Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
by: Stephen LaSpina
Have you heard of an elevator pitch? This overlooked and oft neglected life skill has much value. An elevator pitch is a short, personalized set of reasons and talking points on a given subject which serve as a high-level overview to persuade your audience.
Do you have an elevator pitch for why people should join Firearms Owners Against Crime? If not, allow me to give a brief synopsis of what we do. Hopefully you can take a few talking points from here and build your own pitch. Once you do, you can help us spread the word at gun shows, concealed carry seminars, and other events where our organization has a presence.
FOAC Institute engages in Legal Action. We actively and aggressively defend the Second Amendment through litigation. We often file our own suits, but sometimes we join with other plaintiffs or parties by signing on to theirs. Very recently, we have been engaging in preliminary levels of legal action against local municipalities who are trying to infringe on the 2A rights of their residents (which is illegal in Pennsylvania thanks to something called “preemption”). No one, including an elected official, is above the law (or the Constitution, for that matter).
FOAC Institute also engages in Legislative Action. We dialogue with elected officials by informing and empowering them to protect our civil liberties. We have written several white papers that go deeply into detail on specific 2A issues so that elected representatives can be more articulate in their defense. We have provided both verbal and written testimony in state judiciary committee hearings. We also confront and oppose politicians who want to trample on Article 1 Section 21 of the PA Constitution. We send out legislative alerts to members when we need elected officials to hear their voices.
Finally, FOAC Institute cares deeply about our Educational Action. We host concealed carry seminars all over the Commonwealth for the purpose of informing citizens about their rights, responsibilities, and specific statutes related to guns in Pennsylvania. We also work very hard to educate elected officials, from local solicitors to state Senators. We hold monthly meetings to inform our members of ongoing Second Amendment news across the state and our nation. We share and write original articles to help keep an informed and engaged citizenry. We have an active outreach at gun shows and festivals to explain to people why they must join us in advocating for their rights.
None of this would be possible without determined leadership and engaged members. We want to do even more, and I know we will achieve great things in the years ahead. Hopefully now, when someone asks you, “What does FOAC-ILLEA do?”, or, “Why should I become a member?”, you will be ready to give them an answer.