ACRGO is a diverse group of people, following different paths, to cross the same bridge, united in a common goal for common sense firearms legislation.
PORTSMOUTH, VA (PRWEB) November 10, 2015
Mark Carman received quite a bit of Facebook and YouTube attention after his October 3rd viral video, in which he displays his semi-automatic Ruger and calls on responsible gun owners to take a stand for common sense firearm regulations. Millions of Americans watched and shared Carman's video, propelling his message all the way to Washington, D.C. Carman has been invited to the White House on November 16th and 17th to meet one-on-one with Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama, and to address members of Congress and the Senate on the issue of gun violence.
It’s been a real “call to action” month for Mark Carman, who describes himself as “Just a guy.” When his video went viral and his personal Facebook swelled to 6000 friends with thousands of personal messages, Carman confesses he didn’t know what to do with all the posts. So he just started answering them. Carman’s essential message? “Folks, we’ve got a problem” with gun ownership laws. This message hit people hard coming as it did on the heels of the October 1st Umpqua Community College mass shooting in Oregon.
Within days of the viral video, Carman discovered his promise to “make some noise” had been heard by responsible gun owners (RGOs) like himself and non-gun owners (NGOs) alike. Volunteers emerged with perspectives as unique as the parts of the country from which they responded, but all unified under one objective: To reduce gun violence in America.
With Carman at the helm, a diverse volunteer team brainstormed a name for this newly birthed grassroots organization -- ACRGO (American Coalition for Responsible Gun Ownership).
FAST steps: A font and graphic design for the ACRGO logo, an ACRGO dedicated Facebook to relieve the burden on Mark Carman’s personal page, an ACRGO website putting forth an official Five-point Mission Statement, a collection of factual resources on firearms made accessible to the public, and countless volunteers monitoring and moderating discussions on Facebook to uphold the main value criterion of legitimate debate: Civil Discourse not Civil Discord.
By October 14th, Mark Carman had completed the paperwork necessary to receive an official document from the Commonwealth of Virginia certifying ACRGO as an LLC (Limited Liability Company). Mark Carman, sponsored by MoveOn Civic Action, wrote and circulated a Petition addressed to President Obama stating that signers of the Petition support the President in stopping illegal gun sales. The Petition urges President Obama to “close the loophole that allows criminals to buy guns without background checks…” The first step of a multi-step legislative proposal Carman believes will keep gun-owners and non-gun owners equally satisfied.
Mark Carman’s video, supporters, and petition got the ear of the White House, where Carman will be speaking under the new ACRGO banner on November 16th and 17th, representing a true coalition of gun-owners and non-gun owners who are mobilized and ready to use the democratic practice of civil discourse and legislation to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in the United States.
