Editing Brady Campaign

{{USgunorgs}}The '''Brady Campaign''' or '''The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence''' or '''The Brady Campaign united with the Million Mom March''' is a political lobbying group promoting the cause of [[gun control]], founded in [[1974]] as '''[[The National Council to Control Handguns]] ([[NCCH]])''' by Dr. Mark Borinsky, a victim of [[gun violence]].<ref>[http://www.bradycampaign.org/press/?page=history The Brady Campaign] - press releases</ref> The NCCH was re-named '''[[Handgun Control, Inc.]]''' from [[1980]] until [[2001]]. On [[June 14]], 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Some critics note that the Brady Campaign has been ineffective since the Democratic Party lost control of Congress in [[January 1995]]. Since then the "[[assault weapons]]" ban has been allowed to expire; legislation protecting gun manufacturers and dealers against lawsuits by crime victims has been enacted in Congress and in several States; and the pro-gun opinions of former senator John Ashcroft were no impediment to his confirmation as Attorney General in 2001.

== History ==

The [[Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence]] is a sister organization that was also spun out of '''Handgun Control, Inc.''' on June 14, 2001. It is a registered not-for-profit organization which allegedly focuses on education but is far more interested in litigation and political lobbying.

On [[October 1]], [[2001]], the [[Million Mom March]] merged with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.<ref>http://www.millionmommarch.org/aboutus/2000march/</ref>

Since the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT, The Brady Campaign experienced a bump in new supporters<ref>http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/brady-campaign-raises-5m-post-sandy-hook-86157.html</ref> and a briefly renewed interest in passing legislation to reduce [[gun rights]]. The Brady Campaign leadership has been leading the effort on Capitol Hill to pass a set of reforms, including an expansion of the [[NICS|Background Check program]].  Their leadership has met with President Obama and Vice President Biden to craft a package of bills aimed at reducing gun rights.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/01/brady-campaign-white-house-showing-tremendous-leadership-154360.html Brady Campaign: White House showing 'tremendous leadership'], Politico.com</ref>  

==Leadership==
[[Mark Borinsky]] founded the National Council to Control Handguns in 1974. He served as Chair until [[1976]]. Charlie Orasin was a key player in the founding and growth of Handgun Control (HCI). He worked at HCI from [[1975]] until [[1992]].

[[Nelson Shields|Nelson "Pete" Shields]] became the organization's chairman in [[1978]] and retired in [[1989]].

[[James Brady]] and his wife, [[Sarah Brady|Sarah]], have been influential in the organization since at least the mid-1980s. Mrs. Brady became chair in 1989, and the Bradys became the namesakes of the organization in [[2000]].

From 2000 to [[May 2006]] former Maryland Congressman [[Michael D. Barnes]] was the president of the Brady Campaign. He was succeeded by former Fort Wayne, Indiana mayor [[Paul Helmke]].

In [[February 2012]], on Sarah Brady's 70th birthday, [[Dan Gross]] was announced as the new president. He is one of the founders of the [[Center to Prevent Youth Violence]] (formerly PAX).

==Stated Mission==
From Brady Campaign's website:
{{quote|As the largest national, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, the Million Mom March and the Brady Center are dedicated to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in their communities. The Brady Campaign, the Million Mom March and the Brady Center believe that a safer America can be achieved without banning all guns.}}

In 1976, HCI's Chairman Nelson "Pete" Shields stated that the long-term goal of the organization was a [[handgun ban|ban on handgun ownership]].<ref>Richard Harris, "A Reporter at Large: Handguns," New Yorker, July 26, 1976, 53, 58</ref>
{{quote|We'll take one step at a time, and the first is necessarily – given the political realities – very modest. We'll have to start working again to strengthen the law, and then again to strengthen the next law and again and again. Our ultimate goal, total control of handguns, is going to take time. The first problem is to slow down production and sales. Next is to get [[registration]]. The final problem is to make possession of all handguns and [[ammunition]] (with a few exceptions) totally illegal.}}

== Activities ==
[[File:Shoot-first-law.jpg|right|Typical Brady propaganda]]
During the Clinton Administration, HCI was the chief supporter of the [[Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act]], known as the "Brady Bill", enacted in [[1993]] after seven years of debate; and successfully lobbied for passage of the first-ever [[Federal assault weapons ban]], banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style "[[assault weapon]]s", a provision that was arbitrary and symbolic. The ban expired in [[September 2004]]. This has since been replaced by a [[NICS|computerized background check system]].

In [[May 2005]], [[Florida]] passed a "[[Castle Doctrine#Stand-your-ground|Stand Your Ground]]" law that authorized persons attacked in their own home or automobile to use lethal force in self-defense without a [[duty to retreat]];<ref>[http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2005_05_15-2005_05_21.shtml#1116516262 David Kopel, "Florida's New Self-Defense Law" [[19 May]] [[2005]]] Volokh.com</ref> Brady Campaign workers passed out fliers at Florida airports warning tourists that, under what they called the "Shoot First" law, tourists could be shot for simply being rude to a Florida resident.<ref>Goodnough, Abby [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/national/nationalspecial/04shoot.html "Tourists to Florida Get a Warning as Greeting"]. New York Times [[October 4]], [[2005]]</ref> When such laws were proposed in other states, the Brady Campaign warned they would result in [[vigilantism]].<ref>Willing, Richard [http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-20-states-self-defense_x.htm "States allow deadly self-defense"]. USA Today [[March 21]], [[2006]]</ref>

On [[March 19]], [[2009]], a federal judge ordered a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of the rule allowing [[Concealed carry in the United States|concealed carry]] permit holders to carry firearms concealed within National Park Service lands within states where their permits are valid, based upon "environmental concerns", in response to efforts by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902801.html Judge Blocks Rule Permitting Concealed Guns In U.S. Parks] Washington Post, [[March 20]], [[2009]].</ref><ref>[http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/nationalparks_MemoOpiniononintervention.PDF Copy of Injunction] 2009-09-12</ref>  On [[May 20]], 2009, the injunction was overturned by the passing of an amendment to (of all things) the Credit CARD Act of 2009, added by Senator Tom Coburn (R, OK) over the screeching objections of the Brady Campaign.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/20/credit-card-forces-dems-vote-gun-rights/?test=latestnews "Congress Approves Bill Restricting Credit Card Industry, Allowing Guns in Parks"]. FOXNews.com May 20, 2009</ref>

In [[2012]], the Brady Campaign clearly showed that it's fine and dandy for drug lords and other criminals to have guns and murder people, as long as the government is the one supplying them, when they relentlessly attacked Republicans’ efforts to obtain documents regarding the [[Operation Fast and Furious]] gunrunning scandal<ref>Craig Bannister, [http://cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/brady-campaign-prevent-gun-violence-attacks-house-efforts-see-holder-s "Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence Attacks House Efforts To See Holder’s Gunrunning Documents"]. CNS News June 29, 2012.</ref>

=== Fails ===
U.S. Supreme Court rulings in 2008 and 2010 have affirmed the [[RKBA|right of citizens to own and use firearms]] in their homes for self-defense. [[District of Columbia v. Heller]] (2008) ruled that the Second Amendment was an ''individual'' (rather than ''collective'') right, like the rest of the Bill of Rights. [[McDonald v. Chicago]] (2010) ruled that the Second Amendment was [[wikipedia:Incorporation of the Bill of Rights|incorporated]] against the states under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and struck down<ref>David Rittgers, [http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/243565/one-month-after-i-mcdonald-i-david-rittgers "One Month after McDonald"]. National Review Online July 29, 2010</ref> a Chicago ordinance banning handguns. In both cases the Brady Campaign was loudly butthurt with the outcome,<ref>[http://www.opposingviews.com/i/brady-campaign-uses-lethal-logic-on-dc-v-heller-anniversary "Brady Campaign Uses Lethal Logic on DC v Heller Anniversary"]. Opposingviews.com 2011-12-08</ref> stating that they were worried that a decrease in government regulation of firearms would result in [[More Guns, Less Crime|more gun deaths and gun violence]]. They however have babbled that they are pleased that neither case outcome precluded <s>"the Second Amendment allows for reasonable restrictions on firearms, including who can have them and under what conditions, where they can be taken, and what types of firearms are available."</s> further attempts at skullbuggery by gun grabbers in the future.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20009049-503544.html "Supreme Court Gun Rights Decision: A Win or a Setback?"] Brian Montopoli, CBS News, June 28, 2010</ref>

Then there's the ongoing description of [[Hollow-point bullet|hollow-point]] handgun ammunition as "[[cop-killers]]," in blatant contradiction with every known principle of [[ballistics]]. This misinformation was widely exploited by media outlets, despite the fact that most types of hollow-point ammunition actually penetrate ''far less'' than conventional jacketed rounds, thus being incapable of defeating police department-issue [[Kevlar]] vests.

== Responses ==

The Brady Campaign has come under severe criticism from both gun-owners groups (such as the [[NRA]]) and from non-aligned parties as well, due to its habitual use of <s>inaccurate information and unsourced data</s> blatant fabrications regarding firearms and ammunition<ref>Gun Owners of America Press Release, Jan 15, 2003 http://gunowners.org/pr0301.htm</ref><ref>GunMuse Blog Entry by Howard Nemerov http://www.gunmuse.com/Blog/Howard%20Nemerov/631</ref>.

Gun advocacy groups have protested the demonisation of a sport through [[FUD|disinformation and unfounded hysteria]]. Some of the more famous examples include the labelling of semi-automatic or self-loading rifles as "assault weapons."  Writer Richard Lowry pointed out that the term "[[assault weapon]]", used in the 1994 crime bill that followed the 1993 [[Brady Bill]] is a manufactured term.<ref name="Lowry">Lowry, Richard (2003). [http://books.google.com/books?id=bKumwTZunZYC&pg=PA96&dq=%2B%22assault+weapon%22+%2B%22semi-automatic%22#v=onepage&q=%2B%22assault%20weapon%22%20%2B%22semi-automatic%22&f=false "Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years"]. Regnery.</ref> This term is used by the Brady Campaign to refer to [[semi-automatic rifle|semi-automatic]] or self-loading rifles.<ref>[http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/msassaultweapons "Federal Gun Laws Military – Style Assault Weapons"]. From the Brady Campaign website (hold your nose)</ref> This is done in order to equate them in the public imagination with [[assault rifle]]s,<ref>Eric C. Morgan. [http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/EMorgan1.html "Assault Rifle Legislation: Unwise and Unconstitutional"]. ''American Journal of Criminal Law (Texas)''. 2011-12-08</ref><ref>[http://www.ammoland.com/2009/02/26/semi-automatic-rifle-ban-would-reduce-jobs-not-crime/ National Shooting Sports Foundation: "Semi-Automatic Ban Would Reduce Jobs, Not Crime"]. Ammoland.com, February 27, 2009</ref> and the Brady Campaign has repeatedly used the terms interchangeably.<ref>Brady Campaign press release: [http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/1117 "Assault Weapons, Weak Gun Laws Enable Dangerous People Like The Alabama Man Who Killed 10."] [[March 11]], [[2009]]</ref><ref>Brady Campaign press release: [http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/935 "Gun Lobbyist and Gun Dealer Sandy Abrams Heads To Trial For Illegal Assault Weapon Sales, Cited For 900 Federal Gun Law Violations Over Nearly A Decade"]. [[October 16]], [[2007]]</ref> The Brady Campaign tries to contend that [[Semi-automatic firearm|self-loading]] and [[Selective fire|select-fire]] weapons are as good as identical, since a [[semi-automatic rifle]] may be fired rapidly.<ref>[http://blog.bradycampaign.org/?p=693 Brady Campaign blog. "What’s The Difference Between A Fully Automatic and a Semi-Automatic Assault Weapon? About 3.5 Seconds."] [[February 26]], [[2009]]</ref>

They also can't seem to stop yowling for the ban of imaginary non-existent "plastic guns".<ref name="torstar">Kennedy, Michael Plastic Guns: New Weapons For Terrorists?, Toronto Star, May 8, 1988, at
B6.</ref><ref>Ruhl, Jesse Matthew; Rizer, Arthur L. III; Wier, Mikel J. [http://www.law.ku.edu/journal/articles/v13n3/ruhl.pdf "Gun Control: Targeting Rationality in a Loaded Debate"]. ''The Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy'', Volume XIII Number III</ref> This apparently started after they got scared about the emergence of [[Glock pistol|polymer-framed handguns]] by [[Austria]]n firearms manufacturer [[Glock Ges.m.b.H.]].<ref>Brady press release from [[March 3]], 2000: [http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/244 "NRA DOUBLE-TALK ON GUNS"]</ref> People with their craniums clear of their colons pointed out that those handguns still contain many vital components made of metal (such as the [[Pistol slide|slide]], [[barrel]] and [[ammunition]]), and can be detected by plain old conventional screening technologies. In addition, the type of polymer used in the so-called "plastic guns" is of a type that is opaque to X-ray scanners, rendering discussion over these "plastic guns" moot. There are no fully functional guns consisting only of polymer parts.<ref name="torstar" /><ref>Ruhl, Jesse Matthew; Rizer, Arthur L. III; Wier, Mikel J. "Gun Control: Targeting Rationality in a Loaded Debate", ''The Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy'', Volume XIII Number III</ref><ref name="Lott">[http://www.lewrockwell.com/lott/lott21.html John Lott: "The 'Plastic Gun' Hysteria"]. Lewrockwell.com [[November 14]], 2003</ref> (It's interesting to note that The [[Terrorist Firearms Detection Act]] in question only outlawed guns with less than 3.2 oz of metal in them, making the law nothing but political theater for both sides; as 83.7% [by weight] of any Glock pistol is normal ordnance steel.)<ref name="Lott"/>

==Identity confusion==
As noted previously, the '''Brady Campaign''' was founded in 1974 as '''The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH)'''. Unfortunately, this name was often confused with the similarly-named "The National Council to Ban Handguns", subsequently known as "The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence" also started in 1974.<ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment051500a.html National Review] - Taking aim at the constitution</ref><ref>[http://www.guncite.com/journals/senrpt/senrpt.html THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS] - Report of The Subcommittee On The Constitution Of The Committee On The Judiciary United States Senate Ninety-Seventh Congress - Second Session</ref>  These two organizations, '''The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH)''' and [[Coalition to Stop Gun Violence|"The National Council to Ban Handguns"]] were entirely separate organizations.

==Further reading==
*"A Reporter At Large: Handguns," The New Yorker, July 26, 1976, pp. 57-58
*"First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws" The CDC, October 3, 2003<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5214a2.htm ''First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws'',Robert A. Hahn, Ph.D.; Oleg O. Bilukha, M.D., Ph.D.; Alex Crosby, M.D.; Mindy Thompson Fullilove, M.D.; Akiva Liberman, Ph.D.; Eve K. Moscicki, Sc.D.; Susan Snyder, Ph.D.; Farris Tuma, Sc.D.; Peter Briss, M.D.]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence]]
*[[List of American firearms topics]]
*[[Coalition to Stop Gun Violence]]
* The [[Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:gun grabbers]]
[[Category:American gun grabbers]]