Brady Intensifies Gun Control Campaign Following Election Results

In the wake of the recent presidential election and the return of a pro-Second Amendment majority in the Senate, groups like Brady have renewed their calls for more stringent gun control measures. Brady President Kris Brown stated, "The election of Donald Trump is deeply troubling for our safety and freedom from gun violence. And that’s why we will be doubling down on our work and fighting harder than ever." Their rhetoric has escalated following Donald Trump's victory with claims that are designed to invoke fear and pave the way for policies that infringe on our constitutional rights.

It's important to dissect these emotionally charged statements and examine the facts surrounding gun ownership and violence. Brady and similar organizations often manipulate data to create a narrative that supports their agenda, ignoring the complexities of crime and personal responsibility. For instance, lumping together suicides, gang-related incidents, and accidents to inflate gun violence statistics is a common tactic used to mislead the public. She then claimed that, '“Donald Trump’s first presidency was a deadly period for Americans. Under his administration, our country saw the largest increase in violence in modern history, and guns became the leading cause of death for children and teens. Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, Brady didn’t give up. We blocked the NRA from passing their priorities even with an ally in the White House and control of the House and Senate. And in spite of Trump, we also held the line in the states and helped states continue to grow political power and drive policy. So even though we won’t have a friend in the White House, Brady isn’t giving up an inch. The movement to prevent gun violence has always been larger than one office, and we’ll continue to work with activists, survivors, community leaders, and elected officials in states across the country to fight for progress that makes the whole country safer from gun violence." Attributing the rise in violence solely to Trump's policies overlooks the complex socio-economic factors that influence crime rates. The right to self-defense is a cornerstone of American liberty, protected under the Constitution. The significant number of law-abiding citizens who use firearms to defend themselves and their families often goes unreported, yet this aspect is crucial to the national conversation on gun ownership.

Moreover, Brady's claim that, 'over 90 percent of voters support more stringent gun safety laws, including a vast number of gun owners,' is an overgeneralization that does not accurately reflect the nuanced views many Americans hold about gun rights and personal freedom. It is crucial to scrutinize these statistics, questioning the sampling methods, the phrasing of survey questions, and the contexts in which data were collected, to gain a true understanding of public opinion.

The truth is, gun ownership is a deeply embedded American tradition linked not only to liberty but also to personal responsibility and self-reliance. The efforts to use tragedies as a stepping stone to dismantle this tradition will not go unchallenged. At 80% Arms, we stand for the rights of individuals to build, own, and use firearms responsibly. The path to a safer nation does not lie through the erosion of our fundamental rights but through the strengthening of our communities and the enforcement of existing laws that punish criminals rather than penalizing law-abiding citizens.

We will continue to support efforts that protect our Second Amendment rights and oppose any legislation that seeks to infringe upon them.