Brady Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence are affiliated non-profit organization
s in the United States
. They are named after James Brady
who was permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt
on U.S. President Ronald Reagan
in 1981. The mission statement of the Brady Campaign is "to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations, and public policies through grassroots
activism, electing public officials who support gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence
." The Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is a 501(c)(4).
The mission statement of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is "to reform the gun industry by enacting and enforcing sensible regulations to reduce gun violence, including regulations governing the gun industry. ... We educate the public about gun violence through litigation
, grassroots mobilization, and outreach to affected communities." The Brady Center is a 501(c)(3).
On June 14, 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in honor of Sarah
and Jim Brady
. On October 1, 2001, it incorporated the Million Mom March
.
In January 2010 the Better Business Bureau published its Charity Review on the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, stating that it failed to meet six (of twenty) standards for charity accountability. This report will expire in 2012.
and Sarah Brady
have been influential in the movement since at least the mid-80s. Mrs. Brady replaced Nelson "Pete" Shields as chair in 1989. Shields had held the position since 1978.
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
.
Richard Aborn
served as president from 1992 until 1996 and went on to form the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
.
In 1976 then chairman Nelson "Pete" Shields stated
In November 2008, Paul Helmke
endorsed the American Hunters and Shooters Association
by stating, "I see our issues as complementary to theirs".
, banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style assault weapon
s, a provision that critics called "arbitrary" and "symbolic". The ban expired in September 2004.
In May 2005, Florida
passed a "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
; 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. When such laws were proposed in other states, the Brady Campaign warned they would result in vigilantism
.
On March 19, 2009, a federal judge ordered a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of the rule allowing 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. On May 20, 2009, the injunction was overturned by the passing of an amendment to the Credit CARD Act of 2009
, added by Senator Tom Coburn
(R
, OK
) over the objections of the Brady Campaign.
", used in the 1994 crime bill that followed the 1993 Brady Bill is a "manufactured term". This term is used by the Brady Campaign to refer to semi-automatic
or self-loading rifles. Critics maintain this is done in order to conflate them in the public imagination with assault rifle
s, and the Brady Campaign has, on occasion, used the terms interchangeably. The Brady Campaign contends that self-loading
and select-fire
weapons are virtually identical, since a semi-automatic rifle
may be fired rapidly.
The Brady Campaign refers to both teflon-coated and hollow-point handgun ammunition as "cop-killers".
Additionally, the Campaign has in the past called for a ban of "plastic guns", after becoming concerned about the emergence of polymer-framed handguns
by Austria
n weapons manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H.. Critics pointed out that those handguns still contain many vital components made of metal (such as the slide
, barrel and ammunition
), and can be detected by 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. (It should, however, be noted that The Terrorist Firearms Detection Act in question only outlawed guns with less than 3.2 oz
of metal in them, making the law largely symbolic for both sides; as 83.7% (by weight) of any Glock pistol is normal ordnance steel.
rulings in 2008 and 2010 have affirmed the 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 incorporated against the states under the due process
clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
and struck down a Chicago ordinance banning handguns. In both cases the Brady Campaign was not entirely happy with the outcome, stating that they were worried that a decrease in government regulation of firearms would result in more gun deaths and gun violence. They however have stated they are pleased that neither case outcome precluded the ability of government, either federal or local, to institute some level of continued firearm regulations.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are named after James Brady
James Brady
James Scott "Jim" Brady is a former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan...
who was permanently disabled as a result of an assassination attempt
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
on U.S. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1981. The mission statement of the Brady Campaign is "to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations, and public policies through grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
activism, electing public officials who support gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence
Gun violence in the United States
Gun violence in the United States is an intensely debated political issue in the United States. Gun-related violence is most common in poor urban areas and in conjunction with gang violence, often involving juveniles or young adults...
." The Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is a 501(c)(4).
The mission statement of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is "to reform the gun industry by enacting and enforcing sensible regulations to reduce gun violence, including regulations governing the gun industry. ... We educate the public about gun violence through litigation
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
, grassroots mobilization, and outreach to affected communities." The Brady Center is a 501(c)(3).
History
The Brady Campaign emerged from Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI), originally the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH), and the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (CPHV). NCCH was founded in 1974 by Dr. Mark Borinsky, a victim of gun violence, and became HCI in 1980.On June 14, 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in honor of Sarah
Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady is the wife of former White House Press Secretary James Brady. She was born to L. Stanley Kemp, a high school teacher and later FBI agent, and Frances Stufflebean Kemp, a former teacher and homemaker...
and Jim Brady
James Brady
James Scott "Jim" Brady is a former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan...
. On October 1, 2001, it incorporated the Million Mom March
Million Mom March
The Million Mom March was a rally on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, 2000, designed to promote tighter restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of kids and criminals. Supporters claimed that 750,000 people gathered on the National Mall...
.
In January 2010 the Better Business Bureau published its Charity Review on the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, stating that it failed to meet six (of twenty) standards for charity accountability. This report will expire in 2012.
Leadership
JamesJames Brady
James Scott "Jim" Brady is a former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan...
and Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady is the wife of former White House Press Secretary James Brady. She was born to L. Stanley Kemp, a high school teacher and later FBI agent, and Frances Stufflebean Kemp, a former teacher and homemaker...
have been influential in the movement since at least the mid-80s. Mrs. Brady replaced Nelson "Pete" Shields as chair in 1989. Shields had held the position since 1978.
From 2000 to May 2006 former Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Congressman Michael D. Barnes
Michael D. Barnes
Michael Darr Barnes represented the eighth district of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987 and was the president of the Brady Campaign gun control organization from 2000 through 2006.After serving in the Marine Corps , being discharged with the rank of...
was the president of the Brady Campaign. He was succeeded by former Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
mayor Paul Helmke
Paul Helmke
Walter Paul Helmke, Jr. is an American politician, and the former president of the Washington, DC-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He held this position from July 2006 to July 10, 2011...
.
Richard Aborn
Richard Aborn
Richard Aborn was a candidate for Manhattan district attorney while on leave from his position as the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, a partner in the law firm Constantine Cannon, and the managing director of Constantine & Aborn Advisory Services where he works with...
served as president from 1992 until 1996 and went on to form the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
The Citizens Crime Commission of New York City is an independent, non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on criminal justice and public safety policy reform....
.
Stated mission
From Brady Campaign's website:In 1976 then chairman Nelson "Pete" Shields stated
In November 2008, Paul Helmke
Paul Helmke
Walter Paul Helmke, Jr. is an American politician, and the former president of the Washington, DC-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He held this position from July 2006 to July 10, 2011...
endorsed the American Hunters and Shooters Association
American Hunters and Shooters Association
The American Hunters and Shooters Association , founded in 2005, was a small United States-based group, which has set itself apart from the much larger gun owner organization, the National Rifle Association, founded in 1871, by advocating further restrictions on 2nd Amendment rights...
by stating, "I see our issues as complementary to theirs".
Efforts and actions
HCI was the chief supporter of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, known as the "Brady Bill", enacted in 1993 after a seven-year debate; and successfully lobbied for passage of the first-ever Federal Assault Weapons BanFederal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
, banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style assault weapon
Assault weapon
Assault weapon is a non-technical term referring to any of a broad category of firearms with certain features, including some semiautomatic rifles, some pistols, and some shotguns. There are a variety of different statutory definitions of assault weapons in local, state, and federal laws in the...
s, a provision that critics called "arbitrary" and "symbolic". The ban expired in September 2004.
In May 2005, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
passed a "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
Duty to retreat
In the criminal law, the duty to retreat is a specific component which sometimes appears in the defense of self-defense, and which must be addressed if the defendant is to prove that his or her conduct was justified. In those jurisdictions where the requirement exists, the burden of proof is on the...
; 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. When such laws were proposed in other states, the Brady Campaign warned they would result in vigilantism
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
.
On March 19, 2009, a federal judge ordered a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of the rule allowing concealed carry permit holders to carry firearms concealed within National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
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
National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System...
, and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. On May 20, 2009, the injunction was overturned by the passing of an amendment to the Credit CARD Act of 2009
Credit CARD Act of 2009
The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 or Credit CARD Act of 2009 is a federal statute passed by the United States Congress and signed by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009...
, added by Senator Tom Coburn
Tom Coburn
Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. , is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, OK
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
) over the objections of the Brady Campaign.
Criticism
Writer Richard Lowry said that the term "assault weaponAssault weapon
Assault weapon is a non-technical term referring to any of a broad category of firearms with certain features, including some semiautomatic rifles, some pistols, and some shotguns. There are a variety of different statutory definitions of assault weapons in local, state, and federal laws in the...
", used in the 1994 crime bill that followed the 1993 Brady Bill is a "manufactured term". This term is used by the Brady Campaign to refer to semi-automatic
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
or self-loading rifles. Critics maintain this is done in order to conflate them in the public imagination with assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s, and the Brady Campaign has, on occasion, used the terms interchangeably. The Brady Campaign contends that self-loading
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
and select-fire
Selective fire
A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...
weapons are virtually identical, since a semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
may be fired rapidly.
The Brady Campaign refers to both teflon-coated and hollow-point handgun ammunition as "cop-killers".
Additionally, the Campaign has in the past called for a ban of "plastic guns", after becoming concerned about the emergence of polymer-framed handguns
Glock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n weapons manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H.. Critics pointed out that those handguns still contain many vital components made of metal (such as the slide
Pistol slide
The slide is the part of the weapon on a majority of semi-automatic pistols that moves during the operating cycle and generally houses the firing pin or striker and the extractor, and serves as the bolt...
, barrel and ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
), and can be detected by 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. (It should, however, be noted that The Terrorist Firearms Detection Act in question only outlawed guns with less than 3.2 oz
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
of metal in them, making the law largely symbolic for both sides; as 83.7% (by weight) of any Glock pistol is normal ordnance steel.
Supreme Court cases
U.S. Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
rulings in 2008 and 2010 have affirmed the right of citizens to own and use firearms in their homes for self-defense. District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
(2008) ruled that the Second Amendment was an individual
Individual and group rights
Group rights are rights held by a group rather than by its members separately, or rights held only by individuals within the specified group; in contrast, individual rights are rights held by individual people regardless of their group membership or lack thereof...
(rather than collective) right, like the rest of the Bill of Rights
United States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
. McDonald v. Chicago
McDonald v. Chicago
McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025, 130 S.Ct. 3020 , was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that determined whether the Second Amendment applies to the individual states...
(2010) ruled that the Second Amendment was incorporated against the states under the due process
Due process
Due process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
and struck down a Chicago ordinance banning handguns. In both cases the Brady Campaign was not entirely happy with the outcome, stating that they were worried that a decrease in government regulation of firearms would result in more gun deaths and gun violence. They however have stated they are pleased that neither case outcome precluded the ability of government, either federal or local, to institute some level of continued firearm regulations.
Further reading
- "A Reporter At Large: Handguns," The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, July 26, 1976, pp. 57–58 - "First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws" The CDCCenters for Disease Control and PreventionThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, 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. October 3, 2003