. Their first action was a 7,000-signature petition to ban the sale of gun ammunition in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . They've been fighting violence since. The recent Campbell Hall Campbell Hall can refer to:
The ammunition ban that Theo and Niko, now 18, lobbied for failed when the same council members who had written them letters of support voted against it. ``It was disheartening dis·heart·en tr.v. dis·heart·ened, dis·heart·en·ing, dis·heart·ens To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. See Synonyms at discourage. ,'' Theo Milonopoulos said. ``We would testify alongside these parents who had lost children to gun violence. We realized no matter what struggles we faced, their kids would never get the chance to grow up. We needed to provide a voice for those kids.'' They led lobbying that helped pass a citywide ban of .50-caliber sniper rifles Sniper rifles: Regular 'sniper' rifles. Including scoped variants of regular weapons, dedicated designs, dedicated marksman variants, etc..
The Milonopoulos brothers also were invited to testify before the State Senate Education Committee supporting a bill that proposed California high schools incorporate gun-violence prevention into health class, a measure Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] vetoed last year. Niko Milonopoulos testified at a hearing of the State Assembly Public Safety Committee about a proposed bill that would place gun safety warnings on firearm-sale contracts. They've also led demonstrations, written op-ed pieces, awarded grants and spoken at conferences in support of their cause. Theo Milonopoulos appeared in Teen People's ``20 Teens Who Will Change the World'' issue. He was featured between pop star Avril Lavigne and Allyson Felix, the 2004 Olympic 200-meter silver medalist and L.A. Baptist of North Hills grad. The twins have met with former President Clinton in the Oval Office and appeared on CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. and CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. . ``No one can argue against them,'' said Bill Durston, injury prevention chairperson for the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the largest organization of emergency physicians in the United States. It was founded in 1968 and is now headquartered in Dallas,Texas. . ``The gun lobby uses a lot of tactics to discredit its opposition, but it can't discredit two young people who tell the plain truth. They aren't doing this for money or political gain. They have a special credibility because of their sincerity.'' Durston lobbied alongside Theo and Niko Milonopoulos in support of the health-curriculum bill. Politicians did not always seek out Theo and Niko Milonopoulos' testimony. The brothers quickly learned politicians are not eager to return phone calls from 11-year-old children. The twins used to run through City Hall's stairwells after council meetings, hoping to meet with the council members as they returned to their offices. That experience might have helped them in their cross country and track and field careers. Niko Milonopoulos was twice Campbell Hall's cross country male Runner of the Year and a Delphic League triple- and long-jump champion. Theo Milonopoulos also was an All-League cross country runner at Campbell Hall. ``Things aren't always fair in politics,'' Niko Milonopoulos said. ``That's what's great about sports. If you put the work in, you're going to see improvement.'' Sean Martin, (818) 713-3608 sean.martin(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Twins Theo, left, and Niko Milonopoulos of Campbell Hall of North Hollywood, who have long fought gun violence, are the Daily News Difference Makers of the Year. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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