Misplaced Pages

Brady Campaign: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 16:33, 28 October 2008 editShell Kinney (talk | contribs)33,094 editsm Reverted edits by 204.248.24.165 to last version by Neurolysis (HG)← Previous edit Latest revision as of 13:58, 27 November 2024 edit undoJet Pilot (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers2,953 editsm Undid edits by 46.20.161.181 (talk) to last version by Frost: nonconstructive editsTags: Undo SWViewer [1.6] 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American nonprofit gun control organization}}
{{USgunorgs}} {{Cleanup|date=October 2008}}
{{Third-party|date=February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Brady: United Against Gun Violence
| logo = File:Brady Campaign logo.svg
| image =
| image_border =
| size =
| alt =
| caption =
| map =
| msize =
| malt =
| mcaption =
| abbreviation =
| motto =
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}} (as National Council to Control Handguns)
| extinction =
| type = Political lobbying group
| status =
| purpose =
| headquarters = ], U.S.
| region_served = United States
| membership =
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = Kris Brown<ref name="Annual Report FY2019">{{cite web |url=https://brady-static.s3.amazonaws.com/Financial-Sheet/annual-report-fiscal-year-2019/annualreport_FN4.pdf |title=Brady Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019 |access-date=Aug 4, 2024}}</ref>
| leader_title2 = Board Chair
| leader_name2 = Kevin Quinn<ref name="Annual Report FY2019"/>
| budget =
| budget_year =
| revenue = $37,372,000<ref name="Annual Report FY2019"/>
| revenue_year = 2019
| disbursements =
| expenses = $37,756,000<ref name="Annual Report FY2019"/>
| expenses_year = 2019
| main_organ =
| parent_organization =
| affiliations =
| num_staff =
| num_volunteers =
| mission =
| website = {{URL|http://www.bradyunited.org/}}
| remarks =
}}


'''Brady: United Against Gun Violence''' (formerly “'''Handgun Control, Inc'''”., the '''Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence''' and the '''Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence)''' is an American ] that advocates for ] and against ]. It is named after former ] ], who was permanently disabled and later died in 2014 as a result of the ] of 1981, and his wife ], who was a chairwoman of the organization from 1989 until her death in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Almasy|first=Steve|date=2015-04-03|title=Sarah Brady, widow of James Brady, dies at 73 {{!}} CNN Politics|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/03/politics/sarah-brady-death/index.html|access-date=2021-12-31|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
The '''Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence''' and the '''Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence''' are two closely affiliated non-profits in the ] that work to prevent gun violence<ref name="about"></ref>. The Campaign wing is a ], devoting its efforts to passing legislation; the Center, however, is a ], which seeks to use education to prevent gun violence. The two groups are together called, colloquially, ''the Brady Campaign''.


Brady was founded in 1974 as the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH). From 1980 through 2000, it operated under the name Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI). In 2001, it was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and its sister project, the center to Prevent Handgun Violence, was renamed the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The nonprofits rebranded as '''Brady''' in February 2019, on the 25th anniversary of the implementation of the Brady Bill.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/431718-brady-gun-control-group-gets-rebranding|title=Brady gun control group gets rebranding|last=Mali|first=Meghashyam|date=2019-02-26|website=TheHill|language=en|access-date=2020-02-04}}</ref>
The Brady Campaign emerged from ''Handgun Control, Inc.'', 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 ], and became HCI in 1980.<ref name="history"></ref>


== History ==
HCI grew rapidly following ] attempt on U.S. President ] on ], ]. Both Reagan and his press secretary, ] were shot; President Reagan recovered quickly, but Mr. Brady, shot in the head, was less fortunate. This led his wife, ], to join HCI in 1985, of which she became chair in 1989. Two years later, she became chair of CPHV (in 1991).<ref name="history" />
In 1974, the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) was founded by armed-robbery victim Mark Borinsky, a graduate of ]. In 1975, Republican marketing manager Pete Shields, whose 23-year-old son had been murdered, joined NCCH as chairman. In 1980, the organization became Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI) and partnered with the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (NCBH). The partnership did not last long; the NCBH, renamed in 1990 as the ] (CSGV), generally advocates for stricter gun laws than does the Brady Campaign.<ref name=SpitzerPGC2012>{{cite book |last=Spitzer |first=Robert J. |year=2012 |title=The Politics of Gun Control |edition=5th |publisher=Paradigm Press |isbn=978-1-59451-987-1}}<!--|access-date=February 7, 2014 --></ref>{{rp|111–112}}<ref name=BradyHistory>{{cite web |url=http://www.bradycampaign.org/?q=our-history |title=Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: Our History |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year=2013 |website=bradycampaign.org |publisher=Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence |access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref>


HCI had few resources until 1980, after the murder of musician ] increased the public's interest in shootings. By 1981, HCI's membership exceeded 100,000. In 1983, the center to Prevent Handgun Violence (CPHV) was founded as an educational outreach organization and sister project. In 1989, CPHV established the Legal Action Project to press its agenda in the courts.<ref name=SpitzerPGC2012 /><ref name=BradyHistory />
In 1993, U.S. President ] signed the ], or ''Brady Bill'' into law. The culmination of a seven-year effort on the part of HCI, the Brady Bill required a five-day waiting period and background check on handgun purchases.<ref name="history" />


In 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and the center to Prevent Handgun Violence was renamed the Brady Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, in honor of both ] and ]. The same year, the ] (MMM) was incorporated into the Brady Campaign.<ref name=SpitzerPGC2012 /><ref name=BradyHistory /><ref name=GunsandMothers-debate2>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/gunsandmothers/debate2.html |title=Guns & Mothers: About the NRA and the Brady Campaign |year=2003 |website=pbs.org |publisher=ITVS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031012201700/http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/gunsandmothers/debate2.html |archive-date=October 12, 2003 |access-date=February 7, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
On ], ], Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in honor of Sarah and Jim Brady<ref name="history" />. On ], ], it incorporated the ''Million Mom March''<ref></ref>.


== Leadership ==
Some critics claim that the Brady Campaign has been ineffective since the ] lost control of ] in January 1995. Since then the ] the Campaign advocated has been allowed to ]; 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 ] did not impede his confirmation as ] in 2001.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}


==Leadership== === Current ===
In September 2017, Kris Brown and Avery W. Gardiner assumed the roles of co-president, replacing ].<ref>Kevin Quinn (Board Chair) stated: "The Brady Campaign and Center's mission has never been more urgent and with a focused strategy to prevent gun violence, we need strong leaders with exceptional strategic and operational skills. The Board of Trustees has appointed Kristin Brown and Avery Gardiner as Co-Presidents. Both Kris and Avery, who are members of Brady's Executive Management Team and shaped Brady's programs as the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer, respectively, will lead the Brady team from its Washington, DC headquarters.</ref> Brown was named the organization's sole president in November 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bradyunited.org/press-releases/the-brady-campaign-and-center-names-kristin-brown-as-president|title=The Brady Campaign and Center Names Kristin Brown as President|website=Brady|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-04}}</ref> Liz Dunning, whose mother was randomly murdered by a serial killer in 2003, is the vice president for development.<ref>, '']'', John Woodrow Cox, March 11, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2022.</ref>
] and ] have been influential in the movement since at least the mid-80s. Mrs. Brady replaced Pete Shields as chair in 1989. Shields had held the position since ].


=== Former ===
From 2000 to May 2006 former ] Congressman ] was the president of the Brady Campaign. He was succeeded by former ] mayor ].
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biographies: Additional |publisher=bradycenter.org |url=http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/additional |access-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005120604/http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/additional |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref>


Nelson "Pete" Shields became the organization's chairman in 1978 and retired in 1989.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/27/obituaries/nelson-shields-3d-69-gun-control-advocate.html |title=Nelson Shields 3d, 69, Gun-Control Advocate |access-date=November 14, 2008 |date=January 7, 1993 |work=]}}</ref> In July 1976, Shields estimated that it would take seven to ten years for NCCH to reach the goal of "total control of handguns in the United States." He said: "The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of ''all'' handguns and ''all'' handgun ammunition – except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors – totally illegal."<ref name="Harris760726">{{cite magazine |last=Harris |first=Richard |date=July 26, 1976 |title=A Reporter at Large: Handguns |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1976/07/26/1976_07_26_053_TNY_CARDS_000319312 |magazine=] |pages=53–58 |access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref> In 1987 Shields said that he believed "in the right of law-abiding citizens to possess handguns... for legitimate purposes.".<ref name="Sugarmann870601">{{cite journal |last=Sugarmann |first=Josh |date=June 1, 1987 |title=The NRA is right; but we still need to ban handguns |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+NRA+is+right%3b+but+we+still+need+to+ban+handguns.-a05010444 |journal=Washington Monthly |publisher=Farlex Inc. |access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref>
==Stated mission==
As stated on the Brady Campaign's website, "we work to enact and enforce reasonable gun laws, regulations, and public policies through grassroots activism, electing public officials who support gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence." The Brady Campaign is recognized in the United States as a leading gun control advocacy organization{{Fact|date=April 2007}}, and has helped spearhead gun-control legislation at state and national levels{{Fact|date=April 2007}}.


] served as president from 1992 until 1996 and went on to form the ].<ref name="BradyBarnesBio" /><ref name="vandenHeuvel090519">{{cite journal |url=http://www.thenation.com/blog/richard-aborn-manhattan-da |title=Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA |last=vanden Heuvel |first=Katrina |date=May 19, 2009 |journal=]}}</ref>
Although in 1976, HCI's chairman stated that the long-term goal of the organization was a ban on handgun ownership<ref>Richard Harris, "A Reporter at Large: Handguns," New Yorker, July 26, 1976, 53, 58</ref>, the Brady Campaign has since shifted its goals, and no longer promotes a handgun ban.


] and ] were both influential in the movement since at least the mid-1980s. Mrs. Brady became chair in 1989, and the Bradys became the namesakes of the organization in 2000.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Biographies: Sarah Brady |publisher=bradycenter.org |url=http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/sarah |access-date=February 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227140739/http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/sarah |archive-date=February 27, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Past efforts and actions==
The Brady Campaign was the chief supporter of the ], known as the "Brady Bill", enacted in 1993 after several years of debate; and successfully lobbied for passage of the first-ever ], banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style ]", a provision that critics called arbitrary and symbolic. The ban expired in September 2004. This has since been replaced by a computerized background check system.


Former ] congressman ] was the president of the Brady Campaign from 2000 to May 2006.<ref name="BradyBarnesBio">{{cite web|url=http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/additional|title=Brady Campaign: Biographies: Additional Biographies|publisher=Bradycenter.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005120604/http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/additional|archive-date=October 5, 2011|access-date=December 8, 2011}}<!--this is probably not available on the website. Page http://www.bradycampaign.org/?q=our-history does not give the dates of Barnes' leadership. --></ref>
== Criticism ==
The Brady Campaign has labeled semi-automatic or self-loading rifles as "assault weapons," raising criticism over the use of an ill-defined term. Additionally, the Campaign has in the past called for a ban of non-existent "plastic guns",<ref>Kennedy, Michael Plastic Guns: New Weapons For Terrorists?, Toronto Star, ], ], at
B6.</ref><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 http://www.law.ku.edu/journal/articles/v13n3/ruhl.pdf</ref> and description of ] handgun ammunition as "cop-killers"{{Fact|date=July 2007}}. This information was widely exploited by media outlets, despite the fact that most types of hollow-point ammunition actually penetrate less than conventional jacketed rounds, thus being incapable of penetrating police department-issue ] vests.


Former ], mayor ] served from July 2006 to July 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/helmke |title=Brady Campaign: Biographies: Paul Helmke |publisher=Bradycenter.org |date=March 13, 2011 |access-date=February 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005120608/http://www.bradycenter.org/about/bio/helmke |archive-date=October 5, 2011}}</ref> In November 2008, Brady president Helmke, a former Republican mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, endorsed the ] saying, "I see our issues as complementary to theirs." He said, "The Brady Campaign is not just East Coast liberal Democrats."<ref name="Birnbaum080318">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031702579_pf.html |title=New Pro-Gun Group Hopes to Draw From the NRA |last=Birnbaum |first=Jeffrey H. |date=March 18, 2008 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=November 8, 2008}}</ref>
==Identity confusion==
As noted previously, the Brady Campaign was founded in 1974 as the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH). The organization was re-dubbed the Brady Campaign in part to emphasize that its goal was not to ban handguns, but to promote gun safety. Possibly contributing to confusion about the Campaign's role was the similarly-named National Council to Ban Handguns, subsequently known as the ] (and also started in 1974). These two organizations, the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) and the National Council to Ban Handguns were entirely separate organizations.


] was president from February 2012 to September 2017. He is one of the founders of the ] (formerly PAX).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/bio/dan?s=1 |title=Brady Campaign: Biographies: Dan Gross |date=February 7, 2012 |publisher=Bradycenter.org |access-date=February 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209050556/http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/bio/dan?s=1 |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Further reading==
*"A Reporter At Large: Handguns," The New Yorker, ], ], pp. 57-58
*"First Reports Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for Preventing Violence: Firearms Laws" The CDC, October 3, 2003<ref></ref>


== Political advocacy ==
==See also==
<!--Formerly the Efforts and Actions" section-->
*]
[[Image:Brady State Ratings 2009.svg|thumb|border|right|300px
*]
|'''Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence<br/>2009 Brady Campaign State Scorecard'''<ref>{{cite web
* The ]
| url=http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/bcam/stategunlaws/scorecard/BradyScorecard.pdf
*]
| title=2009 Brady Campaign State Scorecard
| publisher=Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
| access-date=March 28, 2010}}</ref><br>
{{legend|#c00000|75–100, Most restrictive}}
{{legend|#c05a00|50–74}}
{{legend|#c0a200|25–49}}
{{legend|#89c000|11–24}}
{{legend|#008c0f|0-10, Least restrictive}}]]


=== Undetectable Firearms Act ===
==References==
In 1988, HCI supported Congress in passing the ], which banned the manufacture, possession and transfer of firearms with less than 3.7 oz of metal, after the emergence of "plastic" handguns<ref name=BradyHistory /><ref>{{cite press release |title=NRA Double-Talk on Guns |url=http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/244 |publisher=Brady Campaign |date=March 3, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611044121/http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/press/view/244 |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> like ]s.
<references/>


Critics said that so-called "plastic" handguns contain many metal components (such as the ], ] and ]) and can be detected by conventional screening technologies. Their response was to say the type of polymer used in the firearms is opaque to X-ray scanners, which would've hidden the metal components.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ruhl |first1=Jesse Matthew |last2=Rizer |first2=Arthur L. III |last3=Wier |first3=Mikel J. |year=2004 |title=Gun Control: Targeting Rationality in a Loaded Debate |url=http://www.learningace.com/doc/27806/febd77de41388c7100eb41c1321aadfc/ruhl |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140209204946/http://www.learningace.com/doc/27806/febd77de41388c7100eb41c1321aadfc/ruhl |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |journal=The Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy |volume=13 |pages=424–426 |access-date=February 9, 2014 }}"Plastic Pistols"</ref>


=== Brady Law ===
HCI was the chief supporter of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, commonly known as the ], enacted in 1993 after a seven-year debate. It successfully lobbied for passage of the ], banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style ]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Battleground |last=Barak |first=Gregg |year=2007 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-313-34040-6 |page= |url=https://archive.org/details/battlegroundcrim0002unse/page/335 }}</ref>


=== Castle and stand-your-ground laws ===
In May 2005, Florida passed a ] that authorized persons attacked in any place they were lawfully present to use lethal force in self-defense without a ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sebok |first=Anthony |date=May 2, 2005 |title=Florida's New "Stand Your Ground" Law: Why It's More Extreme than Other States' Self-Defense Measures, And How It Got that Way |url=http://writ.news.findlaw.com/sebok/20050502.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109195053/http://writ.news.findlaw.com/sebok/20050502.html |archive-date=January 9, 2012 |access-date=April 4, 2022 |website=findlaw.com}}</ref> Brady Campaign workers passed out fliers at Miami International Airport offering tips like "Do not argue unnecessarily with local people." The group also published ads in '']'', '']'', and '']'' saying: "Thinking about a Florida vacation? Please ensure your family is safe."<ref name=Goodnough051004>{{cite news |last=Goodnough |first=Abby |date=October 4, 2005 |title=Tourists to Florida Get a Warning as Greeting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/national/nationalspecial/04shoot.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> In 2006, when similar laws were enacted or proposed in other states, the Brady Campaign and other critics warned they could result in ].<ref name=Willing060321>{{cite news |last=Willing |first=Richard |date=March 21, 2006 |title=States allow deadly self-defense |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-20-states-self-defense_x.htm |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref>

=== ''Heller'' and ''McDonald'' cases ===
After the ] ruling in 2010 in '']'', Brady president Paul Helmke said he was "pleased that the Court reaffirmed its language in '']'' that the Second Amendment individual right to possess guns in the home for self-defense does not prevent our elected representatives from enacting 'common-sense' gun laws to protect our communities from gun violence."<ref name=Monopoli100628>{{cite news |last=Montopoli |first=Brian |date=June 28, 2010 |title=Supreme Court Gun Rights Decision: A Win or a Setback? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-gun-rights-decision-a-win-or-a-setback/ |work=CBS News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701020933/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20009049-503544.html |archive-date=July 1, 2010}}</ref>

=== Lawsuits ===
On March 19, 2009, a federal judge ordered a temporary injunction blocking the implementation of the rule allowing ] permit holders to carry firearms concealed within ] 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 ], and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.<ref name=EilperinWilber090320>{{cite news |last1=Eilperin |first1=Juliet |last2=Wilber |first2=Del Quentin |date=March 20, 2009 |title=Judge Blocks Rule Permitting Concealed Guns in U.S. Parks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902801.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref><ref name=NRAILAcopyMO>{{cite web |url=http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/nationalparks_MemoOpiniononintervention.PDF |title=Memorandum Opinion |website=nraila.org |date=March 19, 2009 |access-date=September 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407054553/http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/nationalparks_MemoOpiniononintervention.PDF |archive-date=April 7, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On May 20, 2009, the injunction was overturned by the passing of ] to the ], added by Senator ] (], ]) over the objections of the Brady Campaign.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 20, 2009 |title=Congress Approves Bill Restricting Credit Card Industry, Allowing Guns in Parks |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-approves-bill-restricting-credit-card-industry-allowing-guns-in-parks/ |publisher=FOX News Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090524214702/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/20/credit-card-forces-dems-vote-gun-rights |archive-date=May 24, 2009 |url-status=live |access-date=September 12, 2009}}</ref>

=== Sandy Hook school shooting aftermath ===
In the month after the ], the Brady Campaign raised about $5&nbsp;million<ref name=Palmer130114>{{cite news |last=Palmer |first=Anna |date=January 14, 2013 |title=Brady Campaign raises $5M post-Sandy Hook |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/brady-campaign-raises-5m-post-sandy-hook-86157.html |publisher=POLITICO}}</ref> and renewed public interest in passing legislation to reduce gun violence. The Brady Campaign has continued to promote federal reform legislation, including an expansion of the ] program. Its leadership met with President Obama and Vice President Biden to craft a package of bills aimed at reducing gun violence.<ref name=Slack130116>{{cite news |last=Slack |first=Donovan |date=January 16, 2013 |title=Brady Campaign: White House showing 'tremendous leadership' |url=http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/01/brady-campaign-white-house-showing-tremendous-leadership-154360.html |publisher=POLITICO}}</ref>

=== Aurora, Colorado theater shooting ===
In 2014, the parent and step-parent of one of the ] victims, represented by Brady Center lawyers, filed suit against the companies from whom ] purchased the ammunition, magazines, and body armor he used in the shooting. In 2015, the judge in the case dismissed the suit on the grounds that such a lawsuit is in violation of both Colorado law and the federal ] because the guns and ammunition obtained from the online companies, including Lucky Gunner and ], worked as claimed. He also ordered the plaintiffs to pay the legal costs of the defendants, which came to $280,000. As the Brady Center lawyers would be expected to know applicable case law in such a lawsuit, it is not clear whether the Brady Center or the plaintiffs themselves are responsible for paying the judgment.<ref>Cramer, Clayton. "Odds & Ends," Shotgun News, June 1, 2015, Volume 69, Issue 16, page 20.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/current-awareness-2/brady-center-blamed-for-200k-legal-fee-ruling-against-aurora-victims-parents/ |title=Legal Solutions Blog Brady Center blamed for $200K legal fee ruling against Aurora victim's parents – Legal Solutions Blog |work=] |access-date=June 27, 2015 |date=June 26, 2015}}</ref>

=== Assault weapons ===
The Brady Campaign contends that ] and ] weapons are virtually identical since a ] may be fired rapidly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.bradycampaign.org/?p=693 |title=What's The Difference Between A Fully Automatic and a Semi-Automatic Assault Weapon? About 3.5 Seconds. |date=February 26, 2009 |publisher=Brady Campaign |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725101039/http://blog.bradycampaign.org/?p=693 |archive-date=July 25, 2011 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref>

== See also ==
* ]
* ], "largest gun-trafficking case" as of 2000

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite magazine |author=Richard Harris |title=A Reporter at Large: Handguns |magazine=] |date=July 26, 1976 |pages=53–58 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1976/07/26/1976_07_26_053_TNY_CARDS_000319312}}
* The ], Robert A. Hahn, PhD; Oleg O. Bilukha, M.D., PhD; Alex Crosby, M.D.; ], M.D.; Akiva Liberman, PhD; Eve K. Moscicki, Sc.D.; Susan Snyder, PhD; Farris Tuma, Sc.D.; Peter Briss, M.D. October 3, 2003

{{USgunorgs}}
{{Authority control}}

]
]
]
] ]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 13:58, 27 November 2024

American nonprofit gun control organization
This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent, third-party sources. (February 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Brady: United Against Gun Violence
Formation1974; 51 years ago (1974) (as National Council to Control Handguns)
TypePolitical lobbying group
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
Region served United States
PresidentKris Brown
Board ChairKevin Quinn
Revenue$37,372,000 (2019)
Expenses$37,756,000 (2019)
Websitewww.bradyunited.org

Brady: United Against Gun Violence (formerly “Handgun Control, Inc”., the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control and against gun violence. It is named after former White House press secretary James "Jim" Brady, who was permanently disabled and later died in 2014 as a result of the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt of 1981, and his wife Sarah Brady, who was a chairwoman of the organization from 1989 until her death in 2015.

Brady was founded in 1974 as the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH). From 1980 through 2000, it operated under the name Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI). In 2001, it was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and its sister project, the center to Prevent Handgun Violence, was renamed the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The nonprofits rebranded as Brady in February 2019, on the 25th anniversary of the implementation of the Brady Bill.

History

In 1974, the National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) was founded by armed-robbery victim Mark Borinsky, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. In 1975, Republican marketing manager Pete Shields, whose 23-year-old son had been murdered, joined NCCH as chairman. In 1980, the organization became Handgun Control, Inc. (HCI) and partnered with the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (NCBH). The partnership did not last long; the NCBH, renamed in 1990 as the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), generally advocates for stricter gun laws than does the Brady Campaign.

HCI had few resources until 1980, after the murder of musician John Lennon increased the public's interest in shootings. By 1981, HCI's membership exceeded 100,000. In 1983, the center to Prevent Handgun Violence (CPHV) was founded as an educational outreach organization and sister project. In 1989, CPHV established the Legal Action Project to press its agenda in the courts.

In 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and the center to Prevent Handgun Violence was renamed the Brady Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, in honor of both Jim and Sarah Brady. The same year, the Million Mom March (MMM) was incorporated into the Brady Campaign.

Leadership

Current

In September 2017, Kris Brown and Avery W. Gardiner assumed the roles of co-president, replacing Dan Gross. Brown was named the organization's sole president in November 2018. Liz Dunning, whose mother was randomly murdered by a serial killer in 2003, is the vice president for development.

Former

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 "Pete" Shields became the organization's chairman in 1978 and retired in 1989. In July 1976, Shields estimated that it would take seven to ten years for NCCH to reach the goal of "total control of handguns in the United States." He said: "The first problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns being produced and sold in this country. The second is to get handguns registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition – except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors – totally illegal." In 1987 Shields said that he believed "in the right of law-abiding citizens to possess handguns... for legitimate purposes.".

Richard Aborn served as president from 1992 until 1996 and went on to form the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City.

Jim and Sarah Brady were both influential in the movement since at least the mid-1980s. Mrs. Brady became chair in 1989, and the Bradys became the namesakes of the organization in 2000.

Former Maryland congressman Michael D. Barnes was the president of the Brady Campaign from 2000 to May 2006.

Former Fort Wayne, Indiana, mayor Paul Helmke served from July 2006 to July 2011. In November 2008, Brady president Helmke, a former Republican mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, endorsed the American Hunters and Shooters Association saying, "I see our issues as complementary to theirs." He said, "The Brady Campaign is not just East Coast liberal Democrats."

Dan Gross was president from February 2012 to September 2017. He is one of the founders of the Center to Prevent Youth Violence (formerly PAX).

Political advocacy

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
2009 Brady Campaign State Scorecard
  75–100, Most restrictive   50–74   25–49   11–24   0-10, Least restrictive

Undetectable Firearms Act

In 1988, HCI supported Congress in passing the Undetectable Firearms Act, which banned the manufacture, possession and transfer of firearms with less than 3.7 oz of metal, after the emergence of "plastic" handguns like Glock pistols.

Critics said that so-called "plastic" handguns contain many metal components (such as the slide, barrel and ammunition) and can be detected by conventional screening technologies. Their response was to say the type of polymer used in the firearms is opaque to X-ray scanners, which would've hidden the metal components.

Brady Law

HCI was the chief supporter of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, commonly known as the Brady Law, enacted in 1993 after a seven-year debate. It successfully lobbied for passage of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, banning the manufacture and importation of so-called military-style assault weapons.

Castle and stand-your-ground laws

In May 2005, Florida passed a stand-your-ground law that authorized persons attacked in any place they were lawfully present to use lethal force in self-defense without a duty to retreat. Brady Campaign workers passed out fliers at Miami International Airport offering tips like "Do not argue unnecessarily with local people." The group also published ads in The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, and The Detroit Free Press saying: "Thinking about a Florida vacation? Please ensure your family is safe." In 2006, when similar laws were enacted or proposed in other states, the Brady Campaign and other critics warned they could result in vigilantism.

Heller and McDonald cases

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2010 in McDonald v. Chicago, Brady president Paul Helmke said he was "pleased that the Court reaffirmed its language in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment individual right to possess guns in the home for self-defense does not prevent our elected representatives from enacting 'common-sense' gun laws to protect our communities from gun violence."

Lawsuits

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.

Sandy Hook school shooting aftermath

In the month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Brady Campaign raised about $5 million and renewed public interest in passing legislation to reduce gun violence. The Brady Campaign has continued to promote federal reform legislation, including an expansion of the national background check program. Its leadership met with President Obama and Vice President Biden to craft a package of bills aimed at reducing gun violence.

Aurora, Colorado theater shooting

In 2014, the parent and step-parent of one of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting victims, represented by Brady Center lawyers, filed suit against the companies from whom James Holmes purchased the ammunition, magazines, and body armor he used in the shooting. In 2015, the judge in the case dismissed the suit on the grounds that such a lawsuit is in violation of both Colorado law and the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act because the guns and ammunition obtained from the online companies, including Lucky Gunner and The Sportsman's Guide, worked as claimed. He also ordered the plaintiffs to pay the legal costs of the defendants, which came to $280,000. As the Brady Center lawyers would be expected to know applicable case law in such a lawsuit, it is not clear whether the Brady Center or the plaintiffs themselves are responsible for paying the judgment.

Assault weapons

The Brady Campaign contends that self-loading and select-fire weapons are virtually identical since a semi-automatic rifle may be fired rapidly.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Brady Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019" (PDF). Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  2. Almasy, Steve (April 3, 2015). "Sarah Brady, widow of James Brady, dies at 73 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "Biographies: Sarah Brady". bradycenter.org. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  4. Mali, Meghashyam (February 26, 2019). "Brady gun control group gets rebranding". TheHill. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Spitzer, Robert J. (2012). The Politics of Gun Control (5th ed.). Paradigm Press. ISBN 978-1-59451-987-1.
  6. ^ "Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: Our History". bradycampaign.org. Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  7. "Guns & Mothers: About the NRA and the Brady Campaign". pbs.org. ITVS. 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2003. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  8. Kevin Quinn (Board Chair) stated: "The Brady Campaign and Center's mission has never been more urgent and with a focused strategy to prevent gun violence, we need strong leaders with exceptional strategic and operational skills. The Board of Trustees has appointed Kristin Brown and Avery Gardiner as Co-Presidents. Both Kris and Avery, who are members of Brady's Executive Management Team and shaped Brady's programs as the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer, respectively, will lead the Brady team from its Washington, DC headquarters.
  9. "The Brady Campaign and Center Names Kristin Brown as President". Brady. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  10. At 26, a daughter lost her mother to a serial killer. In her memory, she ran 26 miles, Washington Post, John Woodrow Cox, March 11, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  11. "Biographies: Additional". bradycenter.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  12. "Nelson Shields 3d, 69, Gun-Control Advocate". The New York Times. January 7, 1993. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
  13. Harris, Richard (July 26, 1976). "A Reporter at Large: Handguns". The New Yorker. pp. 53–58. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  14. Sugarmann, Josh (June 1, 1987). "The NRA is right; but we still need to ban handguns". Washington Monthly. Farlex Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  15. ^ "Brady Campaign: Biographies: Additional Biographies". Bradycenter.org. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  16. vanden Heuvel, Katrina (May 19, 2009). "Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA". The Nation.
  17. "Brady Campaign: Biographies: Paul Helmke". Bradycenter.org. March 13, 2011. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  18. Birnbaum, Jeffrey H. (March 18, 2008). "New Pro-Gun Group Hopes to Draw From the NRA". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  19. "Brady Campaign: Biographies: Dan Gross". Bradycenter.org. February 7, 2012. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  20. "2009 Brady Campaign State Scorecard" (PDF). Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  21. "NRA Double-Talk on Guns" (Press release). Brady Campaign. March 3, 2000. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  22. Ruhl, Jesse Matthew; Rizer, Arthur L. III; Wier, Mikel J. (2004). "Gun Control: Targeting Rationality in a Loaded Debate". The Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. 13: 424–426. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2014."Plastic Pistols"
  23. Barak, Gregg (2007). Battleground. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-313-34040-6.
  24. Sebok, Anthony (May 2, 2005). "Florida's New "Stand Your Ground" Law: Why It's More Extreme than Other States' Self-Defense Measures, And How It Got that Way". findlaw.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  25. Goodnough, Abby (October 4, 2005). "Tourists to Florida Get a Warning as Greeting". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  26. Willing, Richard (March 21, 2006). "States allow deadly self-defense". USA Today. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  27. Montopoli, Brian (June 28, 2010). "Supreme Court Gun Rights Decision: A Win or a Setback?". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 1, 2010.
  28. Eilperin, Juliet; Wilber, Del Quentin (March 20, 2009). "Judge Blocks Rule Permitting Concealed Guns in U.S. Parks". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  29. "Memorandum Opinion" (PDF). nraila.org. March 19, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  30. "Congress Approves Bill Restricting Credit Card Industry, Allowing Guns in Parks". FOX News Network. May 20, 2009. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  31. Palmer, Anna (January 14, 2013). "Brady Campaign raises $5M post-Sandy Hook". POLITICO.
  32. Slack, Donovan (January 16, 2013). "Brady Campaign: White House showing 'tremendous leadership'". POLITICO.
  33. Cramer, Clayton. "Odds & Ends," Shotgun News, June 1, 2015, Volume 69, Issue 16, page 20.
  34. "Legal Solutions Blog Brady Center blamed for $200K legal fee ruling against Aurora victim's parents – Legal Solutions Blog". Thomson Reuters. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  35. "What's The Difference Between A Fully Automatic and a Semi-Automatic Assault Weapon? About 3.5 Seconds". Brady Campaign. February 26, 2009. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2011.

Further reading

Gun politics interest groups in the United States
Pro-gun rights
Pro-gun control
Related
Categories: