Hi John,

The reports out of Portland are deeply disturbing. At the direction of the Trump Administration, federal agents have descended on the city turning the largely peaceful protests against racism and police brutality into violent clashes.

Federal agents have snatched people off the streets and thrown them into unmarked vans. They have tear gassed a group of mothers. Now, Trump has pledged to use these same authoritarian tactics in Chicago and Albuquerque, using gun violence as an excuse to deploy more federal troops.

Everyone from mayors to members of Congress to the first homeland security secretary has criticized these unprecedented actions. But one voice has been noticeably absent: the gun lobby.

Help us expose the gun lobby for what it is. Donate today >

For decades, the gun lobby has issued grave warnings to its base about the threat of an unchecked federal government. In 1995, Wayne LaPierre warned that new gun safety legislation would give “jack-booted government thugs more power to take away our constitutional rights, break in our doors, destroy our property, and even injure or kill us.”

More recently, gun lobby officials encouraged armed demonstrators to protest against the “tyranny” of stay at home orders and mask requirements. They stoked fear about the coronavirus pandemic to drive gun sales. But today, as federal agents descend on our communities, squash our right to peaceful assembly, and even injure us, the gun lobby is silent.

This hypocrisy is glaring. We cannot let this stand. Can you pitch in $3, $5, or $10 today?

The gun lobby, like the Trump Administration, is not concerned about the safety or well-being of the American people. They are concerned about selling more guns, padding their wallets, and preserving their power. We have to confront them head on. The safety of our communities depends on it.

Please, give what you can today to help fund this fight.

Sincerely,
Renée
(she/her)