Second Amendment Sisters
Encyclopedia
Second Amendment Sisters, Inc. (SAS) is a non-partisan women's advocacy group in the United States
dedicated to the protection of gun rights, specifically for the purpose of self defense
. It is an all-volunteer 501(c)(4) non-profit organization
based in Texas, with chapters nationwide.
SAS was founded in January 2000 by five ordinary women from around the country, in response to the media portrayal that the Million Mom March
spoke for all women with regard to firearms rights. Using the Internet
, these women and a handful of other volunteers staged a counter-rally in Washington, DC, on Mother's Day, May 13, 2000. In the months preceding these events, the media regularly called upon SAS to represent the equal counterpoint to the Million Mom March
in print, radio and television, including a two hour televised Good Morning America
town hall meeting from the White House on the Saturday before. On March 18, 2008, SAS organized the rally in support of Dick Anthony Heller's right to keep an operable handgun for self protection in his home subject of the United States Supreme Court hearing of DC v. Heller
in Washington, DC.
SAS interprets the Second Amendment
as recognizing the pre-existing natural right of individuals to bear arms as tools of self defense, and promotes gun safety
and marksmanship among their members. They focus on community outreach, women's firearm shoots, women's personal safety training, and political advocacy. Citing FBI
crime statistics, they assert firearms are the only reasonable means of self-protection, especially for women, people of short stature, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
Second Amendment Sisters has a featured column in Gun Week. The group's slogan is "Self defense is a basic human right."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dedicated to the protection of gun rights, specifically for the purpose of self defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. It is an all-volunteer 501(c)(4) non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Texas, with chapters nationwide.
SAS was founded in January 2000 by five ordinary women from around the country, in response to the media portrayal that the Million Mom March
Million Mom March
The Million Mom March was a rally on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, 2000, designed to promote tighter restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of kids and criminals. Supporters claimed that 750,000 people gathered on the National Mall...
spoke for all women with regard to firearms rights. Using the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, these women and a handful of other volunteers staged a counter-rally in Washington, DC, on Mother's Day, May 13, 2000. In the months preceding these events, the media regularly called upon SAS to represent the equal counterpoint to the Million Mom March
Million Mom March
The Million Mom March was a rally on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, 2000, designed to promote tighter restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of kids and criminals. Supporters claimed that 750,000 people gathered on the National Mall...
in print, radio and television, including a two hour televised Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
town hall meeting from the White House on the Saturday before. On March 18, 2008, SAS organized the rally in support of Dick Anthony Heller's right to keep an operable handgun for self protection in his home subject of the United States Supreme Court hearing of DC v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller
District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes in federal enclaves, such as...
in Washington, DC.
SAS interprets the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
as recognizing the pre-existing natural right of individuals to bear arms as tools of self defense, and promotes gun safety
Gun safety
Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms....
and marksmanship among their members. They focus on community outreach, women's firearm shoots, women's personal safety training, and political advocacy. Citing FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
crime statistics, they assert firearms are the only reasonable means of self-protection, especially for women, people of short stature, people with disabilities, and the elderly.
Second Amendment Sisters has a featured column in Gun Week. The group's slogan is "Self defense is a basic human right."
See also
- Gun politics in the US
- Second Amendment to the United States ConstitutionSecond Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...