Second Amendment Foundation, 2019 Gun Rights Policy Conference

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Bumper sticker says we are the gun lobby.

Rob Pincus and Jim Irvine. 7 minutes for Rob, Jim's a pilot so he can keep his own time.

RP: we are the donors, activists, advocates. Everyone in this room. NRA loudest voice. He believes in pushing the responsibility side of rights too. Keep house in order. No doubt there are efforts from opposition to break down events like these from taking place. Notes variety of organizations and their existence for decades, due to grassroots efforts, but we need to hold ourselves and our representation in them accountable. Unity should come from 2A and human right to self-defense. Mere existence of 2A and our guns being present in homes and holsters a protection.

If you're watching this, "You just became a gun rights advocate." Unity best done through coalition and collaboration. Says accountable a bunch of times. I didn't know Rob's from Ohio.

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Jim Irvine, Buckeye Firearms Assoc. "Hope is not a plan." "Either we are all hypocrites or we're in pretty good shape."

NRA more than one man or a building in Fairfax, it's an idea. No entity is going to replace the NRA but we can step up and own Ohio right now. AzCDL, Calguns, Florida, etc, can own their respective states. In the next 14 months we are here today to train our minds to defend our way of life the way we train at range to defend our lives. Referring to grassroots efforts as armies.

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Mark Barnes & Associates, gun trade lawyers, they also do int'l public policy as well.

UBCs, red flags, extreme protection orders, registries? (Trump rejects that one outright). Hard to have balanced dialogue in DC. How many looked at the Secret Service on mass shootings report? When you look at how they approach this, policymakers and advisors should take note.

Concerns in others, significant stressors, financial stability, tables give you the data you need to convince legislators in your state and others. Report also goes through several considerations to stop the threat. None of them really come down to gun control. Assess threat, design strategies, etc but none of that is the dialogue in Washington right now.

Idea for new unlicensed sale of firearms maybe by DoJ? Contains proposal of non-FFL checks, 'licensed transfer agent' who does not retain buyer info is not a new idea, goes back to Clinton years. Whether it will gain any currency we'll just have to see.

HR4255 (hidden serial numbers) HRxxxx fix nics, HRxxxx national suicide prevention marking mandates, HR2449 by Cory Booker requiring individual licensing to purchase/receive firearms for single acquisitions. General survey of legislation right now, will only continue.

You still need 60 votes. A couple GOP senators say they're willing to look at anything and be reasonable but they will not support any infringements, they and others will look at this data that Secret Service and others have gathered.

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State legislative affairs briefing.

John Cushman, SAFE Inc. Also NYSRPA director, reference to big lawsuit. Long time coming, didn't think it was gonna happen for a while. He's running again for NRA. Most of the bad legislation we already know. Amazing amount of gun control variety. 100 anti protesters for 3 legislators. So fanatical that they advocate hurting other people (NRA, gun owners). Notes audience is 75-80 percent men. Says women saying the same thing men say seems to come across better. Cites numbers for Women on Target success. Most of them will not get a gun but they become advocates. Thanks women in audience because this is their issue.

Gun raffles being attacked in NY as if winner doesn't get background check. Legislators don't want to hear you but keep it up don't stop. Hard to overcome 100 letters, not to mention bringing it up to them in public. The women are better shooters than the men. Do not ever give up. "I'm from New York, as bad as it is we never ever give up."

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Craig DeLuz, FPC.

What happens in Cali don't stay in Cali. The legislative 'do something crowd' he meets with all say the same things he's heard before. High-profile mass shootings still happened anyway. "Well we need to do more of what we just did!" Reference to national proposals that are already a thing in California.

Explains red flags/GVPOs, swatting concerns, CA gun seizure warrants. Not just you, but anyone who was an instructor you saw in the last six months. One year limit already being pushed to expand to five years.

Gun rationing in CA explained. Like going to church once a month, writing congressman, reading a book, once a month. Ghost guns. He's explaining all this because it can happen to all the other states.

"All the things that make it assaulty --"

What starts in California does not stay in California repeated a few times throughout his bit. "These ideas are coming to you now...you need to help them understand..."

Analogy, if car won't start, you won't change your tires because you have to do something.

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Dave Kopp, AzCDL. "Good morning fellow terrorists."

Reference to something said by Grossman at a recent hosted event. "But now they have money." Most of us are of modest means. Buying a 40k car vs the one million 40k cars Bloomber, Gates, etc can buy, forever. They are strong organized and well well funded.

Room full of people who feel the same way is why Dave likes coming here.

Job 1: AzCDL email list and website bill tracker. Send emails to legislators. It's easy. Speak up. The future belongs to the people who show up. Preach the gospel to everybody, show up. If we are not there, we lose to 30 ladies paid to wear Mom Demand Action.

Act up. When they say do something, give them something to do, I.e. have them train at the range, refs. Faster Saves Lives (?) bracelet.

Speak up, show up, act up.

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Richard Pearson, ISRA

Gun dealer licensing laws went through, was more about running them outta biz. 2500 dealers to 1140. There is a lawsuit tho. "We're very good at suing people, by the way."

SB1966. Raising FOID fees and adding paying for prints and background check. 27/29th of October one vote away, tons of meetings (around 30) around the state. "Nobody wants to go swat the hive" if a bee wants to get in your potato salad.

How many of you people know your state legislators. How many of you state legislators know you? Need for building a relationship emphasized, if not a laundry list of everything from property tax to abortion, then 2A. Don't just show up when things are bad, you do have to say thanks. Don't say you have a list of 47 grievances. Say who you are, your district/rep, what bill you oppose, etc.

It's a big job, a plan that really works, but you have to take your time to do that. Give him a call if you need help.

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Alexander Roubian, NJ2ASociety

Jokes about extra time because NJ.

Results-oriented activism. How many of you know they went to 30 towns to oppose bills and won every single time? Sued state three times and won all three suits. Men pointed out in crowd who are credited for role in Tasers, constitutional carry, etc.

Identify enemy, isolate them, attack is basis of philosophy. Prey herd analogy. Went after towns one by one that were violating state laws, overturned them and got apologies. Some county? Required two year interval for fingerprints. Did undercover work and recording to defeat this (!).

Explains background checks in context of 'behind enemy lines' Hundreds of people in NJ arrested for having their own guns they had background checks for.

This is a war. If the 2nd dies, America dies with it.

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Holly Sullivan, CCDL. Julianne says she might have NJ beat because Connecticut.

Also a delegate for DC Project.

State constitution cited for right to defend self and state. 34,416 members in her org. August 2019 saw 300 new members. 270k residents have a permit despite Dick Blumenthal, et al would have you think of whether state is pro-gun.

Hosted Maj Toure to a big crowd. College campus outreach, young GOP/libertarians, etc. Approaching poorer communities on basis of onerous fees and permit costs.

"I demand the ability to take action." Talks about the post-Sandy Hook legislative aftermath. Stopped 'papers please' permit bill. Soto vs Bushmaster case. NY/NJ amicus briefs filed. Couple references to 'constitution state' irony. They reach out to other states despite having their own problems.

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Rick Patterson, SAAMI

"Or as the left knows us, terrorists."

In reality, SAAMI deals with every regulatory in the world. Brief explanation of UN arms trade treaty. Introduces human rights and gender inequality into the questions of firearm/ammo safety and transfer.

Civil society behind this is big money not accountable to anyone but themselves. One man's terrorist/another's freedom fighter. Very definition of evil governance. Militarization of corporate influence. Not about products and services anymore.

Levi's, Dick's, Uber etc. Good luck finding the list of 143 signatories, recognized none of these names. Did research, these are small companies. 18 million plus corporations in the US. Not as widespread as portrayed, but it does show elites trying to circumvent democratic process.

Elites not defined by money but by people who think they have all the power and answers and want to control accordingly.

Commonalities with approach to the left. Biggest thing he sees is that their activists have a fundamental need to control. We are self-supporting and do not need the systems they are comfortable with. It boils down to them wanting us to depend on them too.

They will also do/say anything to win, references to birds and lead poisoning and the disproportionate ban to the risk. Did their research, study had actually had to revise their bullshit. Scientific integrity is not in their vocabulary.

Intolerance of differences, there is no compromise. Little by little. Don't accept responsibilities for their own actions, I.e. gun free zones. We just have to be the minions and obey. They target law abiding citizens and blame them for murderers, etc.

We are dealing with bullies. That is their approach. 'Six smart ways to deal with a bully' article.

Be confident, stay connected, speak up, reach outside our comfort zone. A lot of people who are just trying to live their lives are being bombarded with misinfo and just don't know.

Use simple unemotional language. Don't apologize or be confrontational. That gives them power. Practise your response so you will be prepared.

Strike while the iron is COLD. Cool heads find better solutions than hot ones. They try to use emotions of tragedies to make bad decisions.

We are the people who champion having the tools to defeat criminals and tyrants. In order to win this battle, we also have to learn to use a new tool, to defeat bullies.