San Francisco Declares NRA Terrorists!

Reviews
The Guardian stays pretty impartial in this piece which is about the ongoing battle between members of the NRA and San Fransisco (SF) government officials. The Guardian brings forth the arguments from NRA members responding to SF's comments. SF's comments include saying that the NRA is a hazard to society as a whole and they even went so far as to call them a terrorist organization. The NRA's lawsuit seems a bit strong considering the situation, but they do have their rights.
Common Facts
Content (9)
The Gua.
New Yor.
Fox New.
"The National Rifle Association sued San Francisco on Monday over the city’s recent declaration that the gun rights lobby is a 'domestic terrorist organization.' "
"The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses city officials of violating the gun lobby’s free speech rights for political reasons and says the city is seeking to blacklist anyone associated with the NRA."
Brewer said 'There can be no place in our society for this manner of behavior by government officials.'
Brewer also said 'Fortunately, the NRA, like all US citizens, is protected by the First Amendment.'
"San Francisco’s resolution follows some recent high-profile shootings, including one in Gilroy, California, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco, where a gunman entered a festival with an AK-style long gun, killing three people and injuring 17 before killing himself. "
"Stefani is an attorney who has been involved for years in gun-control organizations,"
"San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani said she drafted the resolution after the Gilroy shooting, driven in part by the vision of one of those killed while playing in a bouncy house at the festival. "
"Since that shooting on July 28, there have been at least three mass shootings — in El Paso, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and in the West Texas towns of Odessa and Midland."
Some gun rights activists believe that its longtime CEO, Wayne LaPierre, and some of those in his inner circle have misspent hundreds of thousands of dollars on such things as expensive clothing, travel, housing and inflated salaries.
Review Info (3)
First Published: 09/13/2019 01:57:47 am
Last Updated: 11/30/-0001 12:00:00 am
Original Front Page Link
The Guardian
Content (6)
"Last week, the San Francisco board of supervisors passed a resolution calling the NRA a 'domestic terrorist organization',"
"Despite the troubling drumbeat of mass shootings across the country, the overall gun homicide rate in San Francisco has dropped 49% over the past decade, a much more dramatic decrease than in the country as a whole."
"In the past months, the NRA has been hobbled by money troubles and vicious internal infighting, including a bitter legal battle with its own longtime public relations firm Ackerman McQueen."
"The NRA’s Twitter feed has been full of updates on the lawsuit, along with videos from a diverse selection of NRA members, declaring, 'I am not a terrorist.'"
"The NRA’s powerful chief lobbyist, Chris Cox, left the organization in June (2019)."
"Cox was accused of conspiring against the NRA CEO, Wayne LaPierre."
Opinion (10)
"The NRA asks the court to step in 'to instruct elected officials that freedom of speech means you cannot silence or punish those with whom you disagree'."
“ 'They (NRA) continue to stand in the way of gun violence reform and people are dying because of it,' said Catherine Stefani, the San Francisco supervisor."
"But the lifesaving success of local gun violence prevention programs rarely gets much attention in America’s national gun debate, "
"'This action is an assault on all advocacy organizations across the country,' William A Brewer III, the NRA’s lawyer said."
"Stefani also criticized the NRA leadership for how it spends dues from its self-proclaimed 5 million members"
"Stefani told the AP that she believes the lawsuit is a 'desperate move by a very desperate organization', taking note of those allegations by some NRA members. 'I truly believe their time is up.' "
"San Francisco is contending that the group spreads propaganda that seeks to deceive the public about the dangers of gun violence."
"Debates about guns are driven more often by headline-grabbing confrontations between gun rights and gun control activists, like the one San Francisco’s board of supervisors kicked off last week."
"Stefani said the thought sickened her. 'I had enough,' she told the Associated Press."
"For the embattled gun-rights group, public condemnation from a group of liberal California lawmakers appears to have come as a welcome distraction."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 09/10/2019 02:34:00 pm
Date Accessed: 09/12/2019 10:32:00 pm
Article Author: Lois Beckett
Click here to see the article
New York Post
Content (10)
"The NRA has been battling a number of challenges to its operations in recent months,"
"There also have been internal battles over NRA leadership with the group’s then-president, Oliver North, and its top lobbyist, Chris Cox, stepping down,"
"Democratic leaders in Congress on Monday urged President Donald Trump, to push Republicans to agree to expand background checks, "
"LaPierre vowed to fight the move by city officials, saying in a statement: 'This lawsuit comes with a message to those who attack the NRA: We will never stop fighting for our law-abiding members and their constitutional freedoms.'"
"San Fransico contends that the group spreads propaganda that seeks to deceive the public about the dangers of gun violence."
Authorities are questioning whether the NRA's operations are in violation of its nonprofit status.
"President Donald Trump is a favorite of the NRA,"
"There have been efforts to make it easier to seize firearms at least temporarily from people who are exhibiting mental health issues."
LaPierre also said "Some politicians forget that all 5 million of us in the NRA stand for freedom and that we believe it is a cause worth fighting for. We will always confront illegal and discriminatory practices against our organization and the millions of members we serve.' "
"The NRA's issues include an investigation by the attorney general of New York, where its charter was formed, and the attorney general of Washington, DC, "
Opinion (9)
"'This action is an assault on all advocacy organizations across the country,' said William A. Brewer III, the NRA’s lawyer."
'They continue to stand in the way of gun violence reform and people are dying because of it,' Stefani said.
"Stefani also criticized NRA leadership for how it spends dues from its self-proclaimed 5 million members. "
"Stefani told the AP that she believes the lawsuit is a 'desperate move by a very desperate organization,' taking note of those allegations by some NRA members. 'I truly believe their time is up.' "
"The NRA would rather go to court than tackle the “epidemic” of gun violence in the US, said John Coté, San Francisco City Attorney’s Office spokesman."
“The American people would be better served if the NRA stopped trying to get weapons of war into our communities and instead actually did something about gun safety,” Coté said. “Common-sense safety measures like universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and restricting high-capacity magazines would be a good start.”
"San Fransico asks the court to step in 'to instruct elected officials that freedom of speech means you cannot silence or punish those with whom you disagree.' "
"Stefani said the thought sickened her. “I had enough,” she told the Associated Press."
Them stepping down gives some gun rights activists pause about the NRA’s ability to hold sway in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 09/10/2019 01:14:00 pm
Date Accessed: 09/14/2019 10:12:00 pm
Article Author: Associated Press
Click here to see the article
Fox News
Content (4)
"Two columnists on opposite coasts didn’t mince words Thursday in disagreeing with a San Francisco Board of Supervisors resolution labeling the National Rifle Association a domestic terrorist organization."
"McGough added that it's also a First Amendment concern if officials try to blacklist contractors who work with the NRA."
"Olsen said that for the NRA is be a terrorist organization, it would have to 'intentionally encourage and support the use of violent attacks on U.S. citizens with the intent of creating general fear so as to force submission to its political agenda.' "
"Olsen wrote that Republicans are often asked to call out outrageous comments made by those on the right and now liberals must do the same."
Opinion (7)
"Los Angeles Times columnist Michael McGough said the label may be good politics but is 'irresponsible.' "
" 'It’s not the business of a county board of supervisors to designate terror organizations,' McGough wrote."
"Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen called the resolution 'McCarthyism: pure and simple.' "
" 'Words matter,' Olsen wrote, 'and there are few words that stigmatize a person faster than calling him or her a terrorist.' "
" 'The NRA clearly does not do that,' Olsen said, sarcastically adding, 'Congratulations, average NRA member: Your $30 one-year membership makes you a terrorist.' "
"Olsen called the resolution 'slanderous' and 'harmful' and said it worsens the already toxic political environment."
" 'Democrats should immediately denounce the San Francisco board for its insulting and unconstitutional resolution,' he said in closing."
Article Info (4)
Date Published: 09/06/2019 12:00:00 am
Date Accessed: 09/16/2019 10:30:00 pm
Article Author: Brie Stimson
Click here to see the article