By David Crane

defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

September 25, 2010

DefenseReview (DR) is presently in San Francisco, California attending the the 2010 Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC), and we’re very glad we are. Hosted by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) a terrific and highly educational and informative event that’s also more fun than we thought it would be.

Today, we had the opportunity to listen to, meet, and photograph 2nd Amendment/civil rights litigation attorney Alan Gura, who, with his District of Columbia (D.C.) v. Heller and McDonal v. Chicago wins, has been instrumental in reaffurming the 2nd Amendment as an individual right, not a collective right. In DefenseReview’s opinion, based on just those two U.S. Supreme Court decisions alone, Mr. Gura deserves to go down in history as one of the most important civil rights lawyers in the history of the United States. And, he’s not even close to done, yet. He’s still out there working and fighting to restore our Second Amendment rights around the country and federally. Lately, he’s been working with California lawyer Donald Kilmer on some important California Second Amendment cases.

Mr. Gura, of course, wasn’t the only prominent 2nd Amendment rights advocate to speak, today. The SAF and CCRKBA have assembled a great roster of Second Amendment warriors (PDF), some of whom are doing great work right here in California. CalGuns Foundation president Gene Hoffman is one of them. Gene’s nickname is “Glenn Beck” because he looks a bit like, well, Glenn Beck! Just like the real Glenn Beck, Mr. Hoffman is an entertaining speaker with a great sense of humor and biting intelligence. Under his leadership, CalGuns is doing some very important work at the local and state levels to restore freedom to Calfiornians.

Paxton Quigley, author of Armed & Female, Taking Control, also spoke, and what she had to say very interesting. At the reception dinner, afterwards, we got to speak with her at length, and came away very impressed. Ms. Quigley is a refined urban woman with a masters degree from the University of Chicago. Her primary bent, as DR understands it, is maximizing female empowerment against violent criminals through firearms ownership and discreet carry, and she does it with considerable gusto and chutspah.

Bloomfield Press president and author Alan Korwin got the crowd going with a rousing speech about real freedom, which has been enjoyed by Arizona residents and visitors since 1912, and Michael Boldin, director of the Tenth Amendment Center, made an illuminating speech about some similarities between 10th Amendment advocates and 2nd Amendment Advocates. Mr. Boldin’s a funny guy and a real character.

It was a pretty inspiring day. The National Rifle Association (NRA) may have the numbers and the name, but the SAF/CCRKBA (led by the formidable Alan Gottlieb) and Alan Gura appear to be initiating and engaging in the most important Second Amendment/civil rights litigation in the country.

2010 Gun Rights Policy Conference Agenda: Saving Freedom (PDF File)

Organization Contact Info:

Second Amendment Foundation (SAF)

James Madison Building

12500 N.E. Tenth Place

Bellevue, WA 98005

Voice: 425-454-7012

Toll Free: 800-426-4302

FAX: 425-451-3959

Website: http://www.saf.org

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA)

Phone: 425-454-4911

Toll Free: 800-486-6963

Website: http://www.ccrkba.org