February, 28 2013, 09:11am EDT
PFAW Report: The Radical Right and the Challenge of Gun Violence Prevention
People For the American Way's Right Wing Watch released a report today chronicling the history and strategies of the radical groups and individuals who are working to prevent meaningful gun violence reform. While most Americans, including most gun owners, support common-sense gun violence prevention efforts, a small but vocal group of extremists has so far succeeded in blocking any attempt at meaningful reform.
WASHINGTON
People For the American Way's Right Wing Watch released a report today chronicling the history and strategies of the radical groups and individuals who are working to prevent meaningful gun violence reform. While most Americans, including most gun owners, support common-sense gun violence prevention efforts, a small but vocal group of extremists has so far succeeded in blocking any attempt at meaningful reform.
The report, The Lobby Against Common Sense: The Right's Campaign Against Gun Violence Reform and How We Can Defeat It, is available at www.pfaw.org.
"We cannot address the plague of gun violence in our country until we are able to have a reasonable debate about reforming our gun laws," said Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way. "Unfortunately, for too many years this debate has been dominated by an extreme and vocal fringe. These extremists equate gun violence prevention with 'tyranny'; blame mass shootings on everything and everybody but lax gun safety laws; and push conspiracy theories about government confiscations of firearms.
"Stunningly, these extremists say that the real 'radicals' are Americans who support reforms to rein in the horror and devastation of gun violence. While these groups claim to represent American gun owners, they are in fact far out of step with most Americans, gun owners included. We hope that this report will help elected officials and voters understand the truth behind the forces that are trying to drag down meaningful gun violence reform."
People For the American Way'sRight Wing Watch monitors and exposes the activities of right-wing movements in the United States.
People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.
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