Anti-Gun Group Fundraises on Massacre at "No-Guns" Oregon College

Just weeks after the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) was scorned in the national media for encouraging the "SWATting" of peacable gun owners, the anti-gun extremists are at it again.

This week, just 5 days after a disturbed individual with several legally-purchased guns went on a murderous rampage at a "no-guns" college campus in Oregon, CSGV is now attempting to capitalize on the deaths of the defenseless students at Umpqua Community College.

From an email sent in the name of CSGV Executive Director Josh Horowitz to their supporters on October 6:

We were as devastated as you were after learning that 18 innocent Americans had been shot—and 9 killed—at Umpqua Community College on Thursday. Here at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV), we have survivors of gun violence on our staff, and days like this are always hard on them. It breaks our hearts to see more families destroyed by this uniquely American epidemic.

...

Can you pitch in with a contribution to CSGV today?

I believe our moment is now. Ten years ago, pundits said gay marriage would never be accepted on a national level. They were wrong. We are witnessing sea changes in American culture today and Americans are beginning to reject the gun lobby's tired canards outright.

The outpouring of support we have received since the Umpqua tragedy has been nothing short of incredible. We are getting emails, phone calls, and Facebook messages from people across the country. They want to know how they can get involved in their state to make a difference. They want to offer fresh ideas for tackling the problem. Many are making contributions to CSGV to make days like Thursday a thing of the past.

Surprisingly (and perhaps accidentally?), the email cedes the point that a law mandating so-called "universal" background checks wouldn't have made any difference in the recent mass murders, and goes on to call for legislation that would allow gun owners' rights to be taken away without due process.

In talking about solutions that could have prevented this tragedy, some have focused on the fact that the shooter passed a background check as proof that nothing can be done. But background checks are only one part of a comprehensive package of solutions available if lawmakers have the will to act. Here at CSGV, one of our hallmark efforts has been pushing for Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) laws which allow family members and law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from individuals in crisis.

We successfully spearheaded the implementation of one such law in California, and have been fielding calls from policy makers around the country every since. We believe the GVRO policy is a crucial, achievable step towards preventing mass killings like Umpqua in the future.

With your support, we can promote the GVRO in additional states. Can you pitch in with a contribution to CSGV today?

The email concludes with yet another pitch for blood money:

Please support CSGV with a contribution so we can break through the stagnation of the past and save lives.

As small organization of just ten staffers, we can't get this done without supporters like you.

So according to Josh Horowitz, what does CSGV's paid staff really accomplished all these years after killings? They have raised money for themselves, while fighting to ensure that future attackers will be met with as lilttle resistance as possible.

What did Buckeye Firearms Foundation do, on the other hand, with a bunch of volunteer leaders and an untold number of generous supporters? Raised around $400,000 dollars and spent it on schools, fighting to ensure that future attackers are met with the kind of force that stopped an attacker at a Centennial, CO high school in just 80 seconds.

After their encouragement of the SWATing of peaceable gun owners, I thought they could reach no lower. Clearly I was wrong.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.