Erika Soto Lamb, communications director for Everytown for Gun Safety. (Photo: MSNBC)
Everytown for Gun Safety is calling out the nation’s gun lobby for allegedly pulling down its ‘Firearms and the Blind’ video in which former Navy SEAL and NRA News commentator Dom Raso argues that the Second Amendment rights of citizens who are visually impaired should not be infringed.
“Every law-abiding blind individual should be able to have whatever guns they want,” says Raso in the video that no longer appears on the NRA’s youtube channel. “And if you disagree with that statement, but you haven’t thought it all the way through, you don’t take your rights seriously enough.”
In a statement obtained by GunsAmerica, a spokesperson for Everytown accuses the NRA of backing off of a controversial position in the face of public criticism.
“Just like the NRA was for background checks before they were against them, just like they were against open carry in family establishments before they were for it — this is yet another example of the NRA leadership not knowing what it stands for anymore,” said Erika Soto Lamb, the group’s director of communications.
“When the extremism of the NRA leadership and commentators comes into view by the larger audience of Americans — including gun owners — who support common sense public safety measures, we get 404 ‘Page Not Found’ messages because the sensible organization of gun owners can also not be found anymore.”
Everytown for Gun Safety is the umbrella name for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s gun-control organization.
GunsAmerica reached out to the NRA and Dom Raso, and are awaiting comment.
Erika Soto Lamb makes dubious comments on the NRA’s position in the article above. As a NRA member who was active during the background checks issue I remember things differently. The NRA opposed “universal background checks” on private legal gun sales or legal transfers to family members which had been consistent with laws in the US for generations. I cannot recall the NRA ever opposing required background checks for federally licensed. I do recall the NRA opposing mandatory waiting periods and working to establish the “Instant Background Check System” that eliminates the need for mandatory waiting periods in most instance. I do recall the NRA opposing the “Background Check System” being used to establish a registration system. Nothing that Lamb asserts seems consistent with the facts.
BTW, Erika Soto Lamb should look into the terms “visually impaired” and “legally blind” so she has a little more appreciation for the issue and the great number of people included in one or both categories. Instead of trying to sway people against the a group with some level of disability she should educate herself on the issue and stop spreading her misperceptions to a larger group.
I would like for Erika Soto Lamb and other like her to list the anti-gun laws she concedes defy “common sense.” Until that list is provided then the vague and disingenuous term of “common sense laws” should be replaced with an honest term where the meaning is self evident.