What is Everytown for Gun Safety?

In the wake of a mass shooting in his state that killed 18 people in October, Maine senator Angus King introduced a bill to ban gas-operated semi-auto firearms. On King’s site, his page announcing the act has a quote from John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety.

You may have heard of this organization before. That’s because this nonprofit is somehow connected to much of the gun control legislation that’s going on today at both state and national levels. Let’s take a look at this organization, its origins, and its current goals.

What is Everytown for Gun Safety?

Today, Everytown for Gun Safety is the biggest gun control nonprofit in the US. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg founded the organization, envisioning it as a sort of anti-NRA. In many ways, it’s become even more effective than its chosen opponent.

Background

Everytown traces its origins back to 2014. That year, two gun control nonprofits – Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) merged to better coordinate their legal initiatives across the US.

Chances are, you’ve heard of Moms Demand Action. But MAIG is a bit of a lesser-known entity. Bloomberg formed the organization in April of 2006 (when he was Mayor of New York) along with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

MAIG group focused on targeting other mayors to further its gun control agenda. By the time MAIG merged with Moms Demand Action in April of 2014, it had recruited 855 mayors nationwide.

Current Strategy

Everytown, along with its subsidiaries Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, claim to be grassroots organizations despite being funded by a billionaire. Its current strategy involves leading a combination of state- and national-level initiatives to accomplish several goals:

Goals

• Banning “Assault Weapons and Dangerous Hardware:” One of Everytown’s core missions is banning “high-powered semi-automatic firearms.” This essentially translates to any semi-auto gun chambered in a caliber bigger than 22 LR. Everytown is also dedicated to banning “high-capacity magazines,” meaning any magazine with a capacity higher than 10 rounds. They have silencers in their sights, too, and are actively working to keep them listed as NFA items.
• Targeting the Gun Industry: Everytown has realized how difficult it is to challenge the Second Amendment directly. So, they’re targeting the firearms industry. Their strategies include removing legal protections from firearms manufacturers and preventing the free exchange of ideas by prohibiting firearms plans from being shared online.
• Instituting Mandatory Waiting Periods: Have you ever eagerly skipped down to your local firearms store on payday, eager to blow your hard-earned cash on a shiny new gun only to find that you can’t legally take it home with you? You can likely thank Everytown for that mandatory waiting period. As a firearms enthusiast living in Colorado, I recently got to experience Everytown’s handiwork firsthand when I tried to buy a gun after the state introduced a mandatory three-day waiting period on gun purchases.
• Supporting Political Candidates: One major way that Everytown pushes its agenda is by supporting local-, state-, and national-level political candidates. Some candidates with Everytown backing include California Governor Gavin Newsom, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer.

Research

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of Everytown’s strategy is its research division. The organization collects data on gun-related topics and frames it in a way to support its causes. By manipulating this data, the organization can support a narrative that furthers its own agenda.

Some of the reports that Everytown releases include everything from breaking down “Gun Violence in America,” to smearing the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Final Thoughts

Long story short, Everytown is the main non-governmental organization leading the charge to promote gun control in America. You should definitely be aware of them, and keep an eye open for them the next time you see a news story about gun control. Chances are, you’ll see Everytown connected to it somehow.