Media Edge

"Preventing Gun Violence – An International Perspective" (55.5 minutes)

On October 25, 2015, the Joint Annual Dinner of the Sacramento Chapters of Physicians for Social Responsibility and the United Nations Association featured keynote speaker Rebecca Peters, the founding director of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA). Following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Australia, Ms. Peters led a grass roots gun control campaign that led to prompt action by the Australian government to ban all assault weapons in their country. For her work on gun violence prevention, she received the Australian Human Rights Medal, the Australian equivalent of the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

During her keynote address, Ms. Peters described how she and her Australian colleagues were able to get the nationwide ban on assault weapons passed. She noted that following the ban, over a million firearms were removed from circulation, overall rates of firearm related deaths and injuries, already much lower than in the United States, declined even further, and there hasn't been a single additional mass shooting.

Ms. Peters challenged Americans to take similar action to stop the epidemic of gun violence in our country.

"Border, Inc." (12 minutes)

The same companies that profiteered from the wars in Iraq are profiteering from the militarization of our own border. Time and time again on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has called for building "the great wall of Trump" on the U.S./Mexico border. This would require the construction of almost 2,000 miles of wall in hostile desert terrain. And Trump is not alone in his calls for ramping up "border security." Ben Carson, the other leading Republican candidate, has called for using drones at the border. This is all to block out a country that we are not at war with -- and who is our third largest trading partner in the world.

In this new short documentary, Brave New Films exposes how the last three decades of immigration politics in this country have created a massive payday for military contractors and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in this business operation fueled by xenophobia and greed. Should any of these new ideas of presidential candidates become reality, the jackpots for companies will soar even higher, as taxpayers see a larger portion of their checks going to this effort.

"Wealth Inequality in America" (6.5 minutes)

This short video features infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers. The reality is often not what we think it is.

"The Story of Electronics" (8 minutes)

The high-tech revolution's collateral damage: 25 million tons of e-waste and counting, poisoned workers and a public left holding the bill. Host Annie Leonard takes viewers from the mines and factories where our gadgets begin to the horrific backyard recycling shops in China where many end up. The film concludes with a call for a green 'race to the top' where designers compete to make long-lasting, toxic-free products that are fully and easily recyclable.

"Seeds of Freedom" (28 minutes)

This film, narrated by Jeremy Irons, details how seeds, which have been the heart of traditional farming and natural biodiversity since the beginning of agriculture, are being transformed into an expensive, patented commodity used to monopolize the global food system.