Tag: Gun Safety

Learn About Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism · Uncategorized

Learn About Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership

otycd

This OTYCD post originally went live in February 2018.

 

Learn about Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership (GOFRO), an Oregon-based gun safety group.

 

Paul Kemp, a gun owner who grew up with guns, launched the group after losing a brother-in-law in a December 2012 attack on a Portland, Oregon mall. The 22-year-old shooter used a semi-automatic rifle to kill two people and injure a third.

 

GOFRO supports common-sense gun laws. It asks its members to take the following pledge:

 

“I will practice safe storage.  I will keep my firearms and ammunition locked and separate.

I will support universal background check requirements.  I will not sell or buy a firearm without a background check.

I will support the rights of my fellow citizens to be free from intimidation by the open display of firearms in public.  I will avoid the unnecessary carrying of firearms in public, particularly in places where children are present.

I will always make gun safety a priority in my home, in the field or on the range.”

 

 

 

 

Visit the GOFRO website:

http://www.responsibleownership.org

 

 

Take the GOFRO pledge:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/take_the_pledge

 

 

See its ‘Research/Read More’ page:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/research_read_more

 

 

Donate to Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership:

https://oregongunsafety.nationbuilder.com/donate

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the blue button on the upper right or checking the About & Subscribe page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Volunteer for GOFRO:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/volunteer

 

 

Like its Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/GunOwnersForResponsibleOwnership/

 

 

Read a transcript of a January 2018 PBS Newshour interview with the founder of GOFRO (you can also watch the video, which is above the transcript):

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/gun-owning-group-in-oregon-advocates-for-firearm-safety

 

A Note: OTYCD has devoted several posts to common-sense gun laws and gun safety, and will continue to do so.

 

That does not mean, however, that we want to ban all guns. We don’t, and we never have. We are pro-responsible gun ownership. We support people who fully understand the responsibilities of gun ownership, and who show a healthy respect for guns, and whose actions consistently show that understanding and respect.

 

As of February 2018, it’s obvious to most Americans that its gun culture is horrifically, grievously, and unconscionably borked, and its gun laws need to improve ASAP. Here’s hoping the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas provide the push we need to truly fix things at last.

Ask Your State Legislators to Require Gun Owners to Report Lost or Stolen Guns
Call Your State Legislators · Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism

Ask Your State Legislators to Require Gun Owners to Report Lost or Stolen Guns

otycd

This OTYCD post originally appeared in May 2018.

 

Ask your state legislators to require gun owners to promptly report lost or stolen guns.

 

It seems ridiculous on its face, but it’s true. More than 36 states do not currently require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns.

 

It makes sense to require gun owners to formally report losses and thefts. Timely reporting makes it harder for firearms to fall into dangerous hands. It can also help them get their guns back.

 

The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence has comprehensive information on how things are now.

 

According to the center, the only states that broadly require gun-owning residents to report losses or thefts to local law enforcement authorities are:

 

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Illinois

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Ohio

Rhode Island

The District of Columbia also has this requirement.

 

A few states have more limited laws.

 

Michigan specifically requires owners to report thefts, but says nothing about losses.

 

Maryland requires reporting losses and thefts, but only for handguns and assault weapons, not other types of firearms.

 

New Jersey is alone in imposing civil liability on owners who fail to report lost or stolen guns that are later used in a crime, and its law focuses on assault weapons only.

 

 

If your state is not listed above, or has laws that could be improved, please call or email your state legislators and ask them to write a bill to address this problem.

 

To find your state legislators, plug your address and zip code into this web site:

https://whoaremyrepresentatives.org

 

Once you have the two names you need, go to the web site for your state legislature and find the contact information for your state senator and state house rep.

 

 

Contacting your state house rep and state senator is different from contacting your federal-level reps. Calls and emails are equally effective, and you’re far more likely to get through to the actual elected official, rather than a staffer.

 

 

While cautioning that jurisdictions should consult lawyers when approaching this issue, the Giffords center cites several aspects that make for a good common-sense state law regarding lost or stolen firearms:

 

The owners should be required to raise the alarm as soon as possible once they learn their guns are lost or stolen.

 

The legal duty to report starts once the owner knew, or should have known, about the loss or the theft.

 

Those who lost guns or suffered thefts before the law took effect should be given a reasonable deadline for reporting those losses and thefts.

 

The law on reporting losses and thefts should apply to all firearms, not just assault weapons or handguns.

 

Owners should face civil liabilities for not reporting the loss or theft of a gun that is later used in a crime.

 

Requiring owners to report losses and thefts swiftly should be a condition of receiving a state gun license or registration, and failure to report losses and thefts soon after discovery should be enough to justify yanking those permissions.

 

 

FWIW, federal law does not require individual gun owners to report–but it does require firearms dealers who suffer thefts or losses from their inventories to speak up. Right now, we at OTYCD feel it best to ask you to focus on getting state-level laws passed to fix this problem.

 

 

 

Visit the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence:

lawcenter.giffords.org

 

 

Donate to the center:

https://giffordslawcenter.networkforgood.com/projects/38759-giffords-law-center-to-prevent-gun-violence

 

 

Like it on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/giffords/

 

 

Follow it on Twitter:

@GiffordsCourage

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the blue button on the upper right or checking the About & Subscribe page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

See a January 2018 PBS Newshour transcript that notes in passing that 39 states do not require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns (scroll down a little):

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/gun-owning-group-in-oregon-advocates-for-firearm-safety

 

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest imposition on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.

Support Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism

Support Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

otycd

Support Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an organization along the lines of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which seeks to change our country’s gun laws and gun culture. 

 

Moms Demand Action came into being the day after the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. It quickly evolved from a Facebook page to a grassroots movements to change things for the better. It also became part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in America.

 

The nonpartisan organization supports the Second Amendment and common-sense gun laws.

 

See a list of its accomplishments:

https://momsdemandaction.org/our-victories/

 

 

Join your local chapter of Moms Demand Action:

https://act.everytown.org/signup/Join-Moms/?source=mdmo_MomsTakeAction&utm_source=md_m_&utm_medium=_o&utm_campaign=MomsTakeAction

 

 

Donate to Moms Demand Action:

https://wordpress.com/post/onethingyoucando.com/17302

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Like it on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction/?source=mdmo_MomsSidebar&utm_source=md_m_&utm_medium=_o&utm_campaign=MomsSidebar

 

 

Follow it on Twitter:

@MomsDemand

 

 

Follow founder Shannon Watts on Twitter:

@shannonrwatts

 

 

Buy Moms Demand Action merch:

https://store.everytown.org/?source=mdmo_moms_website_link&utm_source=md_m_&utm_medium=_o&utm_campaign=moms_website_link

Learn About Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism

Learn About Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership

otycd

Learn about Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership (GOFRO), an Oregon-based gun safety group.

 

Paul Kemp, a gun owner who grew up with guns, launched the group after losing a brother-in-law in a December 2012 attack on a Portland, Oregon mall. The 22-year-old shooter used a semi-automatic rifle to kill two people and injure a third.

 

GOFRO supports common-sense gun laws. It asks its members to take the following pledge:

 

“I will practice safe storage.  I will keep my firearms and ammunition locked and separate.

I will support universal background check requirements.  I will not sell or buy a firearm without a background check.

I will support the rights of my fellow citizens to be free from intimidation by the open display of firearms in public.  I will avoid the unnecessary carrying of firearms in public, particularly in places where children are present.

I will always make gun safety a priority in my home, in the field or on the range.”

 

 

 

 

Visit the GOFRO website:

http://www.responsibleownership.org

 

 

Take the GOFRO pledge:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/take_the_pledge

 

 

See its ‘Research/Read More’ page:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/research_read_more

 

 

Donate to Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership:

https://oregongunsafety.nationbuilder.com/donate

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the blue button on the upper right or checking the About & Subscribe page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Volunteer for GOFRO:

http://www.responsibleownership.org/volunteer

 

 

Like its Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/GunOwnersForResponsibleOwnership/

 

 

Read a transcript of a January 2018 PBS Newshour interview with the founder of GOFRO (you can also watch the video, which is above the transcript):

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/gun-owning-group-in-oregon-advocates-for-firearm-safety

 

A Note: OTYCD has devoted several posts to common-sense gun laws and gun safety, and will continue to do so.

 

That does not mean, however, that we want to ban all guns. We don’t, and we never have. We are pro-responsible gun ownership. We support people who fully understand the responsibilities of gun ownership, and who show a healthy respect for guns, and whose actions consistently show that understanding and respect.

 

As of February 2018, it’s obvious to most Americans that its gun culture is horrifically, grievously, and unconscionably borked, and its gun laws need to improve ASAP. Here’s hoping the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas provide the push we need to truly fix things at last.

Support Sandy Hook Promise, an Organization Created by Newtown Families
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism

Support Sandy Hook Promise, an Organization Created by Newtown Families

otycd

Support Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a nonprofit created in part by those who lost family members in the December 14, 2012 attack on the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school.

 

SHP is actually two organizations.

 

The SHP Foundation‘s stated mission is “to prevent gun-related deaths due to crime, suicide and accidental discharge so that no other parent experiences the senseless, horrific loss of their child.” The foundation achieves these goals “by educating and empowering parents, schools and communities on mental health & wellness programs that identify, intervene and help at-risk individuals and gun safety practices that ensure that firearms are kept safe and secure.”

 

Its educational programs include its Know the Signs guide, which teaches how to spot when someone might be at risk of harming themselves or others.

 

The SHP Action Fund is devoted to enacting “sensible gun violence prevention laws, policy and regulations at a state and federal level, in the areas of mental health & wellness and gun safety that result in the reduction of gun-related death and injury.” It does this by “engaging, organizing and mobilizing our national base of Promise Makers and Leaders at a state and federal level.”

 

Among the bills the SHP Action Fund supports is H.R. 4909, the STOP School Violence Act, which would provide grants to implement programs that draw on, and act on, the knowledge reflected in the Know the Signs guide.

 

 

Visit the Sandy Hook Promise homepage:

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org

 

 

See its ‘Get the Facts’ page:

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/get_educated

 

 

Become a Promise Leader, a committed supporter who upholds and pursues SHP’s goals in your home community:

https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/promise_leaders

 

 

Donate to Sandy Hook Promise:

https://action.sandyhookpromise.org/donate_page/foundation

 

 

Like Sandy Hook Promise on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SandyHookPromise

 

 

Follow it on Twitter:

@sandyhook

 

 

Buy Sandy Hook Promise merchandise:

https://store.sandyhookpromise.org

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

Support Orange Ribbons for Jaime, Which Is Dedicated to a Victim of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism · Stand Up for Civilization · Stand Up for Norms · Uncategorized

Support Orange Ribbons for Jaime, Which Is Dedicated to a Victim of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

otycd

Support Orange Ribbons for Jaime, which is dedicated to Jaime Guttenberg, who died in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February 2018.

 

Founded by Jaime’s father, Fred, Orange Ribbons for Jaime celebrates the 14-year-old’s life and loves. In addition to supporting the world of competitive dance, anti-bullying initiatives, and children who have special needs, it helps organizations that seek to understand and reduce gun violence in public places.

 

Orange was Jaime’s favorite color. It also happens to be the color of the gun safety movement. Her father hopes that the gun safety movement will adopt the orange ribbon as its symbol.

 

 

See the website for Orange Ribbons for Jaime:

https://orangeribbonsforjaime.org/

 

 

See its About Us page:

https://orangeribbonsforjaime.org/about/

 

 

Donate to Orange Ribbons for Jaime:

https://orangeribbonsforjaime.org/donate/

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Like it on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/OrangeRibbonsforJaime/

 

 

Follow Fred Guttenberg on Twitter:

@fred_guttenberg

 

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest imposition on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Vote Out the Florida Legislators Who Refused to Open Debate on an Assault Weapons Ban in Their State
Common-sense Gun Laws · Community Activism · Elections · Stand Up for Civilization · Stand Up for Norms

Help Vote Out the Florida Legislators Who Refused to Open Debate on an Assault Weapons Ban in Their State

otycd

Help vote out the Florida legislators who voted against opening debate on a bill that would have banned assault weapons in their state.

 

Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School is located in Parkland, Florida. The Valentine’s Day 2018 massacre killed 17 and injured at least 14.

 

The first relevant bill to come up in the Florida legislature following the MSD shooting was HB 219, an assault weapons ban sponsored by Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat from Orlando, site of the Pulse nightclub attack in 2017, which killed 50. The killers in both the MSD attack and the Orlando incident used semi-automatic weapons, which are often called “assault weapons”.

 

The vote, conducted on February 20, 2018, was about moving the bill from the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to the House floor, so the full legislative body could begin debate.

 

The vote split along party lines: 36 Democrats voted yes, and 71 Republicans voted no. (Ten others did not vote, and three seats in the Florida house are currently empty.)

 

Some students from MSD were present in the chamber for the vote.

 

They already knew that federal-level representatives were not the only thing standing in the way of saner gun laws, but this was cold, hard proof of the fact.

 

The day after the vote, MSD shooting survivor and senior David Hogg (@davidhogg111) tweeted, “Hope you guys enjoyed being Politicians! “, and included a screenshot showing the name of each Florida house member and how they voted on whether to move HB 219 ahead.

 

If you live in Florida, please check this list and see how your state House rep voted. Call them or email them to thank them if they voted yes or scorn them if they voted no. If you don’t live in Florida, watch for campaigns by Sister District, Flippable, and Postcards to Voters (Tony the Democrat’s effort) that target Florida House candidates.

 

Every single member of Florida’s House will be up for re-election in November. Identify those who need to be voted out, and do what you can to make that happen.

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

See the full roll call for how the Florida House voted on the question of moving HB 219 forward on February 20, 2018:

http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/02/21/how-they-voted-the-roll-call-on-assault-weapons-ban/

 

 

Here’s another story on the same topic, but with contact info for each of the 71 Florida House reps who voted no:

https://www.local10.com/news/parkland-school-shooting/here-is-the-list-of-the-71-who-voted-against-bringing-hb-219-to-florida-house-floor

 

 

And here’s a New York Times piece on how righteously pissed-off MSD students are pressuring the hell out of Florida Republicans. It includes a photo of MSD students watching the February 20, 2018 vote:

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest imposition on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.

 

 

Tell Your Senators to Reject S 446, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017
Call Your Senators · Senate Bills, Federal · Stand Up for Civilization · Stand Up for Norms

Tell Your Senators to Reject S 446, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017

otycd

This OTYCD entry originally posted in January 2018.

Tell your Senators to vote no on S 446, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, which would allow gun owners who have a concealed carry permit in one state to carry a concealed weapon in other states that have more restrictive gun laws.

 

We at OTYCD have kept an eye on this bill for a while. Because its counterpart, H.R. 38, passed the House of Representatives on December 6, 2017, we’re devoting a post to it now. Evidently, the Senate intends to tackle the bill in Spring 2018. The bill would also allow concealed carry on federal lands, including national parks.

 

People who support concealed carry reciprocity claim that the law is no different than laws that recognize the validity of state-issued marriage licenses and driver’s licenses. People who oppose concealed carry reciprocity oppose weakening gun laws, and some disagree with how it relies on the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

 

All states offer concealed carry permits, but some states restrict them far more severely than others do. You won’t be surprised to learn that the National Rifle Association is the main booster of the bill.

 

The House of Representatives pressed ahead with the December vote despite the fact that 2017 has been an especially deadly year for mass shootings in America.

 

GovTrack cites numbers from Skopos Labs that rate the odds of the House version passing at 51 percent; the odds of the Senate bill passing are 10 percent. If the Senate fails to pass the bill, it dies there.

 

You can do your bit to make sure it dies in the Senate by calling your two Senators and asking them to vote no on concealed carry reciprocity.

 

Sample script: “Dear (Senator Lastname,) I am (Firstname Lastname of town, zip code), and I’m asking you to vote against S 446, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. Guns are deadly weapons. Concealed carry permits should not get the same treatment we grant to marriage licenses and driver’s licenses because state gun laws vary so widely. Also, passing this bill would threaten public safety at a time when mass shootings are becoming more frequent and deadlier. The House version passed in December 2017. I ask you to stop this bill’s progress and stop it from becoming law. Thank you.”

 

 

Here’s the GovTrack page on S 446:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s446

 

 

Here’s the GovTrack page on the House version of the bill:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr38

 

 

Read a GovTrack Insider piece about the bill and its effects:

https://govtrackinsider.com/the-first-gun-related-bill-passed-since-the-vegas-and-texas-massacres-was-the-concealed-carry-9f023335f6b8

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Read a November 2017 CNN piece on how the law enforcement group Prosecutors Against Violence tried to fight its passage in the House of Representatives:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/29/politics/gun-control-event/index.html

 

 

Read an April 2017 Politico story on how Michael Bloomberg intended to spend $25 million to fight concealed carry reciprocity through his gun control group, Everytown for Gun Safety:

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/everytown-for-gun-safety-mike-bloomberg-concealed-carry-237056

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest restraint on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.

 

Call Your Senator to Support S. 2095, an Assault Weapons Ban Bill
Action Alerts · Call Your Senators · Senate Bills, Federal · Stand Up for Civilization · Stand Up for Norms

Call Your Senator to Support S. 2095, an Assault Weapons Ban Bill

otycd

Call your Senators to support S. 2095, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017 bill.

 

In 1994, Congress passed a law that banned 18 semi-automatic weapons, including the AR-15 rifle. Despite widespread public support for it, Congress let the law expire in 2004.

 

Since then, America has suffered several deadly shootings in which the killers used semi-automatics: Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, the attacks on the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado in 2012, the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2017, the especially deadly attack on concertgoers in Las Vegas in 2017, the incident a rural Texas church that same year, and most recently, the Valentine’s Day 2018 murders at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In most cases, the killers were legally free to buy the firearms they later used to destroy so many American lives.

 

In November 2017, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California introduced S. 2095, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017. It would outlaw ownership of numerous types and brands of semi-automatic firearms, including the AR-15.

 

Statistics show that gun massacres–attacks in which at least six people were killed–fell during the decade that the assault weapons ban was in place.

 

See this Washington Post story about experts’ call to reinstate the ban and scroll down for the graphic supporting this point. It reflects an 183 percent increase in gun massacres and a 239 percent increase in massacre deaths following the expiration of the law:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/15/its-time-to-bring-back-the-assault-weapons-ban-gun-violence-experts-say/?utm_term=.ca09501ccec7

 

Feinstein’s bill hasn’t progressed since she introduced it last fall. The GovTrack page on the bill gives it a Skopos prognosis of 11 percent.

 

We at OTYCD recommend that you call your Senators and ask them to move the bill forward (also, scroll down to see our standing note about supporting gun safety laws).

 

Important: Do either of your Senators sit on the Judiciary Committee? Then it’s extra-important for you to call and voice your support for S. 2095. The Judiciary Committee will decide if the bill will proceed to the Senate floor.

 

See the list of Senate Judiciary Committee members (Feinstein is the Ranking Member):

https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members

 

Sample call script: “Dear Senator (Lastname), I am (Firstname Lastname from town, zip code). I am calling to ask you to support S. 2095, which would update and renew the assault weapons ban that Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Since then, the country has suffered most of the bloodiest attacks in its history–Sandy Hook, the Pulse nightclub attack, the Aurora movie theater shooting, the Las Vegas shooting, the church in rural Texas, and the tragedy that killed 17 at the high school in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day. Statistics show that after the ban lapsed, gun massacre events rose by 183 percent, and deaths in gun massacres rose by 239 percent. It’s time we reinstate the ban on these especially deadly weapons. Please look at Feinstein’s bill and support it.”

 

 

See the GovTrack entry on S. 2095, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s2095

 

 

See a New York Times interactive story on how the perpetrators of several shootings obtained their weapons. It has been updated to reflect how the suspect in the Parkland, Florida incident got his weapons:

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

 

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest restraint on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.

 

See This List of Sitting House Reps With ‘A’ Ratings from the NRA, So You Can Vote Them Out in November
Action Alerts · Choose Your Core Four · Uncategorized

See This List of Sitting House Reps With ‘A’ Ratings from the NRA, So You Can Vote Them Out in November

otycd1 Comment

See this list of sitting members of the House of Representatives, as of early-to-mid 2018, who have ‘A’ ratings from the National Rifle Association (NRA), so you can vote them out. 

 

The NRA is a foul, malign influence on America and on American politics. Because of it and its rabid supporters, too many members of Congress are afraid to back common-sense gun laws.

 

We at OTYCD are sick of it all.

 

On February 15, 2018, Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) tweeted a list of all sitting members of the House of Representatives who have earned ‘A’ ratings from the NRA.

 

An ‘A’ rating means the Congressperson supports and votes for legislation that the NRA likes, and fights legislation it doesn’t like. (It is possible to earn an A- or an A+ from the NRA, but we haven’t broken the grades out that specifically for the 23 Congresspeople cited below.)

 

We at OTYCD have augmented Spiro’s list by adding links to the Ballotpedia page for each district, so you can see which Democrats, Independents, Republicans, and other third party candidates are running against these House reps.

 

We have explicitly named any Democratic challengers to whom we have devoted or will devote check-out-this-candidate blog posts.

 

Click the Ballotpedia links and scroll down to find the challengers so you can click on their names and learn more about them.

 

Also! If you live in any of these Congressional districts, take note of the primary dates, which vary for each state (the general election, in all cases, is November 6, 2018).

 

Then match the primary dates against any away-travel plans for 2018.

 

Will you be out of town on the Tuesday when the primary happens? Please wrangle an absentee ballot for yourself.

 

 

Republican Mimi Walters, representing California’s 45th district. Seven Democrats will run in the June 5, 2018 primary. It is a “Top-two” primary, in which only the top two vote-getters move on to the general. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_45th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Rodney Davis, representing Illinois’s 13th District. Five Democrats will run in the March 20, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Likely Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Illinois%27_13th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Leonard Lance, representing New Jersey’s 7th District. Seven Democrats and one other Republican will participate in the June 5, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean R.

https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey%27s_7th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Scott Taylor, representing Virginia’s 2nd District. Six Democrats and another Republican will run in the June 12, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia%27s_2nd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Peter Roskham, representing Illinois’s 6th District. Seven Democrats will compete in the March 20, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Illinois%27_6th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Bruce Poliquin, representing Maine’s 2nd District. This is a crowded field, with six Democrats, four Independents, and a Green Party member all appearing in the June 12, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Maine%27s_2nd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Jason Lewis, representing Minnesota’s 2nd District. Two Democrats have committed to the August 14, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Minnesota%27s_2nd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Tom MacArthur, representing New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District. Two Democrats and a member of the Constitution Party will appear in the June 5, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Likely Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican John Faso, representing New York’s 19th District. Seven Democrats plus an Independent are in the June 26, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/New_York%27s_19th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Ryan Costello, representing Pennsylvania’s 6th District.

Update March 25, 2018: Costello announced his retirement. This CNN story notes his change of heart and speculates it might have something to do with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court striking down the state’s gerrymandered map and mandating the use of a fairer map in November’s elections:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/24/politics/ryan-costello-pennsylvania/index.html

 

Two Democrats, including Chrissy Houlahan, will appear in the May 15, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania%27s_6th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

See OTYCD‘s post on Chrissy Houlahan:

https://onethingyoucando.com/2018/03/22/support-chrissy-houlahan-democratic-candidate-for-a-pennsylvania-house-seat-in-2018/

 

Republican David Young, representing Iowa’s 3rd District. Seven Democrats are running in the June 5, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Iowa%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Frank LoBiondo, representing New Jersey’s 2nd District. He has announced in November 2017 that he was retiring. Four Democrats and three Republicans will be on the primary ballot on June 5, 2018. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Democratic.

https://ballotpedia.org/New_Jersey%27s_2nd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Will Hurd, representing Texas’s 23rd District. Five Democrats and an additional Republican have committed to the March 6, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/Texas%27_23rd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Jeff Denham, representing California’s 10th District. Seven Democrats and two Independents will compete against Denham on June 5, 2018 in the top-two primary, which sends the top two vote-getters to the general election. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_10th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Stephen Knight, representing California’s 25th District. Knight will face seven Democrats in the top-two primary on June 5, 2018. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_25th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Ed Royce, representing California’s 39th District. In January 2018, Royce announced that he would not run again. Eight Democrats, including Mai Khanh Tran, will appear on the June 5, 2018 top-two primary ballot, as well as five Republicans and two Independents. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Lean Democratic.

https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_39th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Carlos Curbelo, representing Florida’s 26th District. Four Democrats will run in the August 28, 2018 primary. (District residents take note–late August means late summer. If you think you’ll be away on vacation on August 28, please see about getting an absentee ballot.) The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Florida%27s_26th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican David Valadao, representing California’s 21st District. As of mid-February 2018, there’s only one Democrat running in the June 5, 2018 primary. If no other candidates show up, she and Valadao will advance to the general election. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Likely Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/California%27s_21st_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican John Katko, representing New York’s 24th District. Five Democrats have committed to the June 26, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as Likely Republican.

https://ballotpedia.org/New_York%27s_24th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Mike Coffman, representing Colorado’s 6th District. Four Democrats and another Republican will run in the June 26, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado%27s_6th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Rod Blum, representing Iowa’s 1st District. Four Democrats will appear in the June 5, 2018 primary. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Iowa%27s_1st_Congressional_District_election_(June_5,_2018_Democratic_primary)

 

 

Republican Erik Paulsen, representing Minnesota’s 3rd District. Three Democrats are running in the August 14, 2018 primary. (District residents take note–mid-August means late summer. If you think you’ll be away on vacation on August 14, please see about getting an absentee ballot.) The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Minnesota%27s_3rd_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Republican Barbara Comstock, representing Virginia’s 10th District. A total of eleven–yes, eleven–Democrats are in the June 12, 2018 primary, as well as an additional Republican. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a Toss-up.

https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia%27s_10th_Congressional_District_election,_2018

 

 

Subscribe to One Thing You Can Do by clicking the button on the upper right of the page. And tell your friends about the blog!

 

 

Include one or more House of Representative challenger candidates in your Core Four:

https://onethingyoucando.com/2017/12/24/choose-your-core-four-for-2018/

 

Also see the Ballotpedia home page:

https://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page

 

Donate to Ballotpedia ($18 corresponds to the cost of a single article):

https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia:Donate

 

Like Ballotpedia on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Ballotpedia?ref=br_tf

 

Follow Ballotpedia on Twitter:

@ballotpedia

 

A note: We at OTYCD intend to nurture and encourage the movement sparked by the Margory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting by devoting one post at least every other week to gun safety-related issues.

 

The reason that the NRA has a death grip on Congress, and in particular, GOP Congressfolk, is that NRA members get off their asses and call if there’s a whisper of a muttering of a hint that a law might pass that could impose even the slightest imposition on ownership of guns in America.

 

That’s what the politicians are afraid of. It’s not just that some of them get metric buttloads of money for their campaigns from the NRA. Those who embrace the NRA’s outlook pounce on their phones and berate their representatives the instant they think their beloved guns are under threat.

 

So, yes, it’s on us to shout back.

 

We have to adopt the tactics of those who support the NRA.

 

We have to call our representatives often to make it damn clear that the status quo is unacceptable, and we want common-sense gun safety laws.

 

OTYCD will start out with one weekday post every two weeks, at minimum, that has to do with improving gun safety and pushing back against the NRA.

 

We do this in honor of the Parkland victims, and all victims of mass shootings in America, and everyone who has been fighting to change our laws on firearms all along.

 

If Trump finally bows to the will of Congress and imposes the sanctions against Russia for messing with the 2016 election, we will switch to devoting one post per week to these issues.

 

Honor the victims of the Parkland shooting, and all other shootings, by stepping up and calling your reps about common-sense gun safety laws, and by supporting politicians who have low grades from the NRA, and voting out those who do the NRA’s bidding.

 

#NeverAgain. For the love of all that is right and good, Never Again.