Aside from the NRA ad naming and shaming the President for his “guns of my daughters” hypocrisy, the battle against civilian disarmament has mostly been here, in the trenches. The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) plans on busting through the Maginot line next month with a nationwide print, radio and TV campaign. SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb is tight-lipped (i.e. silent) about the message conveyed. Meanwhile, Alan told TTAG the SAF’s 10 lawyers are working on 30+ lawsuits, burning through $80k a month in fees. “Money is the mother’s milk of politics,” Alan said, not-so-subtly asking for a contribution to upend unconstitutional anti-gun laws like New York’s SAFE Act. [Click here to join, make a donation, sign-up for their credit card or hive-off your Amazon purchases.] Speaking of New York . . .

Alan says the SAF’s not rushing into a federal (not State) legal challenge to the Empire State’s fresh farrago of wildly restrictive firearms regulations.

“Although the SAFE Act was passed in the dead of the night, they had this in the works for months, long before Newtown,” Gottleib said. “It’s very cleverly written to avoid Constitutional challenge.

“For example, the part of the bill that allows the transfer of more-than-seven-round magazines out of state avoids the federal law on ‘takings.’ [Click here for Ralph’s article on the subject.]

“Besides, the New York Assembly’s about to amend the law. If we filed now we’d have to amend our lawsuit after they amended the law; if we filed before they amended the Act they’d know our strategy and rewrite their amendment to head us off at the pass.”

Good thinking, Batman. As Gottleib doesn’t have access to the Wayne family fortune, those who like having him fighting crimes against the Constitution might want to consider that link again. Just sayin’ . . .

 

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60 COMMENTS

    • Just joined SAF, joined GOA, and gave a bit more to NRA. Feels good to do something besides hammer on my congress critters. Their staff are already tired of me I think.

  6. I would like to point out that SAF donations are tax deductible so if you are one of those who needs deductions to reduce your taxes, here is a way to help both causes.

    If you itemize and file a 1040 you might as add to your schedule A for a good cause.

  7. You would think that the law requiring the magazines to be sold out of state would violate some sort of federal law considering that Congress is supposed to regulate state to state commerce, I wouldn’t think any state law could mandate it.

      • Its not a tax but i find it funny that if it is too dangerous for NY it is ok if we send the danger to someone else LOL!

        But, I to wonder if they have violated some commerce clause. You can sell out of state on your own but can you have a law that forces it on you. Can the state avoid the “taking” clause of the 5th amendment

  9. Joined for five year membership. I can’t donate anymore as I just signed up NRA’s lifetime membership for $300.

  11. Just joined SAF for 5 years.. and took advantage of the $300 lifetime membership for NRA.

    and didnt realize SAF donations are tax deductible. They’ll be getting more from me this year.

  14. Signing up for life membership to go w/ my NRA Life Membership. Besides, as a fellow bowtie wearer, Alan is the man (even if he cannot tie them himself)

  15. I joined about 6 months ago and also sent them a donation a couple weeks ago. If I send more now, it won’t put me any further from my goals in life. But the fascists pukes in Albany and Washington ARE having an impact on me. CC charge on the way.

  16. this is good news, i am a big fan of the 2aF b/c of they way they do things. I really hope they challenge the insanity that is being proposed in my “free” state.

    SB 281
    Firearm “Safety” Act of 2013
    Maryland Legislators have
    introduced a bill which could
    result in the largest infringement
    on 2A rights in US history!
    Find out how you will be affected
    inside!

    Why is this Bill Titled the
    “Firearm Safety” Act?
    It isn’t to reduce murders due to “Assault
    Weapons”. Only two out of the 217 homicides
    in Baltimore last year were committed with a
    long gun of any type. No mention of whether
    either of those 2 committed with long guns
    would even fall under this regulated category.
    This isn’t about Sandy Hook massacre.
    Neither the word “security” nor “school” can
    be found anywhere in the entire document.
    It is not about stopping criminals. Criminals
    are exempt from registering their regulated
    weapons as that amounts to self-incrimination
    under the 5th Amendment.
    What does that leave?
    This bill is deceptively named, it has
    absolutely nothing to so with safety. This
    bill is all about political posturing. It is
    designed to do nothing more than deprive you
    of your 2nd Amendment rights, while doing
    nothing to stop deaths.
    Last year in Baltimore, 45% of suspects
    arrested for murder had already been
    arrested for prior gun crimes. If the legislators
    were serious about saving lives, they’d
    introduce laws requiring the imprisonment of
    these criminals for a long time, as opposed to
    giving them a slap on the wrist and releasing
    them. That is a real solution to a real
    problem.
    We need you to help us unite against this
    tyrannical bill, so it may be thrown out
    before it gains any traction!
    “Assault Weapons” Banned
    This bill dramatically expands the definition of
    assault weapons. It creates new classes of
    banned weapons: Assault Long Guns and
    Copycat Weapons
    All firearms fitting these definitions will be
    illegal to purchase or bring into the State after
    October 1, 2013.
    All current owners will be forced to register
    them or face a mandatory 5 year jail sentence
    Semi-Automatic Handguns:
    • Assault Pistols, BANNED
    (no grandfathering if purchased after 1994)
    • Fixed magazine > 10 rounds, BANNED
    • Barrel Shrouds, BANNED
    • Threaded Barrels, BANNED
    • Second hand-grip, BANNED
    • Magazines inserted outside of the pistol
    grip, BANNED
    Shotguns:
    • Any shotgun currently regulated, BANNED
    • Revolver-style shotgun, BANNED
    • Semi-Auto Shotguns BANNED if:
    ◦ Telescoping OR Folding stock
    AND
    ◦ Pistol grip
    Semi-Automatic Centerfire Rifles:
    • Any rifle currently regulated, BANNED
    • Lengths less than 30” BANNED
    • Fixed magazines > 10 rounds, BANNED
    • Forward pistol/vertical grips, BANNED
    • Thumbhole stocks, BANNED
    • Telescoping or Folding stocks, BANNED
    • Grenade/Flare launchers, BANNED
    • Flash hiders, BANNED
    10 Round Magazine Limit
    All detachable magazines with a round count
    of >10 rounds will be illegal to purchase or
    transfer into the State of Maryland.
    Banned Weapon Regulations
    • Existing owners may keep their weapons,
    but must register their them or face up to 3
    years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
    • No person under the age of 21 may own a
    banned weapon
    • If you can’t own a banned weapon, you may
    not own ammunition for that weapon either
    • Existing owners will not be able to sell a
    banned weapon in Maryland.
    Firearm Qualification License
    To purchase or RENT a handgun OF ANY
    TYPE, you must first obtain a license. This
    license is akin to a Firearms owners ID
    (FOID). What must you do to obtain this
    license?
    • $100 Non-refundable fee every 5 years
    • Background check, including fingerprints
    (you must pay the costs)
    • 8 hour training class (you must pay for class
    and ammunition)
    • Demonstrate “proficiency and use”
    (hard to do if you can’t rent a gun without this license)
    • Total estimated costs: $385
    Carry Permits
    • No change has been made to the Good and
    Substantial clause of the law, which is the
    current law that makes it nearly impossible
    to get a carry permit
    • In addition to that, a new 16-hour handgun
    training course must be completed as well.
    Bill Ramifications
    • Demonizes owners of a massive number of
    commonplace weapons, by banning the
    purchase or transfer of those weapons;
    including those moving into the state. This
    affects many weapons not previously
    regulated.
    • Restricts ammunition in a way that
    effectively bans anyone under 21 from
    using almost any rifle, since almost all rifle
    calibers are shared by a banned weapon.
    This means young hunters, and target
    shooters are out of luck.
    • Insults our young adult military members,
    by denying them the right to own
    ammunition, even for training purposes.
    While at the same time allowing them to join
    the military, use real assault rifles, be
    placed in a war zone, and be killed.
    • Criminalizes formerly law abiding gun
    owners if they fail to abide by the new law,
    with PRISON time.
    • Burdens the poor from exercising their 2A
    right to defend themselves. Imagine a poor
    single mother that has been threatened.
    She is being asked to front $385 just to be
    allowed to purchase a handgun.
    • Mandates minimum sentences that cannot
    be suspended or shortened by parole for 5
    years on first offense of even a technical
    violation, increasing to a decade on second
    violation
    • Confuses transportation laws of regulated
    weapons. It appears that if you transport a
    grandfathered banned weapon out of state
    it will be illegal to ever bring it back into
    Maryland.

    http://marylandshallissue.org/share/SB0281_pamphlet.pdf

  17. Already joined, but I’m glad that they’re taking a well-thought out, methodical approach to fighting this battle. They’ve definitely earned more money from me.

  18. I’m already a member of SAF and will happily make an additional donation. I’m so proud of Alan that I might start walking around Portland wearing a bow tie.

      • SAF should start offering for sale red, white, and blue bow-ties, and other choices in camo and tactical colors. The anarchists wear the V for Vendetta masks. The 2A community can wear bow ties.

        • Robert,

          If you like the idea then you’re in a position to start something. The bow tie symbol can be used or rather worn as a subtle or overt message and statement of support for the 2A.

        • I would absolutely wear a button on my jacket with a red-white-and-blue bow tie printed on it, with a tasteful SAF logo below on a white background.

        • It wouldn’t be difficult to put something together and make it available via CafePress or similar on-demand fulfillment sites.

          My concern is ensuring that any profits go to SAF, and since I’m sure they’re busy, I don’t know if I want to waste my time with random emails proposing this.

          RF, if we wanted to get together a grassroots “SAF bowtie” effort with buttons/stickers/etc to benefit SAF, could you put us in touch with the right person at SAF to coordinate on their end?

  22. I wonder what great investments could be accomplished if all these funds weren’t destined for the gun lobby moneysink.

      • If you had any real rights then you wouldn’t need lawyers and lobbies and politicians to help you. Everything boils down to protection rackets because of this attitude that government action is legitimate.

    • Yup. Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to spend so much money defending our rights from a government whose primary purpose for existence is to protect them?

    • Notjoin, I will be glad to have an abstract conversation about money in politics and its place in the passing of our laws, but that will have to wait until the crisis of the gun grabbers has past.

      Right now it is going to take money and lots of it to thwart the blitzkrieg of the gun grabbers. In the past, I have sat on my hanky and criticized the NRA and others. But I have now joined both the NRA and the SAF so not only will my voice be added to millions of other voices but they will have my meager contribution to the war chests to fight with.

      • “that will have to wait until the crisis of the gun grabbers has past. ”

        That’s all fine, but the crisis will not pass. The whole concept of freedom has become a financially crippling prank.

  23. Renewed my membership and have donated a couple of times. Now that I’ve come out of retirement I can find more to send. Still will not send any to the NRA until I see agressive and meaningfull movement on these illegal gun laws.

  24. just picked up a 5 year membership…Nat’l Assoc for Gun Rights has been doing a lot to counter the anti’s as well & I’ve thrown some $$ into their fight as well.

  25. Already a member and thanks for the reminder on the tax deduction. I may upgrade to a lifer. These guys are awesome.

    Also those of you recently joining NRA, remember that funds for the NRA-ILA are separate, you may want to consider just a regular membership and additional donation to the ILA.

    Also would love to get an update from both SAF and NRA on their recent membership numbers.

  26. The “guns of his daughters” terminology is great. Leaving the kids out, a great campain would be “guns of the political class” . Show video of the aftermath of an earthquake, Katrina, and the LA riots. Show the “working class” attemting to defend themselves. Where were the cops/govt with their guns?? The cops took twenty minutes to respond to Sandy Hook.

    The SAF needs to set up a “What he says you can use vs what he ‘needs’ to use”. The SAF has the ability to obtain and demonstrate the full auto weapons that the “political class” uses to defend themselves. A video with Biden’s commentary about coach guns followed by a video at a dark active shooter warehouse set up like a business or household. Five black ops tactical guys (Biden’s defense) with MP fives clear the house for him first. Then a scared mother (maybe with a kid behind her) fumbles to load a big, heavy, break open shotgun in the dark while a BG advances on them with his own AR 15… Just need an extra twent minutes.

    What the Political Class USES DAILY vs what they want to allow the Working Class to posses.

    They are attemting to seperate and demonize us. We can do the same. A video with appropriate stats concerning no knock raids at the wrong addresses by cops armed with ARs might be good too.

  28. The comment editor here is like trying to defend myself against Biden’ SS with a coach gun and two shells… Geeesh

  31. Good timing on this one. Yesterday I sent $50 to NRA-ILA and $50 to SAF.

    That ain’t chicken scratch to me, but it’s money well spent to protect all of our rights. …and by “all of our rights” I mean not only the 2nd Amendment rights of all of the people on TTAG here and all gun owners, but I mean ALL of our Rights themselves. A government that would take one will try to take them all. Without the 2nd to ensure that The People retain some power, the other rights are meaningless words.

  34. I just want to thank each and every one of you who have joined or made a contribution to the Second amendment Foundation. You make our important work possible.

    Thank you on behalf of all of us at SAF.

    Alan Gottlieb
    Second Amendment Foundation

  35. I would love to donate however after joining the nra and the several donations to them I am tapped out. Living paycheck to paycheck makes it very diffucult to fight for your rights. I have no free time to rally with everyone and I do not have the money to donate. Any one have some good suggestions on how I can join the fight?

    I have written my reps and got only one response that was three paragraphs of nothing.

  36. Remember folks…

    The SAF fought and won the heller case.

    The NRA tried to sabotage and derail the heller case.

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