Santa Barbara shooting: Liberals exploit rampage by selectively ignoring crucial facts

Anti-gun liberals wasted no time exploiting the mass murder shooting, stabbing, and attempted vehicular homicide rampage that took place in the Isla Vista area of Santa Barbara. After posting a YouTube video promising a “day of retribution,” a deeply disturbed madman went on a killing spree leaving six dead and 13 injured. Already some are exploiting the deaths for political purposes, using the victims – and selectively ignoring crucial key facts of this incident – to push a policy agenda that will not make anyone safer. Laws don’t prevent crime; they punish it.

The facts:

• The suspect, a 22-year-old student at a college student, had three previous contacts with local law enforcement according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. There are six victims killed, 13 wounded, and the suspect apparently shot himself in the head.
• The murder spree began at the suspect’s residence with a knife. Three males were killed, victims of multiple stab wounds. “It was a pretty horrific crime scene,” Brown told reporters.
• Following the stabbings, the suspect drove to a sorority, where he shot three female UCSB students, killing two and injuring one.
• The suspect then traveled to a nearby deli, where he left his vehicle to shoot 20-year-old Christopher Martinez — another UCSB student.
• All told, there were 10 separate crime scenes before the mass murder came to an end. Brown said deputies exchanged fire with the suspected gunman twice before his vehicle crashed. The suspect apparently took his own life.
• Three semi-automatic handguns were recovered from the suspect’s car, police said. All of the weapons were legally purchased and registered to the suspect.
• Those injured included at least four by the suspect’s car and eight by gunshot wounds. “He aimed his car at our group of friends and gunned it into us,” one victim says.
• The suspect’s parents – whose father was an assistant director on the 2012 film The Hunger Games – had called the police about a month ago to express concerns about his YouTube videos “regarding suicide and the killing of people.” Police officers interviewed him but concluded he posed no danger, stating they had found him to be a “perfectly polite, kind and wonderful human.”

Despite half of the victims murdered with a knife, the media is calling the incident a “shooting.” It is a shooting, and also a stabbing and vehicular assault with attempted vehicular homicide. Already the left is exploiting the tragedy to push their inane agenda. Gun control does not reduce crime. The gun control measures proposed nationally (all of which failed) after the Sandy Hook shooting included restricting magazine capacity limits to 10 rounds, banning so-called “assault rifles,” and imposing universal background checks. These measures were promoted to stop shootings, reduce crime, and increase our safety and the safety “of the children.”

California has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. That didn’t do anything to prevent the three knife murders (half of the victims murdered). Gun control advocates want to ban so-called "assault rifles" - the killer used handguns. Gun control advocates want "universal" background checks - the killer's handguns were all purchased legally with a background check and registered to him. That didn't prevent anything. Gun control advocates want to limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds - California law limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds and the killer used 10 round magazines. This stopped nothing. Further, the suspect used his BMW car as a weapon to injure and attempt to take lives. No gun laws would have changed that.

One of the victim’s parents blames the NRA: “Why did Chris die? Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA,” an emotional Richard Martinez told reporters outside the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “They talk about gun rights, what about Chris’ right to live? When will this insanity stop?”

As a parents, we can only imagine the feelings of grief and loss. Perhaps such a time is not one for rash and selfish statements. Half of the victims and their families are dealing with loss of their own that has nothing to do with guns, the NRA or politics. Making the nation's oldest civil rights organization the subject of one’s own personal witch hunt doesn’t solve anything, and ignores the very real grief and loss suffered by others in this incident.

The NRA supports lawful use of firearms, not murder. The answer to “what about Chris’ right to live?” is that his was stolen from him by a deeply disturbed person. We do, in fact, have a law for that – it’s called homicide. What happened was absolutely wrong. We can’t legislate away insanity or evil – if we could have figured out how to make people not do wrong, we would have done so long ago.

But laws don’t prevent crime; they punish it. Laws define guidelines and boundaries, and provide penalties for violating them, but they don’t enforce themselves. That’s why we have law enforcement officers. Further, even if all the gun control advocates’ wish-list of laws had come to pass, this incident still would have happened exactly as it did. Not a single gun control proposal would have affected the outcome even in the slightest.

Yes, guns (and knives, cars, hands, and other instruments) are used by people to injure and kill. What gun control zealots ignore is that guns are used by people to defend, prevent injury and save lives. Many academic studies and the CDC have reported that law-abiding people use guns to defend themselves at least a half-million times a year. Brenner Brief has reported recently real-life stories of people who have done just that, and of law enforcement officials that support the right of the law-abiding to carry guns because they “save people’s lives.” Death is horrific, and mass murder is tragic. The truly sick and disgusting exploit it to push an agenda that makes us more susceptible to further tragedy by attacking our rights and very means to defend ourselves from criminals and the mentally disturbed.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on The Brenner Brief. (Original publication May 26, 2014).

Santa Barbara Shooting: Liberals Exploit Rampage, Selectively Ignore Crucial Facts

by Matt MacBradaigh | May 26, 2014 | News | 0 comments

Anti-gun liberals wasted no time exploiting the mass murder shooting, stabbing, and attempted vehicular homicide rampage that took place in the Isla Vista area of Santa Barbara. After posting a YouTube video promising a “day of retribution,” a deeply disturbed madman went on a killing spree leaving six dead and 13 injured. Already some are exploiting the deaths for political purposes, using the victims – and selectively ignoring crucial key facts of this incident – to push a policy agenda that will not make anyone safer. Laws don’t prevent crime; they punish it.

The facts:

• The suspect, a 22-year-old student at a college student, had three previous contacts with local law enforcement according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. There are six victims killed, 13 wounded, and the suspect apparently shot himself in the head.
• The murder spree began at the suspect’s residence with a knife. Three males were killed, victims of multiple stab wounds. “It was a pretty horrific crime scene,” Brown told reporters.
• Following the stabbings, the suspect drove to a sorority, where he shot three female UCSB students, killing two and injuring one.
• The suspect then traveled to a nearby deli, where he left his vehicle to shoot 20-year-old Christopher Martinez — another UCSB student.
• All told, there were 10 separate crime scenes before the mass murder came to an end. Brown said deputies exchanged fire with the suspected gunman twice before his vehicle crashed. The suspect apparently took his own life.
• Three semi-automatic handguns and forty-one (41) 10-round magazines were recovered from the suspect’s car, police said. All of the weapons were legally purchased and registered to the suspect.
• Those injured included at least four by the suspect’s car and eight by gunshot wounds. “He aimed his carat our group of friends and gunned it into us,” one victim says.
• The suspect’s parents – whose father was an assistant director on the 2012 film The Hunger Games – had called the police about a month ago to express concerns about his YouTube videos “regarding suicide and the killing of people.” Police officers interviewed him but concluded he posed no danger, stating they had found him to be a “perfectly polite, kind and wonderful human.”

Despite half of the victims murdered with a knife, the media is calling the incident a “shooting.” It is a shooting, and also a stabbing and vehicular assault with attempted vehicular homicide. Already the left is exploiting the tragedy to push their inane agenda. Gun control does not reduce crime. The gun control measures proposed nationally (all of which failed) after the Sandy Hook shooting included restricting magazine capacity limits to 10 rounds, banning so-called “assault rifles,” and imposing universal background checks. These measures were promoted to stop shootings, reduce crime, and increase our safety and the safety “of the children.”

California has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation. That didn’t do anything to prevent the three knife murders (half of the victims murdered). Gun control advocates want to ban so-called “assault rifles” – the killer used handguns. Gun control advocates want “universal” background checks – the killer’s handguns were all purchased legally with a background check and registered to him. That didn’t prevent anything. Gun control advocates want to limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds – California law limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds and the killer used 10 round magazines; forty-one 10-round capacity magazines. This stopped nothing. Further, the suspect used his BMW car as a weapon to injure and attempt to take lives. No gun laws would have changed that.

One of the victim’s parents blames the NRA: “Why did Chris die? Chris died because of craven, irresponsible politicians and the NRA,” an emotional Richard Martinez told reporters outside the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “They talk about gun rights, what about Chris’ right to live? When will this insanity stop?”

As a parents, we can only imagine the feelings of grief and loss. Perhaps such a time is not one for rash and selfish statements. Half of the victims and their families are dealing with loss of their own that has nothing to do with guns, the NRA or politics. Making the nation’s oldest civil rights organization the subject of one’s own personal witch hunt doesn’t solve anything, and ignores the very real grief and loss suffered by others in this incident.

The NRA supports lawful use of firearms, not murder. The answer to “what about Chris’ right to live?” is that his was stolen from him by a deeply disturbed person. We do, in fact, have a law for that – it’s called homicide. What happened was absolutely wrong. We can’t legislate away insanity or evil – if we could have figured out how to make people not do wrong, we would have done so long ago.

But laws don’t prevent crime; they provide for punishment once caught after breaking the law. Laws define guidelines and boundaries, and provide penalties for violating them, but they don’t enforce themselves. That’s why we have law enforcement officers. Further, even if all the gun control advocates’ wish-list of laws had come to pass, this incident still would have happened exactly as it did. Not a single gun control proposal would have affected the outcome even in the slightest.

Yes, guns (and knives, cars, hands, and other instruments) are used by people to injure and kill. What gun control zealots ignore is that guns are also used by people to defend, prevent injury and save lives. Many academic studies and the CDC have reported that law-abiding people use guns to defend themselves at least a half-million times a year. Brenner Brief has reported recently real-life stories of people who have done just that, and of law enforcement officials that support the right of the law-abiding to carry guns because they “save people’s lives.” Death is horrific, and mass murder is tragic. The truly sick and disgusting exploit it to push an agenda that makes us more susceptible to further tragedy by attacking our rights and very means to defend ourselves from criminals and the mentally disturbed.

This article was originally published on Brenner Brief. Original publish date May 26, 2014. Original author, Matt MacBradaigh.

Meet three women that used guns in self-defense in their own homes

What women have to say about guns and gun control has been in the spotlight since the Sandy Hook shooting. Phony so-called grassroots anti-gun rights organizations funded by activist billionaires, and real grassroots organizations of moms for gun rights and safety – such as 1MMAGC – have weighed in on what actually makes us safer.

Here are three examples in which women used guns to protect themselves in the sanctity of their homes. In each of these incidents, the woman was home alone and faced a male perpetrator. In each incident, she came out on top because she had a gun.

Duluth, GA. — An intruder who was shot and killed after a confrontation with a woman in her shower was likely stalking her for days and may have had other victims, police said.  The 53-year-old woman, who is a school counselor, was alone. “The male was armed with a kitchen knife, (and) a struggle ensued between the two of them,” a police spokesman said.

The woman tried to fight the man off with a shower rod, and he forced her into her bedroom. She grabbed a .22-caliber handgun and shot the man nine times. Police said the man ran out a back door and collapsed in the yard. He later died at a local medical center. Police said the shooting appeared to be justified, and that she acted in self-defense. There are no plans to charge her.

Houston, TX — A teenage girl who was home alone says she was prepared to shoot when someone tried breaking into her family home. At approximately 3:30 p.m., the perpetrator tried cracking the code to her electronic front door lock. From the inside, the 17-year-old girl heard the alarm and went straight for her dad’s Glock 19 handgun. She was trained by her dad to use it. Fortunately, the alarm scared the would-be intruder away. As word spread about the home invasion attempt, neighbors say they’re getting their guns ready too.

Glenville, PA —  A man who kicked in the front door of a York County home found a woman waiting for him with her handgun at the ready, according to police.  The 31-year-old woman was alone when she heard someone trying to force their way inside. She grabbed a handgun that she trains with on a regular basis, police said.
When the man eventually kicked in her front door and entered the home, the woman leveled the gun and told the intruder not to come any closer.  He obeyed her order and was found on the front porch of a neighbor’s home when an officer arrived minutes later. Police said he may have been intoxicated.

Some anti-gun rights groups have attempted to scare women from having guns, wrongly stating that a gun is more likely to be used on them, or in a suicide. But as Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. recently said, “firearms, in the hands of  law-abiding citizens, saved people’s lives.” Research shows that the sheriff – and not the anti-gun nuts – is correct.

The CDC reports that there are approximately 20,000 suicides committed with a gun each year. However, the CDC, in a report prepared by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, also states that guns are used for lawful defensive purposes at least a half million times each year:

defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than three million per year.

These women’s stories are the real-life illustrations of exactly such defensive gun use. Clever signs and social media #hashtags don’t stop bad guys – a person holding a gun does. Smart women know they can defend themselves if they are the ones holding the gun, and that a woman who knows how to use her gun makes actual “#gunsense”.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on The Brenner Brief. (Original publication May 19, 2014).

Meet Three Women Who Used Guns to Defend Themselves in the homes

by Matt MacBradaigh | May 19, 2013 | Guns Save Lives | 0 comments

What women have to say about guns and gun control has been in the spotlight since the Sandy Hook shooting. Phony so-called grassroots anti-gun rights organizations funded by activist billionaires, and real grassroots organizations of moms for gun rights and safety – such as 1MMAGC – have weighed in on what actually makes us safer.

Here are three examples in which women used guns to protect themselves in the sanctity of their homes. In each of these incidents, the woman was home alone and faced a male perpetrator. In each incident, she came out on top because she had a gun.

Duluth, GA. — An intruder who was shot and killed after a confrontation with a woman in her shower was likely stalking her for days and may have had other victims, police said.  The 53-year-old woman, who is a school counselor, was alone. “The male was armed with a kitchen knife, (and) a struggle ensued between the two of them,” a police spokesman said.

The woman tried to fight the man off with a shower rod, and he forced her into her bedroom. She grabbed a .22-caliber handgun and shot the man nine times. Police said the man ran out a back door and collapsed in the yard. He later died at a local medical center. Police said the shooting appeared to be justified, and that she acted in self-defense. There are no plans to charge her.

Houston, TX — A teenage girl who was home alone says she was prepared to shoot when someone tried breaking into her family home. At approximately 3:30 p.m., the perpetrator tried cracking the code to her electronic front door lock. From the inside, the 17-year-old girl heard the alarm and went straight for her dad’s Glock 19 handgun. She was trained by her dad to use it. Fortunately, the alarm scared the would-be intruder away. As word spread about the home invasion attempt, neighbors say they’re getting their guns ready too.

Glenville, PA —  A man who kicked in the front door of a York County home found a woman waiting for him with her handgun at the ready, according to police.  The 31-year-old woman was alone when she heard someone trying to force their way inside. She grabbed a handgun that she trains with on a regular basis, police said.

When the man eventually kicked in her front door and entered the home, the woman leveled the gun and told the intruder not to come any closer.  He obeyed her order and was found on the front porch of a neighbor’s home when an officer arrived minutes later. Police said he may have been intoxicated.

Some anti-gun rights groups have attempted to scare women from having guns, wrongly stating that a gun is more likely to be used on them, or in a suicide. But as Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Jr. recently said, “firearms, in the hands of  law-abiding citizens, saved people’s lives.” Research shows that the sheriff – and not the anti-gun nuts – is correct.

The CDC reports that there are approximately 20,000 suicides committed with a gun each year. However, the CDC, in a report prepared by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, also states that guns are used for lawful defensive purposes at least a half million times each year:

defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than three million per year.

These women’s stories are the real-life illustrations of exactly such defensive gun use. Clever signs and social media #hashtags don’t stop bad guys – a person holding a gun does. Smart women know they can defend themselves if they are the ones holding the gun, and that a woman who knows how to use her gun makes actual “#gunsense”.

This article was originally published on The Brenner Brief. Original author, Matt MacBradaigh. Original publish date May 19, 2013.

Meet the real moms for gun safety. Not the phony Astroturf “grassroots” organization, but a genuine grassroots organization of moms from all across America.

 

1MMAGC, One Million Moms Against Gun Control

What moms have to say about guns has taken more prominence in the gun control debate since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. We had the opportunity to talk with Heather Marchese, the founder of One Million Moms Against Gun Control. They don’t have the backing of a billionaire, but they are passionate about their kids, guns, and what they believe will make the world a safer place.

Matt: When did One Million Moms Against Gun Control begin?

Heather: One Million Moms Against Gun Control (1MMAGC) started in January 2013. The Sandy Hook shooting really got to me. I dropped my kids off at school after the shooting and wondered, “What if this happens here?” My kids’ school has one resource officer. So I talked with the school to ask them how would they react to something like the Sandy Hook shooting, and they didn’t really have an answer. I, as a parent, have been able to walk in the school, without having to be buzzed in, or anyone watching me to make sure I go to the office first. I realized my kids are sitting ducks in our schools. We have got to protect our children.

A few days later, I saw Shannon Watts of what is now Moms Demand Action speaking to America as if she spoke for every person who has ever given birth. I’m a mom and she certainly did not speak for me. I thought what she was saying is crazy. Not having protection is what killed those 26 people–those children–in Connecticut. Why would you not want to be protected?

I really am a stay at home mom. I don’t live in a gated community; I live in the real world. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, moved to Baltimore, and now I live in West Virginia, which is not as crazy as the city streets of Baltimore. I’ve seen people that have no defense, and criminals that don’t care, and have no value for human life. Those kind of people don’t care about the laws, because they don’t respect anything. In fact, the only laws that matter when your life is in jeopardy are the laws of physics. We cannot legislate evil away.

Matt: Moms Demand Action has lobbied to, in effect, create more gun-free zones at Starbucks, Staples, and other places. What does 1MMAGC think we should be doing with regards to gun-free zones?

Heather: Gun-free zones are victim-rich, target-rich environments. A sign won’t stop a criminal any more than the law stops them because they don’t care. A law-abiding person will abide by the signs, but not a criminal. So why would businesses ask law-abiding people who have gone through training or a background check to not be armed?

Most states have rigorous background checks and many states require training courses to get a carry license. And many gun owners continue training on their own. They do this to prevent themselves from becoming a victim, not to be armed vigilantes. And it’s their right to defend themselves.

Gun-free zones are a criminal’s best friend. It just gives criminals the opportunity to victimize everyone there. You’re going to wait for the police from 10 to 20 minutes or more to arrive. Everyone could be dead by then. That’s what a gun-free zone does.

1MMAGC founder, Heather Marchese

Matt: What are some of 1MMAGC’s big accomplishments so far?

Heather: In the last year, 1MMAGC launched. We’ve set up our national webpage. We started on Facebook and learned we needed pages for every state. Then we started forming chapters in each state, and we now have chapters in nearly every state. We’ve testified at state legislatures. Our Colorado chapter was involved very early on with the recall effort that happened last September.

We’ve stopped gun buybacks. We were able to show up at gun buyback events with licensed FFLs (Federal Firearms Licenses, required to commercially sell guns) and sheriffs. There were some that were done illegally with city funds and were shut down.

We’ve changed minds, and that alone is a huge accomplishment; to educate mothers who would never touch a gun, who were against guns because they didn’t know anything about them is a big deal. A few years ago, I was like that. I wouldn’t have touched a gun because I didn’t know anything about them. They seemed scary. But I was taught about them. So seeing a mother like that come to understand what we’re doing, and to come around and say, “You know what? You’re right. How can I buy my first firearm? What can I do?” is a huge accomplishment. One of the greatest gifts that we can give is when one person, or two people, or three people are reached, because it creates a domino effect, and it spreads from person to person, and they can tell others “1MMAGC helped me do it.”
We were just at the NRA convention in Indianapolis.

1MMAGC team members, (left to right): Mary Callison, Beth Banister and Linda Elliott, with Dana Loesch (second from right).

Matt: Tell me about that.

Heather: We met Nikki Goeser, whose husband was killed in front of her in a gun-free zone. She was licensed to carry a gun, but not in the bar where they ran a karaoke business. We also got to spend some time with Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America. And we were able to hang out with the guys from Red Jacket (Firearms, and subject of the “Sons of Guns” reality TV show on Discovery), and also Dana Loesch.

Matt: Sounds like fun.

Heather: We also helped put on a safety and self-protection showcase. We were asked to speak there by Cathy Perkins, who founded Moms with Guns Demand Action. We helped her organize it and sent four of our leaders there, including Dani Bryan who is our new Indiana state chapter leader. So we were able to speak about some real options for women to protect themselves. I mean, a rape whistle? Seriously, who comes up with that?

Matt: A Democrat man. What’s something about you that you think would surprise people?

Heather: Most people assume I’m a Republican, and I get called a racist. But actually, my children are mixed race and I’m a registered Democrat. I really didn’t know very much about politics at all, or what the Left is or the Right is. I probably will not vote Democrat again. I’m learning, slowly, that Democrat policies are not good, but the truth is I am a registered Democrat. So when people say “Oh, you’re just another Republican,” they’re wrong.

Matt: What’s coming up next for 1MMAGC?

Heather: We’re going to be launching a campaign called, “Taking aim on zero tolerance.” Right now under schools’ “zero tolerance” policies, kids can’t even point a finger into the shape of a gun or chew a pop tart into the shape of gun. Kids can’t play cowboys and Indians, and just be kids. What happened?

Matt: They’re demonizing guns, gun owners, and gun ownership.

Heather: Absolutely. We are also launching a youth safety program. I’m really excited about this. In my home, we keep our guns locked in our safe. We also talk to our kids about guns and teach them gun safety. I believe that you don’t hide from kids what you don’t want them to know, because that just makes it enticing. They’ll most likely going to find out about it anyway, and that’s where you have accidents. Instead, talk to them about it and teach them about how to responsibly handle guns. When you don’t teach your child the responsibility and the right ways to handle firearms–to carry, load, and secure–that’s when mistakes come in, that’s when accidents happen.

Matt: So a goal of 1MMAGC is to teach parents about how to talk with their children how to safely handle firearms?

Heather: Yes, and instead of just book work, we’re going to take kids to the range with their parents. There will be certified range instructors to teach. It will show them how to handle, clean, and secure a gun. We’re going to do what everyone else seems afraid of: teach them how to safely handle the responsibility, to respect the tool, and also the value of life.

We also are launching a political action committee (PAC) called AMMO: AMerican MOthers on a mission. As a non-profit, 1MMAGC can’t do certain things like endorse candidates, but we will be able to through AMMO. We would also like to be at Congress the next time gun control comes up nationally.

Matt: Sounds great, Heather! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, and I wish you success as you educate people and reach moms, one person at a time.

By Matt MacBradaigh. Matt is a Christian, Husband, Father, Patriot, and Conservative from the Pacific Northwest. Matt writes about the Second Amendment, Gun Control, Gun Rights, and Gun Policy issues and is published on The Bell Towers, The Brenner Brief, PolicyMic. TavernKeepers, and Vocativ.

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/2AFight  

Follow Me on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/2ndAmendmentFight
 

This article also appears on The Brenner Brief. (Original publication May 13, 2014).

Meet real moms for gun safety: 1MMAGC, One Million Moms Against Gun Control

by Matt MacBradaigh | May 13, 2014 | News | 0 comments

Meet the real moms for gun safety. Not the phony Astroturf “grassroots” organization, but a genuine grassroots organization of moms from all across America.

What moms have to say about guns has taken more prominence in the gun control debate since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. We had the opportunity to talk with Heather Marchese, the founder of One Million Moms Against Gun Control. They don’t have the backing of a billionaire, but they are passionate about their kids, guns, and what they believe will make the world a safer place.

Matt: When did One Million Moms Against Gun Control begin?

Heather: One Million Moms Against Gun Control (1MMAGC) started in January 2013. The Sandy Hook shooting really got to me. I dropped my kids off at school after the shooting and wondered, “What if this happens here?” My kids’ school has one resource officer. So I talked with the school to ask them how would they react to something like the Sandy Hook shooting, and they didn’t really have an answer. I, as a parent, have been able to walk in the school, without having to be buzzed in, or anyone watching me to make sure I go to the office first. I realized my kids are sitting ducks in our schools. We have got to protect our children.

A few days later, I saw Shannon Watts of what is now Moms Demand Action speaking to America as if she spoke for every person who has ever given birth. I’m a mom and she certainly did not speak for me. I thought what she was saying is crazy. Not having protection is what killed those 26 people–those children–in Connecticut. Why would you not want to be protected?

I really am a stay at home mom. I don’t live in a gated community; I live in the real world. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, moved to Baltimore, and now I live in West Virginia, which is not as crazy as the city streets of Baltimore. I’ve seen people that have no defense, and criminals that don’t care, and have no value for human life. Those kind of people don’t care about the laws, because they don’t respect anything. In fact, the only laws that matter when your life is in jeopardy are the laws of physics. We cannot legislate evil away.

Matt: Moms Demand Action has lobbied to, in effect, create more gun-free zones at Starbucks, Staples, and other places. What does 1MMAGC think we should be doing with regards to gun-free zones?

Heather: Gun-free zones are victim-rich, target-rich environments. A sign won’t stop a criminal any more than the law stops them because they don’t care. A law-abiding person will abide by the signs, but not a criminal. So why would businesses ask law-abiding people who have gone through training or a background check to not be armed?

Most states have rigorous background checks and many states require training courses to get a carry license. And many gun owners continue training on their own. They do this to prevent themselves from becoming a victim, not to be armed vigilantes. And it’s their right to defend themselves.

Gun-free zones are a criminal’s best friend. It just gives criminals the opportunity to victimize everyone there. You’re going to wait for the police from 10 to 20 minutes or more to arrive. Everyone could be dead by then. That’s what a gun-free zone does.

1MMAGC founder, Heather Marchese

Matt: What are some of 1MMAGC’s big accomplishments so far?

Heather: In the last year, 1MMAGC launched. We’ve set up our national webpage. We started on Facebook and learned we needed pages for every state. Then we started forming chapters in each state, and we now have chapters in nearly every state. We’ve testified at state legislatures. Our Colorado chapter was involved very early on with the recall effort that happened last September.

We’ve stopped gun buybacks. We were able to show up at gun buyback events with licensed FFLs (Federal Firearms Licenses, required to commercially sell guns) and sheriffs. There were some that were done illegally with city funds and were shut down.

We’ve changed minds, and that alone is a huge accomplishment; to educate mothers who would never touch a gun, who were against guns because they didn’t know anything about them is a big deal. A few years ago, I was like that. I wouldn’t have touched a gun because I didn’t know anything about them. They seemed scary. But I was taught about them. So seeing a mother like that come to understand what we’re doing, and to come around and say, “You know what? You’re right. How can I buy my first firearm? What can I do?” is a huge accomplishment. One of the greatest gifts that we can give is when one person, or two people, or three people are reached, because it creates a domino effect, and it spreads from person to person, and they can tell others “1MMAGC helped me do it.”

We were just at the NRA convention in Indianapolis.

1MMAGC team members, (left to right): Mary Callison, Beth Banister and Linda Elliott, with Dana Loesch (second from right)

Matt: Tell me about that.

Heather: We met Nikki Goeser, whose husband was killed in front of her in a gun-free zone. She was licensed to carry a gun, but not in the bar where they ran a karaoke business. We also got to spend some time with Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America. And we were able to hang out with the guys from Red Jacket (Firearms, and subject of the “Sons of Guns” reality TV show on Discovery), and also Dana Loesch.

Matt: Sounds like fun.

Heather: We also helped put on a safety and self-protection showcase. We were asked to speak there by Cathy Perkins, who founded Moms with Guns Demand Action. We helped her organize it and sent four of our leaders there, including Dani Bryan who is our new Indiana state chapter leader. So we were able to speak about some real options for women to protect themselves. I mean, a rape whistle? Seriously, who comes up with that?

Matt: A Democrat man. What’s something about you that you think would surprise people?

Heather: Most people assume I’m a Republican, and I get called a racist. But actually, my children are mixed race and I’m a registered Democrat. I really didn’t know very much about politics at all, or what the Left is or the Right is. I probably will not vote Democrat again. I’m learning, slowly, that Democrat policies are not good, but the truth is I am a registered Democrat. So when people say “Oh, you’re just another Republican,” they’re wrong.

Matt: What’s coming up next for 1MMAGC?

Heather: We’re going to be launching a campaign called, “Taking aim on zero tolerance.” Right now under schools’ “zero tolerance” policies, kids can’t even point a finger into the shape of a gun or chew a pop tart into the shape of gun. Kids can’t play cowboys and Indians, and just be kids. What happened?

Matt: They’re demonizing guns, gun owners, and gun ownership.

Heather: Absolutely. We are also launching a youth safety program. I’m really excited about this. In my home, we keep our guns locked in our safe. We also talk to our kids about guns and teach them gun safety. I believe that you don’t hide from kids what you don’t want them to know, because that just makes it enticing. They’ll most likely going to find out about it anyway, and that’s where you have accidents. Instead, talk to them about it and teach them about how to responsibly handle guns. When you don’t teach your child the responsibility and the right ways to handle firearms–to carry, load, and secure–that’s when mistakes come in, that’s when accidents happen.

Matt: So a goal of 1MMAGC is to teach parents about how to talk with their children how to safely handle firearms?

Heather: Yes, and instead of just book work, we’re going to take kids to the range with their parents. There will be certified range instructors to teach. It will show them how to handle, clean, and secure a gun. We’re going to do what everyone else seems afraid of: teach them how to safely handle the responsibility, to respect the tool, and also the value of life.

We also are launching a political action committee (PAC) called AMMO: AMerican MOthers on a mission. As a non-profit, 1MMAGC can’t do certain things like endorse candidates, but we will be able to through AMMO. We would also like to be at Congress the next time gun control comes up nationally.

Matt: Sounds great, Heather! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, and I wish you success as you educate people and reach moms, one person at a time.

This article was originally published on Brenner Brief. Original publish date May 13, 2014. Original author, Matt MacBradaigh.