Kara Chine’s activism has given voice to students.
June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month‚ so I’m especially honored to recognize Kara Chine as the District 38 June 2025 Champion of the Month.
Kara volunteers thousands of hours every year to end gun violence as the San Diego-area lead for Team ENOUGH‚ the youth-led initiative of Brady United. She also serves on the Board of San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention (SD4GVP)‚ a coalition of over 26 organizations of survivors‚ activists‚ youth groups and others who work together to reduce gun violence in the San Diego region. Her role with SD4GVP is to mobilize youth through advocacy‚ art and activism.
Kara was an English‚ drama and speech teacher at Santana High School in Santee just before a student shooting in 2001 killed two students and injured 13 others. The attack struck home because she knew so many teachers and students at the school. Then 26 children and teachers were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012‚ and 17 students and teachers died in the high school shooting in Parkland‚ Florida‚ in 2018‚ just as Kara’s children were attending high school.
“After Parkland‚ I saw students doing advocacy on behalf of their own safety‚” Kara said. “I was moved by their courage‚ so I got my feet wet by testifying and helping students advocate to stop gun shows at the Del Mar Fairgrounds under the wing of Rose Ann and Ira Sharp’s NeverAgainCA campaign.”
Kara volunteers thousands of hours every year to end gun violence as the San Diego-area
With the support of many politicians‚ including me when I was Mayor of Encinitas and Mayor Todd Gloria when he was in the Assembly‚ that campaign succeeded. In 2022‚ firearms sales were banned on all California state property. Seeing that ban upheld in the Supreme Court in May 2025 showed young people what a difference their voices can make.
Kara recognizes that some youth are interested in advocacy and public speaking while others choose impact through artistic expression. Most recently‚ Kara led a somber flash mob with teen musicians in Balboa Park‚ where families of gun violence victims shared photographs of their loved ones.
This summer‚ Team ENOUGH is hosting an online art gallery‚ “Growing up with Gun Violence: Beyond Thoughts and Prayers.” The exhibit elevates the voices of high school students who have grown up in the shadow of gun violence.
The gallery harnesses the creativity and lived experience of youth to challenge the normalization of gun violence and call the community to meaningful united action. I will be selecting one of the pieces as my “Legislator’s Choice.” If you are a student aged 14-18‚ you can submit your original artwork here by June 30 and add your voice to the call for a future free from the fear of gun violence.
“Youth have a superpower of not being perceived as partisan‚” Kara said. “They aren’t old enough to vote‚ but they are old enough to speak for themselves to legislators‚ media and others who are much more likely to listen to a young person who is calling for a future free from gun violence.”
Thank you‚ Kara‚ for your work to empower students and change the trajectory of gun violence. I’m proud to stand with you and with thousands of gun violence prevention advocates like you in District 38 and across the state.