The Pius and Grace Lee Day proclamation from California Governor Gray Davis - 6 Decade in a Glimpse (Pius Lee Autobiography 6)

I also actively pushed for a gun buy-back program.

In 1992, the Police Commission approved the gun buyback program. On February 15th, Central Police Station first launched the program. I served as a volunteer. Each gun owner was offered $50 when he turned in each gun. No questions were asked.

The response from the community was strong. In the one-day program, the Police Department received 1,630 guns. I paid for the gun melting process and made them into souvenirs. San Francisco became the first city in the United States that launched the gun buy-back program. Since then, to this day, many cities throughout the country have followed suit.

In 1791, Congress passed the Second Amendment that gave citizens the right to carry arms. At that time all guns were fired only one shot at a time. Firearms today are powerful deadly weapons that can fire multiple shots. While gun control in the United States is not easy, I believe that the constitution should move forward with time.

The 1791 amendment was good for the single shot firearms of the era. Nowadays, firearms are capable of firing off multiple shots. There should be new gun control laws, which will not be in conflict with the Second Amendment. I encourage everyone to write to their representatives in both the Senate and the House in support of tougher control laws over these new weapons.

The mass shootings in Monterey Park in Southern California and Half Moon Bay in Northern California at the beginning of 2023 costed many innocent and precious lives, which only goes to show the importance and urgency of reforming the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Strengthening firearm ownership and safety laws can be achieved through firearm safety assessment, background check and to buy $1 million insurance coverage, guarantor required for gun buyers, annual review, doctor certificates, prohibiting the sale and possession of high-power weapons with rapid reloading capacity.

The rights to bear arms in the Second Amendment was not changed for those guns fired one shot at a time. But today, there is an urgency to control the guns which are able to fire multiple shots at a time, not the single shot.

In 1991, when I served as a Police Commissioner, the Police Department provided counseling services to Catholics and Christians but not Buddhists. I proposed to Police Chief Frank Jordan to appoint Do Lan as the Buddhist host to the Police Department. There was a need for the Police Department to provide psychological counseling services for the Buddhists who were police officers.

During my four years as a police commissioner, all my allowances were donated to the San Francisco Widows' and Orphans' Aid Association of the Police Department.

In September 1991, the President of the police union Gary Delagnes openly commended me in the publication of the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA). "The only police commissioner we can count on to listen to our many needs is Commissioner Pius Lee for which we are grateful," wrote Delagnes.

In November 1994, Wai Wai Lau, a news editor of the Chinese Times, was roughed up by a police officer and had his press pass taken away. I learned about this after getting all the facts and making a case on Lau's behalf, Police Chief Tony Ribera personally returned the pass to Mr. Lau.

Chapter 9: The Pius and Grace Lee Day proclamation from California Governor Gray Davis

In 1989 to 1990, I was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Chinese Hospital. During my tenure, I supported converting a vacant lot behind the hospital into a parking garage, improving the parking issue confronting the medical staff and visitors. After the Board of Trustees approved my plan to build the garage, the construction immediately began. The garage was completed in a year. The convenience with the hospital parking was also well received by many doctors.

When I was the President of the Board of Trustees of the Chinese Hospital, the Executive Director reported that California State's Department of Public Health rejected our medical reimbursement application due to an expired deadline.

I contacted Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis and State Senate Speaker David Roberti, who appealed the case on our behalf. As a result, the Chinese Hospital received more than half a million dollars. For that we thanked the two gentlemen for helping the Chinese Hospital.

On December 8, 1998, Chinatown had a massive power outage. The application deadline for losses was three years. After a three-day negotiation between the Chinatown Neighborhood Association and PG&E, my colleagues and I volunteered to file compensation paperwork for several hundred residents and took back more than $1 million for those who were impacted by the outrage in 1998 in Chinatown.

In 1999, former Mayor Willie Brown and former Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed me to the Chinatown Economic Development Committee to revitalize Chinatown's economy as Co-Chair and Chair respectively. Meanwhile I also founded the Chinatown Neighborhood Association, which launched the Chinatown Night Market for nine years.

I have to thank Benny Yee, former Commissioner of the Redevelopment Agency for his support. A vibrant night market livened up the Chinese community's cultural entertainment and brought more businesses to Chinatown.

Former Mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom gave me strong support for the night market at Portsmouth Square. I wanted to put on Chinese cultural activities at night such as outdoor Chinese cultural performances, including Chinese signing, to attract more visitors to Chinatown so that they could see and feel for themselves and revitalize the Chinese community economy.

On the 36th anniversary of my wedding with my wife Grace, Governor Gray Davis proclaimed March 16, 1999 as "Pius and Grace Lee Day '' and thanked me for my contribution to the State of California.

In 2000, Governor Gary Davis appointed me to the California State World Trade Commission. I was responsible for the selection process of overseas office staff. I recommended 12 Chinese and a Caucasian attorney to serve as judge and other different commissions. They were in charge of the licensing process of construction firms, architect firms, doctor's offices and acupuncture clinics.

On February 24, 2000, Governor Gray Davis said at the Chinese New Year luncheon. " I am proud of keeping the promise that Pius Lee is holding me to," Davis told the crowd after giving a red envelope to a lion dancer. Davis added that he had named San Franciscan Janie Fong on January 28, 2000 as the Director of the California Hong Kong Trade and Investment Office.

In September 2003, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan appointed me as a principal arbitrator of Chinatown's first Community Court, which had five members.

We served as arbitrators in cases of minor offenses such as business operation without a license, drunken disturbance, and gambling in public. It gave first offenders a chance by performing community service instead of facing a criminal penalty. It saved the city operating costs. The defendants did not have to hire a lawyer or an interpreter, thus saving the city about $3,000 for each defendant. The arbitration officer and other members were volunteers.

( To be continued in Issue 192 )

Editor's Note: Community leader Pius Lee retires in 2024 after advocating for the community in many ways for 60 years. He has recently released his autobiography book, 6 Decades in a Glimpse, as his personal memoirs for his friends and families, not for sale. Mr. Lee shares his book with community members to be reprinted in Wind Newspaper's weekly issues starting #186 in April 2024.