BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation invites run rights activists across the country to participate in the 36th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, which, due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, will once again be a virtual event held online Sept. 25 and 26, hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Saving Freedom!” The event will appear on multiple platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.

Last year’s virtual conference had more than 6,500 pre-registered “attendees,” and SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb anticipates equally big participation. This year’s presentations will include a discussion about how COVID impacted Second Amendment supporters, plus a look at the situation in Illinois with FOID licenses. And, of course, there will an in-depth discussion of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association case that will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in November. Read more

BELLEVUE, WA – Reports from Afghanistan have revealed the Taliban has been confiscating privately-held firearms on the grounds people don’t need them for safety, which sounds frighteningly similar to arguments Joe Biden has made in support of a ban on semi-auto rifles and 9mm pistols, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms observed.

“One of the first things Joe Biden did after taking office was push his gun ban agenda,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “One of the first things the Taliban did after taking Kabul was go door-to-door, seizing firearms. Biden says banning so-called ‘assault weapons’ and 9mm pistols will make the country safer. The Taliban is telling people they don’t need guns because they are safe. Those are some very alarming parallels.”

CCRKBA has launched a new 60-second message on several national cable networks, warning American gun owners about the Biden-Harris extreme gun control plans. Biden recently acknowledged he would like to stop the sale of semiautomatic rifles and 9mm pistols during a CNN Townhall meeting. His candid remark has raised alarms within the Second Amendment community.

“Whether it is a 9mm pistol, or a rifle, it is ridiculous,” Biden said. “I am continuing to push to eliminate the sale of those things.” Read more

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today filed an important amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting a challenge of New York State’s restrictive concealed carry permitting scheme by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association.

SAF is joined in this “friend of the court” brief by several organizations including the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Connecticut Citizens Defense League, Illinois State Rifle Association, Florida Carry, Inc., Grass Roots North Carolina, Louisiana Shooting Association, Tennessee Firearms Association, Maryland Shall Issue, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education, and Virginia Citizens Defense League.

“This case has been a long time coming and it would not be an overstatement that SAF has an intense interest because of our many members in New York and elsewhere that so-called ‘proper cause’ requirements are routinely used to deny law-abiding citizens the ability to carrying firearms for personal protection outside their homes,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Such laws are arbitrary in nature and they place an absurd level of authority in the hands of local officials and their subordinates to deny citizens their constitutional right to bear arms.”

The Supreme Court has not heard a Second Amendment case in more than a decade, Gottlieb recalled, “and it is high time to consider another.” The last time the high court took on a Second Amendment case was in 2010, which resulted in the victory known as McDonald v. City of Chicago, a case brought by SAF that nullified Chicago’s unconstitutional handgun ban and incorporated the Second Amendment to the states via the 14th Amendment and made this New York case possible. The 35-page brief is submitted by attorneys David H. Thompson and Peter A. Patterson, Cooper & Kirk PLLC, Washington, D.C.

“The Second Amendment should no longer be treated like the ugly stepchild of the Bill of Rights,” Gottlieb observed. “Its language is clear, that the amendment protects not only the right of the individual citizen to keep arms, but to bear them, and that right extends beyond the confines of one’s home. A right limited to someone’s home is no right at all, and the court now has an opportunity to make that abundantly clear, settling an important constitutional issue once and for all.”

NEWTOWN, Conn. – The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), in partnership with mental health experts from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and George Washington University, today released a recorded webinar video to help parents of teens recognize signs that their children may be facing mental health challenges—and share resources on how to talk to kids about mental health, make homes safer for those who may be at risk and help reduce the risk of suicide among teens.

“Studies show that suicide is preventable and simple actions like storing firearms securely when not in use can help save a life,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF’s President and CEO.

The video, which aired live from NSSF and Project ChildSafe’s Facebook page, features a panel discussion between Dr. Doreen Marshall, AFSP’s Vice President of Mission Engagement, and Dr. Sherry Molock, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at George Washington University, on signs teens exhibit when they are dealing with challenges to their mental health, including having thoughts of self-harm. Both experts emphasize the importance of parents having conversations with their kids if they sense their children are struggling.

Dr. Molock and Dr. Marshall encourage parents to watch for warning signs that their teen may be experiencing mental health challenges by observing what they say, how they behave and the moods they project. According to these experts, the most important things parents can do if they recognize any of these signs are to have a conversation with their kids and be proactive in preventing access to potential means of self-harm.

“We know many teens may be thinking about suicide, so talking about it with our kids—before it becomes a crisis—is really important,” Dr. Marshall says. “It may sound difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Talking openly with our young people about mental health, just as we would physical health, can be the key to preventing a crisis, and saving a life.”

Dr. Molock agrees, emphasizing that talking about mental health and self-harm with our kids does not cause them to attempt suicide.

“Many kids are actually relieved to be able to talk about it, so let the young person know you can handle the discussion, and you’re willing to do anything to keep them safe,” Dr. Molock says.

Also important is creating “time and distance” between a person having thoughts of suicide and a method of harm. When access to a potential lethal means is interrupted, it creates an opportunity for the person to change their mind and seek professional care. Recognizing that firearms are sometimes involved in suicide attempts, NSSF’s Bartozzi urges gun-owning parents to practice safe firearm storage and learn about available secure storage options. Read more