Ravenwood - 06/07/07 12:00 PM
The tax-exempt Million Mom March (NoVa chapter) scheduled a public meeting at a public place, but when people showed up with video cameras they asked them to sign releases saying they wouldn't show the video to anyone. When one cameraman refused to sign away his First Amendment rights, the Million Mom Marchers became mean-spirited, belligerent, and cancelled their meeting so that they could hold it in private.
VCDL's Philip VanCleave notes how they played the victim:
"We have been threatened by them [gun owners] so many times. And abused and badgered by them so many times that it is nothing to us." [Threatened and abused? Oh, please. Laughed at, yes. - PVC]Here's the video:"Can (we take turns) standing in front of the camera? I mean legally we can do that."
"We apologize for him [the gun owner who wouldn't sign the MMM's agreement]."
"He can't help it. His penis size is too small."
"Permission to call him an asshole?"
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Pre-meeting footage:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The meeting was advertised in the local newspaper as "open to the public", yet the MMMer basically told the guy "Turn the camera off or sign the release." I wouldn't have signed it either.
You would think that an activist group would want to reach as many people as possible, and not worry about their message getting out.
I wonder if this behavior is explained by:
1 - not wanting to get caught lying about the issues
2 - they don't want to get caught failing to comply with their non-profit requirements
Posted by: SayUncle at June 7, 2007 1:30 PMTwo things that were glaring to me:
1) Complainer lady almost never let the camera operator answer questions she asked. She constantly interrupted before he could get out his answer.
2) Complaining lady stated (I paraphrase here): "[by not] signing your name on something, means to me, you are operating out of a basis of fear."
Wow, talk about being blind to the trees in front of her. That is what the whole MMM is about. They operate out of a fear of guns. Not to mention that the meeting was canceled out of FEAR the video would be used to show how their organization is a sham...
Hilarious.
Hmmm, I just checked on the MMM web site, they are not claiming themselves as tax-exempt.
Still, it was a public library, and the meeting was open to the public.
Posted by: Standard Mischief at June 8, 2007 12:06 AMThe MMM was rolled up into the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership, which is a tax-exempt organization.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/about/
http://www.bradycampaign.org/donate/
"Because we lobby for sensible gun laws, contributions to the Brady Campaign are not tax deductible for federal income purposes. If you wish to make a tax-deductible gift, please visit the Brady Center web site."
http://www.millionmommarch.org/donate/ (from here you must pick a local group)
"Because we devote 100% of our efforts to passing gun control legislation, contributions to the Brady Campaign and its network of Million Mom March Chapters are not tax deductible either as charitable contributions or business expenses."
So the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Ownership is tax deductible chartable giving, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership is not.
Posted by: Standard Mischief at June 8, 2007 11:56 AM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
