Editing Second Amendment Foundation

[[Image:SAFLogo.jpg|right]]The '''[[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] Foundation''' ('''SAF''') is an American nonprofit educational- and legal-defense organization that supports [[gun rights]] by "promoting a better understanding about our constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms. To that end, we carry on many educational- and legal-action programs designed to better inform the public about the gun-control debate.". Founded in [[1974]] by [[Alan Gottlieb]] and headquarter in Bellevue, Washington, SAF publishes gun rights magazines and public education materials, funds conferences, provides media contacts, and has assumed a central role in sponsoring lawsuits.<ref name=Godwin2012>Godwin, Marcia L. (2012). [https://books.google.com/books?id=oD46JBOhMU0C&pg=PA739#v=onepage&q&f=false "Second Amendment Foundation"]. In Carter, Gregg Lee. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=H_RrLyV9rDUC Guns in American Society]''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.</ref>

The lobbying affiliate of the SAF is the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). As of [[January 2015]], both groups reported having over 650,000 members.<ref name=SAF-PR150105 /><ref name=CCRKBA-PR150126 />

==Publications==
* ''The Gun Mag'', a monthly magazine
* ''Women & Guns'', a bi-monthly magazine
* ''The Gottlieb-Tartaro Report'', a monthly newsletter
* ''SAF Reporter'', a quarterly newsletter
* ''Journal of Firearms and Public Policy'', an annual reference book
* ''The New Gun Week'', weekly magazine that ran for 45 years, is now "TheGunMag"

==Legal action==
Identified as the "legal arm of the gun rights lobby"<ref>[http://civilliberty.about.com/od/guncontrol/a/Second-Amendment-Foundation.htm "Profile: Second Amendment Foundation"].  About.com</ref> the Second Amendment Foundation has been victorious, and is currently engaged in numerous lawsuits in various states of the U.S., all defending Second Amendment rights.<ref>[http://www.saf.org/?page_id=28 "2nd Amendment Legal Action"].  SAF website.</ref>

In [[2005]], the Second Amendment Foundation and the [[National Rifle Association]] successfully sued New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin and others to stop gun seizures in the wake of [[Hurricane Katrina]].  On [[February 12]], [[2007]], Ray Nagin and others were held in contempt of court for violating the consent order.<ref>Carl J. Barbier, U.S. District Judge ([[February 12]], [[2007]]). [http://saf.org/new.orleans.lawsuit/order.for.contempt.pdf "Order And Reasons"]</ref> The case is "National Rifle Association of America, Inc., et al. v. C. Ray Nagin et al.".<ref>CNN [http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/02/gb.01.html transcript of NRA video interviews, aired on July 2, 2008] by Glenn Beck</ref>

In 2005, SAF and others sued to stop the [[Proposition H|San Francisco gun ban]].  On June 13, 2006, San Francisco Superior Court Judge James Warren struck down the ban, saying local governments have no such authority under California law.  The City appealed Judge Warren's ruling, but lost in a unanimous opinion from the three judge panel in the Court of Appeal issued on January 9, 2008.  The City then appealed to the California Supreme Court, which reached a unanimous decision on April 9, 2008, that rejected the city's appeal and upheld the lower courts' decision. 

In 2008, the Second Amendment Foundation and the [[National Rifle Association]] successfully sued the state of Washington, forcing the state to restart issuing and renewing Alien Firearms Licenses to legal resident aliens.<ref>NRA and SAF. [http://saf.org/legal.action/wa.alien.resident.lawsuit/wa.alien.resident.complaint.pdf "Preliminary Injunction"]</ref>

On [[June 26]], [[2008]], following the ruling in ''[[District of Columbia vs. Heller]]'' affirming an individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms by the Supreme Court of the United States, the Second Amendment Foundation filed a suit, known as ''[[McDonald v. Chicago]]'', against the City of Chicago to overturn its [[handgun ban]].<ref>SAF ([[June 26]], [[2008]]). [http://www.chicagoguncase.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/complaint.pdf "Complaint"]</ref>  [[Alan Gura]], who successfully argued ''Heller'' before the Supreme Court, was lead counsel in this case.  On June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court held in ''McDonald'' that the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution]] is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and applies to the states.<ref>SCOTUS (June 28, 2010). [http://www.chicagoguncase.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mcdonaldopinion08-1521.pdf "McDonald Opinion"]</ref> In a noteworthy concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas held that the application of the Second Amendment to the states was through the Fourteenth Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause.

Following the ''Heller'' decision in 2008 in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's [[right]] to possess a [[firearm]] for private use, the Second Amendment Foundation partnered with [[Smith & Wesson]] to create a commemorative revolver. On the right side plate of the revolver, the scale of justice is depicted with the case name across the scale. The balance is in favor of the "Heller" name with the court date of "June 26, 2008" positioned across the top. Underneath the scale, the side plate reads "Second Amendment" and "The right to keep and bear arms" in white lettering. The revolver was presented to the six plaintiffs of the case and will be available for customer purchase in Fall 2008.<ref>[[Smith & Wesson]] ([[July 21]], [[2008]]). [http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson/upload/othe/PR-Second%20Amendment%20Foundation%20and%20Smith.pdf "Second Amendment Foundation and Smith & Wesson Partner on Commemorative Revolver: Engraved Model 442 Will Recognize District of Columbia vs. Heller Decision"]</ref>

On [[June 29]], [[2010]], following the ''McDonald'' ruling by the Supreme Court that the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states, the Second Amendment Foundation, along with [[Grass Roots North Carolina]] and three North Carolina citizens, filed a federal suit<ref>Alan Gura (June 28, 2010). [http://www.scribd.com/doc/33708035/Bateman-v-Perdue-1-Main "Complaint, Bateman vs. Perdue"]</ref> in North Carolina.  The suit, known as ''[[Bateman vs. Perdue]]'', seeks to prevent local officials and local governments from declaring states of emergency under which private citizens are prohibited from exercising their right to bear arms.<ref>SAF (June 29, 2010). [http://saf.org/viewpr-new.asp?id=329 "SAF Sues to Overturn North Carolina's `Emergency Powers` Gun Bans"]</ref> [[Alan Gura]], who successfully argued ''Heller'' and ''McDonald'' before the Supreme Court, is lead counsel in this case.

==Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms==
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) is the lobbying affiliate of the Second Amendment Foundation. As of January 2015, both groups reported having over 650,000 members.<ref name=SAF-PR150105>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/second-amendment-foundation-launches-firearms-training-division-300015973.html "Second Amendment Foundation Launches Firearms Training Division"] (press release). Bellevue, Washington: Second Amendment Foundation. PR Newswire. [[January 5]], [[2015]].</ref><ref name=CCRKBA-PR150126>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ccrkba-throws-its-support-behind-bill-to-repeal-i-594-300025883.html "CCRKBA Throws Its Support Behind Bill To Repeal I-594"] (Press release). Bellevue, Washington: Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. PR Newswire. January 26, 2015. </ref>The CCRKBA was founded by Gottlieb in 1971, three years before he founded the SAF. The organization was formed to advocate the individualist interpretation of the Second Amendment by firearm enthusiasts who felt that the [[National Rifle Association]] (NRA) was not taking a strong enough stand on gun control and gun rights.<ref name=Spitzer2001p75>Spitzer, Robert J. (2001). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=kYKrIwceQ1UC&pg=PA75#v=onepage&q&f=false The Right to Bear Arms: Rights and Liberties Under the Law].'' Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576073476.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.saf.org www.saf.org] — official homepage
* [http://www.womenandguns.com www.womenandguns.com] — Woman & Guns magazine
* [http://www.gunweek.com www.gunweek.com] — The New Gun Week newspaper
* [http://news.justia.com/cases/bradburn-north-central-regional-library-district/140258/ Bradburn et al. v. North Central Regional Library District] — case history

[[Category:American gun rights organizations]]