
Watch out everybody! There’s a new gun-control organization in town. It’s called the Center for Gun Rights and Responsibility, and it allegedly made its first appearance at last week’s SHOT show, which I didn’t attend. But for those who did show up, they had an opportunity to meet the guy who’s going to be running this operation, who just happens to be a long-time gun-control advocate named Dan Gross.
Is that the same Dan Gross who used to run the Brady Campaign? Sure is. And if you want to get a little taste of what his group is going to be doing, you can watch a brief YouTube video of Dan giving a spiel about his new organization right here. He appeared at a 2nd-Amendment rally in DC back in November, which was one of a number of events leading up to the big rally held in Richmond, VA last month.
Now here’s the really funny part. Gross was introduced to the crowd by Rob Pincus, a self-promoting gun trainer who used his social media presence last year to publicly attack the NRA’s continued support of Wayne LaPierre. Once it looked like the boys from Fairfax might be going into free-fall, Pincus went out and started a new organization, Save the Second Amendment, whose raison d’etre is to reform the NRA and bring the gun-rights discussion back to where it belongs.
Except the real agenda of Pincus and his friends is to pick up financial support from enough pissed-off NRA members to get things moving their way. And their way is to replace the NRA with an organization that will promote gun ‘rights’ while keeping the discussion fair and balanced at the same time.
Sooner or later, someone would try to take advantage of the mess at Fairfax and try to attract disaffected NRA members to a version of NRA-lite. The terrain to the Right of the NRA has been owned for a few years by Larry Pratt and his money machine, a.k.a., the Gun Owners of America scam. So, the only direction that a ‘new’ NRA can move is slightly to the Left, which is where all these allegedly ‘reasonable’ gun owners can be found.
Pincus already has his own organization called Save the Second Amendment, which is basically a blog that promotes the idea of a smaller, more focused and more open NRA. If anyone believes that by joining forces with Dan Gross, these two airheads can even remotely begin to make their presence known in the gun-control debate, you should also be willing to defend the proposition that Martians have landed at Area 51.
Here’s what we know for sure about Gun-nut Nation: When it comes to anything having to do with protecting gun ‘rights,’ or the God-given ‘right’ to self-defense, or any other marketing slogan which connects ‘guns’ to ‘rights,’ the members of this brigade are ready, willing and able to piss away fifty bucks just about every time they are asked. Know why Rand Paul is such an ardent promoter of gun ‘rights?’ Because he’s up to his ears in promoting and directing conservative, direct mail campaigns.
The first person to truly understand and take advantage of the desire of gun owners to part with cash was Tim Schmidt, who used an internet marketing strategy known as ‘tribal marketing’ to build a very successful product called the United States Concealed Carry Association, which basically pushed the NRA out of the concealed-carry training game. The idea is you sell products to people who will buy your crap because they want to belong to a special family or group who share certain common ideas and beliefs. And what stronger belief is out there than the idea of protecting yourself with a gun?
The problem with what Pincus and Gross are trying to do is they don’t have anything to sell. And if you think the NRA has in any way lost the ability to attract gun-owning bucks, I suggest you download their recent store catalog from which I just ordered a beautiful polo shirt for only $49.95.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 09:54:50
https://www.reddit.com/r/actualliberalgunowner/comments/eqh7g2/center_for_gun_rights_and_responsibility/
It looks like they are barely getting started. No web site yet.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 10:40:52
I don’t disagree with Dan, but I want some of whatever he is smoking in order to have that kind of optimism that we can reach across the abyss.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 10:46:11
Hee and haw. If I could look as good as the model shown in the polo shirt picture, I’d buy two of them.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 10:58:19
That shirt can improve my looks if I wore it over my head.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 11:00:32
My guess is Rob & Dan really want to make true progress on the gun issue. If their after money, good. They’re gong to need hogsheads of it.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 12:58:44
I appreciate you spreading the news about CGRR… but, you’ve got some significant factual errors in your article.
First and foremost, I didn’t start “Save The Second” or “Second Amendment Organization”….. well, maybe that’s the second thing, if you didn’t know that they were different organizations ?
Ron Carter and Anthony Garcia started STS after the blow up last year at NRAAM. I’ve been publicly lamenting the problems at the NRA for many years.
2AO was formed about 6 years ago and I joined their board in 2018.
For those concerned about Dan Gross’ evolution in perspective, position and thoughts about American Gun Owners and Gun Rights, I refer you to his speech from last fall at the 2ARally:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/11/02/watch-former-brady-campaign-president-stands-up-for-gun-owners/
One thing was correct: CGRR isn’t selling anything. We are offering ideas and opportunities related to reducing the negative outcomes that involve firearms in our country.
Feb 07, 2020 @ 17:57:13
Mr. Pincus, I’ve worked with Brady during Dan’s tenure and am very elated that you & he have formed CGRR. (Shoulda’ happened 40 years ago.)
I’m in Moms Demand Action, am a hunter, gun collector and maker of muzzle loading guns which I sell. I wish there was some way for you & Dan to have a summit with Shannon Watts. Perhaps after the election.
There’s a good possibility that the three of you could truly find some common ground on at least some measures.
I think there are serious issues with the gun debate, but also non-issues. And many in the gun violence policy community need assistance identifying which is which. They also have to realize politics is, indeed, the art of the possible – and that a half a loaf is better than a few crumbs.
If you wish, perhaps I can get you connected with Shannon.
Feb 08, 2020 @ 21:44:32
My guess is Shannon Watts has blocked them too.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 14:26:41
Rob: It would be nice if you could contribute some ideas here once in a while. It would add to the value of the ‘magazine’.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 14:32:24
Rob, I concur with Bruce, above. And have Dan introduce himself to this page as well.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 15:19:58
Hey Rob (and Dan). I concur with Bruce. This is a good place to throw out some ideas and get discussion going. As I quipped above, the discussion is so polarized that its impossible to make meaningful progress. Instead we get “my way or the highway” rhetoric, Beto, and 2A Sanctuaries.
Feb 03, 2020 @ 18:46:54
This website is open to Rob Pincus and anyone else who chooses to inject some intelligent content into the gun debate. I do not edit contributions in any way, shape or form and I do not want to see profanity or personal invective. My use of the term ‘air heads’ for Pincus and Gross simply reflected my belief that what they are trying to do has absolutely no reality behind it at all. I have been an NRA member since 1955 and am currently a Hall of Fame Endowment member. Am I shocked and dismayed by the fact that Wayne-o ran up some incredible charges at a boutique on Rodeo Drive? Of course. Am I happy that NRA-TV has died a quick death? Absolutely. Am I happy that a convicted felon and an A+ huckster like Ollie North is out of the picture? He should never have been made President in the first place. If the NRA Board continues to support Wayne-o and the membership wants him out, they’ll vote with their checkbooks. I listened very closely to Dan Gross’ speech. I am willing at any time to debate him in print or in person over the issue of 2nd-Amendment ‘rights.’ Because if he knew anything about the U.S. Constitution, he would know that there isn’t anything in the document about gun ‘rights’ at all. And if he wants to peddle that nonsense to get himself seen as a person who can bring the two sides together, he can go right ahead.
Feb 04, 2020 @ 08:34:05
Mike, with that NRA Hall of Fame Endowment thing, did you get like a mug or a tee-shirt or anything?