That's Not All.

Yesterday, we witnessed a bunch of people signing a petition. OK. So what? Doesn't this happen all the time?

Actually, no. And that's because this isn't some random online petition. This is actually a legal petition... For The Background Checks Initiative.







And that wasn't all. At Kim's house in Anthem (southern Henderson), local Everytown volunteers also shared ideas for winning the election this fall.

Last year, the Nevada Legislature passed legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases. It passed despite the best efforts of a certain State Senator to torpedo it. It was only defeated when Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA) vetoed it.

Yet that's not all. The story doesn't end there. Voters will have a chance to have their say this fall. They will vote for people to serve in the Nevada Legislature next year. And they will have the choice to sign The Background Checks Initiative that will be presented to the Legislature next year should it earn enough signatures by November.





Nevadans from all walks of life and various neighborhoods across the state have been demanding change. The reality of gun violence has hit way too close to home for way too many. At the Anthem house party yesterday, volunteers were discussing this as they were planning on how to push solutions forward.

And no, that's not all. The push for gun safety reform is far from over. In fact, it's only just beginning. And unlike the NRA, they don't need to go Godwin or launch an online TV channel to make their point.

Gaining Traction

Here we go again. It's time for even more "rebranding". Earlier this year, the NRA decided to make a big splash with its own online TV channel. After all, that's where all 'dem 'dar "YUNG-GUNZZZ(!!!)" iz.

Ever since then, the NRA has been doing everything possible to "rebrand" both itself and the nature of gun violence. It's claimed "your dead kids don't trump our rights". It's tried to sweep away "unfortunate accidents" while redefining the English language. It's mocked the civil rights movement. Oh, and it's even demanded more guns at school while going Godwin.

We can't help but notice the NRA's rather interesting "rebranding" strategy unfolding just as Everytown and other gun safety advocates are taking their message to the streets... And to the phones. Last night, we stopped by a local Everytown for Gun Safety volunteer phone bank in Henderson. They were busy recruiting more volunteers to get out the vote this fall for pro-gun safety candidates. And no, they didn't need an online TV channel or a redefinition of various words to make their goals for the evening.





They just needed their cell phones, outlets, and snacks. That's all.

Perhaps that's because so many Nevadans support expanding background checks for gun purchases, keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of domestic violence perpetrators, protecting children from unnecessary harm, and other basic gun safety reforms. It's so much easier to state where one stands on securing our communities than to continually "rebrand" the source of so many senseless deaths.







We're not quite sure what the NRA thinks it's accomplishing with killer cop competitions, old fashioned duels, vitriolic personal attacks, and all around douchebaggery. But hey, if it ain't broke... Wait. The NRA may be far from broke, but it's increasingly sounding like a broken record.

And perhaps this is why gun safety advocates (locally and nationally) are increasingly gaining traction.

From #gunfail to #GunSense

Just over a year ago, the unthinkable happened. Governor Brian Sandoval (R-NRA) vetoed SB 221. In doing so, Governor Sandoval denied Nevada the chance to close the back doors that dangerous criminals utilize to obtain dangerous weapons.

Since Governor Sandoval's veto of SB 221, we've experienced the consequences of that. We witnessed the embarrassing Reno Police back alley gun sale. We noticed the shocking near miss at Thunder Down Under on the Las Vegas Strip. We experienced the horrific slaughter of Las Vegas Metro Police Officers Alyn Beck & Igor Soldo and civilian Joseph Robert Wilcox. And these are just a few high profile examples of what happens when we allow so many lethal weapons to fall into all the wrong hands.

For years, we've been accustomed to the NRA calling the shots in Carson City. But now, there's a chance that may soon change.

And why's that? While we were in Reno last Friday, gun safety advocates filed a petition with the Secretary of State's Las Vegas office for a background checks initiative with language very similar to that of SB 221.

Last year, the NRA & its G-O-TEA allies pulled every political stunt imaginable to smother SB 221 to death. And when none of that worked, Governor Sandoval vetoed it. They won't be able to try any of that this time.

This time, especially should gun safety advocates collect enough signatures to submit this to the Legislature next year, they won't be able to do that. This time, they will have to address the actual policy at hand instead of hiding behind straw men. And this time, they will need to answer to the long trail of #gunfail that they've enabled by doing nothing as so many Nevadans were losing their lives to senseless gun violence.

There's a good chance that at least 101,667 Nevadans have had it with the rampant #gunfail. And there's a good chance even more are ready to do what Governor Sandoval refused to do, which is to allow for some #GunSense to start saving lives.

"Your Dead Kids Don't Trump..."

Earlier this month, it was Chipotle. Now, it's Sonic & Chili's. For some reason, "suburban gun enthusiasts" have this urge to pack heat inside chain restaurants. Haven't they ever heard of Sriracha?



And haven't they ever heard of common decency? Maybe, just maybe, other customers want to eat their food without fear of a shootout?

As usual, the open carry activists immediately blamed someone else for their dumbassery actions. And as usual, their first target was Everytown/Moms Demand Action. How dare that Everytown request a safe environment where children and other law abiding civilians are present!



Remember "Joe the Plumber"? He's back (again). And this time, public intellectual Samuel Wurzelbacher has something important to say about free-dumb: "As harsh as this sounds – your dead kids don’t trump my Constitutional rights."

Oh really, Sam/Joe/Whatever-the-hell-we're-supposed-to-call-you-now? First off, you may have the Constitutional right to be an idiot... But you don't have any Constitutional right to threaten other people's lives with your idiocy. Even the US Supreme Court has made that clear.

And secondly, who is "Joe the Plumber" to throw shade at Richard Martinez and other parents who lost their children in the Isla Vista massacre? Who is "Joe the Plumber" to lecture Richard Martinez and the UC Santa Barbara community on how they're "supposed to handle" their grief? Doesn't he recognize the severity of what occurred last Friday?



Or is he just too busy repeating NRA talking points to even care? "Your dead kids don’t trump"... The "right" to scare paying customers away from a restaurant? "Your dead kids don’t trump"... The NRA's political agenda? "Your dead kids don’t trump"... The gun industry's fight against legislation backed by most Americans to prevent the piling up of any more dead kids?

"Reality" v. Reality

In recent years, Netflix has changed the TV entertainment game. It now produces its own content. And lets us stream TV shows onto a plethora of internet connected devices.

But now, a new content provider is aiming directly at Netflix. And its opening shot just happens to be Colion Noir. No really, "Noir" will be a talk show aimed at "urban gun enthusiasts". And it's just one of the shows on new NRA Freestyle online TV network.

Do NRA chieftains actually think some online TV network will expunge their organization of its own bloody record? Do they truly believe Colion Noir can make us forget all about Cliven Bundy? And do they really expect this latest PR campaign to sanitize the reality of gun violence that they're always trying to hide from public view?







Unfortunately for the NRA, far too many Americans know better. They've seen for themselves the brutal reality of gun violence. And they're joining with Everytown to do something about it.

Everytown may not have its own online TV network full of slick programming, but it does have committed volunteers. Yes, it even has volunteers here in Nevada. And last Saturday, they met at Pebble Park to kick off their campaign to elect pro #GunSense candidates to office and pass legislation that over 80% of Nevadans support.

The NRA may refer to these citizens as "props", but that's only because these citizens aren't afraid to stand up and fight back. And now that they're indeed standing up and fighting back, the NRA & its "TEA" powered allies are trying whatever they can think of to deflect from the real issues at hand.









Apparently, that includes an online TV network complete with a talk show aimed at "urban gun enthusiasts". Yet while the NRA is now venturing into the "reality TV" business, far too many American families have had to witness the actual reality of gun violence. And they're not about to let some "wannabe Netflix" distract them from the real issues at hand.