Latest NRA Video Features Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman John Lewis and Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Follows the Disturbing, Race-Baiting Ad from Earlier This Month
Moms Demand Action Announce Plans to Support Women’s March #NRA2DOJ Effort This Friday, July 14th
NEW YORK – Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today responded to the latest incendiary NRA video, which features NRA spokesperson Dom Raso questioning the motivations of journalists, attacking peaceful protestors like the Women’s March and accusing activists of being “cry babies” who don’t understand fascism. This video includes footage of Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman John Lewis and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch as well. Following the re-released video featuring Dana Loesch earlier this month, this is the latest piece of disturbing, race-baiting propaganda released by the gun lobby. Also today, Moms Demand Action confirmed plans to support the Women’s March #NRA2DOJ events happening July 14 at the NRA headquarters in Virginia and in key cities nationwide.
“The NRA’s #ClenchedFistofTruth campaign isn’t about the Second Amendment or gun safety – it’s about creating a culture war based on racism and dangerous extremism,” said Lindsey Donovan, an army veteran, gun owner, Muslim and volunteer chapter leader for the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action. “To include imagery of the Statue of Liberty in an ad that conveys anti-immigrant rhetoric isn’t just absurd – it misses the reason why people like my husband and I fought for this country. This nation was built on freedom, opportunity and inclusiveness. It’s the NRA leaders who are missing the truth.”
Last week, Everytown and Moms Demand Action launched an ad in response to the NRA’s first disturbing ad, which sought to sow fear and division just as Americans prepared to celebrate our Independence on July 4. The original NRA ad has drawn condemnation from groups and individuals across the political spectrum, including Everytown, Moms Demand Action and the Women’s March, which organized this week’s protest events.
“As part of the frontline in the fight against the NRA’s extremist leadership, we support the efforts by the Women’s March to expose and confront the gun lobby’s long history of racism, sexism, bigotry and dangerous extremism,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “There’s no mistaking the NRA leadership’s efforts to ignite a culture war by dog whistling to white supremacists, attacking peaceful protestors, and promoting violence against ‘others.’”
One former CIA analyst even said the initial NRA ad “fuels American extremists.” NRA leaders responded by saying they were “proud” of the ad. They have since doubled down, by describing critics of the ad as “individuals who sanction arson, who sanction property destruction, who sanction assault of innocent people.” And just this week, NRATV released the new ad from veteran navy seal and NRA spokesman Dom Raso.
“For nearly a decade, NRA leaders were able to stoke fears based on fake premises involving a Black President who supported gun safety. With that President out of the White House, the NRA must now rely on making Americans fear one another to sell more guns,” said Watts. “Lawmakers associated with the NRA can no longer turn a blind eye to the racist and bigoted motives of the lobby’s leaders. To be highly rated by or associated with the NRA is to tacitly approve and sign on to their dangerous and deadly agenda.”