BELLEVUE, WA – Once again, the so-called Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is out of the closet in support of yet another handgun ban, this one in Washington, D.C., where legislation has been introduced to restore to law-abiding citizens the right of self-defense.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) today challenged the Brady group to publicly acknowledge that it consistently supports bans on the private ownership of firearms, despite claims to the contrary.

“The proposal that the Brady Bunch is opposing,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “would end a gun ban that’s been in effect for nearly 30 years. The ban has prevented law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves, because handguns have been banned in the District, and you can’t even keep a rifle or shotgun in a residence unless it is dismantled and rendered inoperable.

“That’s not just a ban on guns, it’s a ban on self-protection, and the Brady group knows it. What’s worse, they want to keep it that way,” Gottlieb added. “The Brady Campaign and its affiliate, the Million Mom March, have consistently opposed concealed carry reform. They want to ban the right to bear arms, which means they would ban self-defense.

Gottlieb noted the Brady group’s history of supporting bans, on lightweight handguns with polymer components, on sport-utility rifles, on large-caliber target rifles, on big handguns because they are powerful, on small handguns because they are concealable, and on inexpensive handguns because people can afford them.

“They should change their name to the Brady Campaign to Eradicate the Private Ownership of Firearms, to more accurately reflect reality,” Gottlieb said. “They have repeatedly filed court briefs insisting that the Second Amendment does not protect an individual constitutional right.”

“We call on the Brady Campaign to admit its goal is a ban on private gun ownership,” Gottlieb challenged. “They should acknowledge that their efforts have purposely deprived citizens of their ability, and their right, to defend themselves against violent, predatory criminals. Their actions have created more victims and protected criminals. The Brady Campaign isn’t part of the solution and never has been. They’re part of the problem.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.