Mother Jones just published an article about the troubles plaguing the National Rifle Association in which it suggested several other, far more “extreme” organizations might move in to fill any void, and among those radical outfits it listed the Second Amendment Foundation.
That’s the group currently blazing a legal trail through a maze of offensive gun control laws that have done nothing but erode the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. SAF, based in Bellevue, Wash., is not a lobbying organization. Its specialties are education and litigation, and in the latter arena, it’s been casting an increasingly long shadow.
In the past couple of weeks, SAF has been joined by other groups to do the following:
SAF and the Firearms Policy Coalition, a California-based gun rights group, filed for a preliminary injunction in a challenge to Pennsylvania gun laws that prohibit law-abiding young adults from carrying firearms for self-defense and prevents them from acquiring a state license to carry (LTCFR) because of their age. The case is known as Lara v. Evanchick.
SAF and its sister organization, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state of Maryland’s ban on common semiautomatic rifles. They are joined by the FPC, a commercial business in the state and several private citizens. The case is known as Bianchi, et al. v. Frosh, et al.
SAF filed a federal lawsuit challenging laws in New Jersey that effectively prevent average law-abiding citizens from legally carrying loaded sidearms outside of their homes for personal protection. SAF is once again joined by the FPC, along with the New Jersey Second Amendment Society and two private citizens, Stanley Bennett and Michael Hucker. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The lawsuit is known as Bennett v. Davis.
Mother Jones may have to explain what it believes defines an “extremist” organization. If that includes taking various government officials to court for enforcing laws that may be unconstitutional, that’s what SAF does, and well.
According to SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, SAF has had a busy year and he’s got the case histories to prove it. Since Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Gottlieb has been busy launching court cases in an effort to get more litigation up the chain with the hopes of getting one or more cases before the high court.
In the decade since SAF’s Supreme Court McDonald victory, several solid Second Amendment cases were submitted for review, and they were turned away. It soon became evident to at least some people that there were concerns about hos Chief Justice John Roberts might come down on important gun rights issues. Earlier this year, there were ten cases on the table seeking review, and the court sidestepped all of them. That’s not likely to happen now.
If that’s extremism, Gottlieb figures he can live with it. His motto: Winning Firearms Freedom One Lawsuit at a Time. Time will tell how that plays out.
