H.R. 822 now has 245 cosponsors. I have my reasons for thinking it’s the wrong approach, and even if it does get through the Senate, it won’t be signed. That’s alright. I like this one for one very salient reason: it’s got folks in certain corners going all kinds of asplodey.
Today’s exhibit is from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV). They were originally formed in 1975 as the National Coalition to Ban Handguns. One of the founders was Edward Welles, who also started the Violence Policy Center. At some point, they decided that the phrase “ban handguns” might be a little extreme, and they changed it. If that story sounds familiar, the Violence Policy Center used to be Handgun Control International. Evidently, “control” is also a scary word to the moderates these guys hope to attract.
Under the even less threatening name of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, the CSGV collects $125,000 from the Joyce Foundation every year, which is about $120,000 more than the Brady Campaign makes. Continued...