Brave New Films & Robert Greenwald /The Huffington Post – 2016-03-17 01:29:51
http://www.bravenewfilms.org/makingakilling
ACTION ALERT: Making a Killing:
Guns, Greed, and The NRA
Brave New Films
(March 15, 2015) — For the last decade the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” (PLCAA) has given the gun industry immunity by offering a blanket protection to gun dealers and gun manufacturers. PLCCA removes the one thing we know we need: accountability for negligence in selling a product that so often leads to injury and death.
We now have an opportunity to demand accountability and reverse PLCAA by joining forces with Daily Kos, and 16 other organizations. Our new petition asks Congress to support a key piece of legislation called the “Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act” (H.R. 4399), which would repeal the gun industry’s immunity from being sued. This would enable Americans to hold firearm manufacturers and dealers liable for harm caused by the weapons they sell once and for all.
Not surprisingly, the NRA and gun lobbyists forcefully back PLCAA. However, we feel it’s time they stop hijacking the rights of victims of gun violence to pursue legal action against “bad apple” dealers by giving the dealers special protections.
Let your lawmaker know you care about the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and support victims of gun tragedy. Take this action with us today.
. Click here to sign the petition to tell Congress to pass this bill. Share with others you know.
Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and The NRA tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims’ families.
The film exposes how the powerful gun companies and the NRA are resisting responsible legislation for the sake of profit — and thereby putting people in danger.
The film looks into gun tragedies that include unintentional shootings, domestic violence, suicides, mass shootings and trafficking – and what we can do to put an end to this profit-driven crisis. Through this film and campaign, Brave New Films will work with partners to fight for a country where public safety is more valued than profit. Join us to demand — and achieve — common sense gun laws now.
For the last decade the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” (PLCAA) has given the gun industry immunity by offering a blanket protection to gun dealers and gun manufacturers. PLCCA removes the one thing we know we need: accountability for negligence in selling a product that so often leads to injury and death.
We now have an opportunity to demand accountability and reverse PLCAA by joining forces with Daily Kos, and 16 other organizations. Our new petition asks Congress to support a key piece of legislation called the “Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act” (H.R. 4399) which would repeal the gun industry’s immunity from being sued. This would enable Americans to hold firearm manufacturers and dealers liable for harm caused by the weapons they sell once and for all.
Click here to sign the petition to tell Congress to pass this bill.
Not surprisingly, the NRA and gun lobbyists forcefully back PLCAA. However, we feel it’s time they stop hijacking the rights of victims of gun violence to pursue legal action against “bad apple” dealers by giving the dealers special protections.
Let your lawmaker know you care about the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act and support victims of gun tragedy.
Take this action with us today. Sign the petition. Share with others you know.
Click here to join us and see the film free at a later date.
Praying won’t end this gun violence epidemic, passing common-sense gun laws will.
SIGN THE PETITION (Oct 5, 2015):
Dear United States Congress,
Praying won’t end this epidemic, passing common-sense gun laws will.
Common Sense Gun Laws Like:
* Passing universal background checks
* Requiring a license for each and every firearm
* Stopping access to ammunition online and requiring in-store purchasing
* Applying waiting periods to the purchase of a gun.
The NRA has contributed $20.7 million dollars to politicians since 1990 – it is no coincidence that congress has failed to DO ANYTHING in that time. But enough is enough. Guns in America are a clear public health crisis, with almost 300 mass shooting THIS YEAR.
Congress, pass common-sense gun laws NOW!
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ABOUT BRAVE NEW FILMS
Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Using new media and internet video campaigns, Brave New Films has created a quick-strike capability that informs the public, challenges corporate media with the truth, and motivates people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have scrutinized the impact of U.S. drone strikes; the prosecution if whistleblowers; and Wal Mart’s corporate practices.
The NRA Lobbied Against a Bill That
Could Have Prevented This Boy’s Death
Robert Greenwald /The Huffington Post
(March 15, 2016) – Nearly 1.7 million American children live in homes with unlocked and loaded guns. Thirteen-year-old Eddie Zee Holmes found himself in one of those homes after school one day in February 2014.
Eddie, a seventh grader in Puyallup, Washington, went to a friend’s home, along with three other classmates. There, they had a snack and played with the dogs, before one of the boys disappeared into a bedroom and returned with a Mossberg shotgun.
The other boys, all young teenagers, were curious. The shotgun was new, purchased by a parent a few days earlier. And then, suddenly, the gun went off.
“It felt like the whole ground was shaking,” one of the boys later told police.
Eddie, who was still playing with the dogs, was shot in the chest. One of the boys called 911 while another started CPR. But Eddie was pronounced dead later that afternoon.
Eddie’s story is one of many featured in Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA.
When I began this documentary, I knew it would be difficult, and it was; I spent 18 months confronting death and tragedy. As a father of four, I know my experience pales in comparison to the unbearable pain Eddie’s mother, Sandy, lives with every day. But, through her grief, Sandy offers inspiration for all of us through her hope and strength.
For months, Sandy regularly attended local gun shows along with her sister, Eva, and niece, Sandra. They carried signs with Eddie’s photo and messages imploring gun show attendees to lock up their guns.
“If they had only locked it up,” she told me, “my son would be here today.”
Such a simple thing, but one that could save hundreds of children’s lives. In fact, 70 percent of unintentional shooting deaths could have been prevented if the gun had been stored safely. Despite child safety laws on the books nationwide for things like car seats, bicycle helmets, and life jackets, many states have no regulations to keep children from accessing guns at home.
In February 2013, a year before Eddie was killed, the NRA lobbied against one such law that would have required Washington State residents to store their guns safely. If the bill had passed, Eddie might still be alive.
The NRA preaches that teaching gun safety to children is the answer. Wayne LaPierre, the group’s CEO and Executive Vice President, even boasted that the NRA’s child accident prevention programs are “second to none.” But, if that’s true, why are seven children shot and killed every day in the United States?
The truth is that the NRA has a vested interest in keeping guns as unregulated as possible. Less regulation means more guns sold, which ultimately leads to more money in their pockets. Gun companies have given at least $20 million to the NRA, and the top executives make millions each year.
Mr. LaPierre himself made nearly $1 million last year alone.
It’s a similar theme I’ve discovered again and again while researching this film: NRA and gun company executives put profits ahead of safety. The result is families torn apart by senseless violence.
For Sandy, it means life without Eddie, a boy who loved skateboarding and his dog Buddy, and who idolized his older brother Jose. Sandy continues to go to gun shows and to share her story in the hope that it will convince someone to store their gun in a lock box or safe, where children won’t be able to access it.
Sandy isn’t the only one trying to stop this crisis. Ryan Hyde, an entrepreneur in Salt Lake City and father of eight, created a biometric gun safe that will only open for an authorized user. Others, like Kai Kloepfer, an 18-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, are working on smart guns, which won’t fire for anyone other than their owner.
And, for those of us who can’t invent a new, safer gun, there are other ways to fight back. Over the next few months, volunteers around the country will be hosting 1,000 free screenings of Making A Killing, and you can sign up to host a screening, too.
This is a film that will give people the tools to fight against the harmful directives of the NRA. It is my hope that we can continue to carry Sandy’s message and protect other families from the tragedy hers has faced. Most of all, I hope that together, we can stop the gun lobby and those who stand to profit from violence.
Follow Robert Greenwald on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertgreenwald
