Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gun interest groups in the U.S. |
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| Pro-gun rights |
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National Rifle Association |
| Pro-gun control |
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Americans for Democratic Action |
| Pro-rights and pro-control |
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American Hunters and Shooters Association |
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence was founded in 1974 as The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH) by Dr. Mark Borinsky, a victim of gun violence.[1] This organization is often confused with the similarly-named "The National Council to Ban Handguns", subsequently known as "The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence". [2],[3] The NCCH was re-named Handgun Control, Inc. from 1980 until 2001. On June 14, 2001, Handgun Control, Inc. was divided and renamed the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence for the two parts, respectively of the prior organization. Over the many name changes, The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has always been, and remains, an education and litigation group promoting the cause of gun control.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence in the United States is a registered not-for-profit organization that is headed by James Brady, former U.S. White House Press Secretary to President Ronald W. Reagan. James Brady was seriously wounded and became permanently disabled during an attempted assassination of the President in March 1981. Brady and his wife Sarah became leading advocates of gun control, education, and other actions to reduce the amount of gun violence in the United States.
Critics claim that since the Democratic Party lost control of Congress in January 1995, it has been largely ineffective, due to Congress having become more conservative-dominated since then along with George W. Bush being twice elected president. Despite heavy educational and litigation attempts, and numerous ads funded by it, the organization was unable to prevent the confirmation of pro-gun John Ashcroft as Attorney General, or to keep the assault-weapons ban from sunsetting by congressional (in)action, or to persuade Congress not to ban civil suits by crime victims and/or municipalities against the gun industry.
The Legal Action Project is part of the Brady Center. It handles civil suits and legal actions on behalf of victims and their families.
Notable among its many activities, in 2004, the Legal Action Project obtained a $2.5 million settlement from Bull's Eye Shooter Supply in Tacoma, Washington and Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. of Windham, Maine for survivors and families of some of the victims killed during the Beltway sniper attacks in October 2002.
The Brady Campaign is a sister organization that focuses on political lobbying.
The Brady Campaign publishes a report card that rates state efforts to control handguns on a scale of A to F. State measures that the Brady Campaign favors (and presumably limit access to handguns) are rated A (for example.)
