Americans for Gun Safety Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gun interest groups in the U.S.
Pro-gun rights
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Gun Owners of America JPFO Law Enforcement Alliance of America Liberty Belles National Rifle Association Pink Pistols Second Amendment Foundation Second Amendment Sisters Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Pro-gun control
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence American Hunters and Shooters Association Americans for Democratic Action Americans for Gun Safety Foundation Coalition to Stop Gun Violence League of Women Voters Violence Policy Center

The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation was an organization whose stated purpose is to promote gun safety training; promote responsible gun laws; respect gun rights; and reduce gun crime.^[1] Articles by AGS leadership regularly appear in the Democratic Leadership Council's magazine Blueprint.

The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation is a project of the Tides Center, and a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Their website states that the organization "seeks to educate Americans on existing gun laws and new policy options for reducing access to guns by criminals and children and to promote responsible gun ownership." The AGS Foundation has funded studies of background checks at gun shows and the way states develop mental health records and keep track of those prohibited from purchasing a gun because of mental insanity.

In 2002 the organization orchestrated a $2.8M media campaign to pass gun control initiatives in Colorado and Oregon which included mailings, radio and television ads, and most notability a $1.85M television ad buy featuring Republican senator John McCain^[2].

Due to the organization being established by Andrew McKelvey (the founder of Monster.com), a former member of the board of directors of Handgun Control, Inc. and the primary founder of the Million Mom March, gun rights activists frequently make the claim that AGS has all the appearances and affiliations expected of an anti-gun organization. It is thus usually identified as a gun control organization rather than a gun rights organization.

At some point in time, AGS merged with Third Way, which describes itself as a "non-profit, non-partisan strategy center for progressives."^[3] The site provides a direct link to the Brady Campaign as well.

The organization is now defunct.

[edit] See also

Gun politics in the US

[edit] References

^ http://www.americansforgunsafety.com/our_top_priorities.html
^ Kristin A. Goss (2006). Disarmed: the missing movement for gun control in America. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 102. ISBN 0-691-12424-8.
^ Third Way: About Us Accessed August 17, 2007 http://third-way.com/about_us

[edit] External links

Another opinion on AGS from a pro-gun writer.
Jon Cowan's remarks on AGS at a Democratic Leadership Council conference

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Gun_Safety_Foundation"