BREAKING: Obama's big announcement on guns

President Obama just announced an ambitious plan to reduce gun violence. The NRA and the politicians in their pockets will fight hard to stop him. Will you chip in $5 to help fund our work, including this historic push to end gun violence? Chip in $5

Dear MoveOn member,

This is it.

Today, President Obama proposed "the most aggressive and expansive national gun-control agenda in generations."¹

Mandatory background checks for all gun buyers. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. More money for mental health. Stronger enforcement of the laws currently on the books.

It took a horrifying, unthinkable tragedy to put guns back on the agenda. But we finally have a real chance to put some sanity into America's gun laws.

This won't be easy. The NRA, backed by major funding from the gun industry, is already pouring money into a gutless TV ad campaign smearing President Obama as an "elitist hypocrite."²

But after President Obama's announcement today, there's no going back. We have to go big. We're aiming to raise $200,000 today to beef up our grassroots campaign to pressure members of Congress and politicians at every level of government to get them on board with the president's plan. Can you chip in $5?

Yes, I can contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Our plan has three parts, all designed to overpower NRA money and lobbying to get gun violence prevention measures enacted:

1. An on-the-ground grassroots organizing onslaught to counter the NRA's network. Tomorrow, in more than 200 communities and every major city, Community Committees Against Gun Violence are meeting to create action plans for winning gun violence prevention legislation—and beating the NRA—in city halls, state capitols, and D.C.

Here's an example of the kind of actions we'll be planning: MoveOn members organized a gun show protest this past weekend in Saratoga Springs, New York. They held a vigil in remembrance of Sandy Hook, followed by speeches from an elementary school student, a veteran, and local elected officials calling for action to reduce gun violence.³ We need to pay for organizers and local ads to make sure communities know what's happening and how they can participate in powerful actions like this.

2. A communications strategy to elevate voices and campaigns of gun violence prevention activists. We'll promote more activists like MoveOn member Maria Roach, whose petition against the gun lobbyists' "Gun Appreciation Day" has garnered national attention and led to an embarrassing and offensive statement from the chief organizers of the event.⁴

More people stepped up to take action on gun violence after Sandy Hook than in any other single moment in MoveOn's history. We'll help them tell their stories in local and national media, and make it easy for you to share the stories online.

3. An over-the-air multimedia campaign to bust the NRA's myths. The NRA's leaders and lobbyists have been misleading the public and members of Congress for a generation. It's time to tell the truth, and we're ready to do it. We'll make and distribute videos and materials that reveal just how loophole-ridden our gun laws are and how we have to fix them to save lives.

We can win real gun violence prevention laws. Now is the time to go all in and make our generation the one that put an end to rampant gun violence.

Click here to contribute $5 to help end gun violence.

Thanks for all you do.

–Garlin, Steven, Anna, Manny, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Obama to announce most expansive gun-control agenda in generations," The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286430&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=4

2. "NRA's new ad calls Obama 'elitist hypocrite,'" The Washington Post, January 15, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286431&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=5

3. "Saratoga Gun Fair is Underway—Protests Peaceful: Audio, Video inside," Saratoga Wire, January 12, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286363&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=6

4. "Larry Ward, Gun Appreciation Day Founder, Says Armed African Americans Could've Prevented Slavery (VIDEO)," The Huffington Post, January 11, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=286428&id=60974-10220574-I2Cdv0x&t=7

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

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