An open letter to our partners in Second Amendment victory

Dear BFA Supporters,

Recently the Supreme Court of the United States, in McDonald v Chicago, ruled that the Second Amendment applies to the states and cities.

For the first time, our highest court has "incorporated" the Second Amendment through the 14th Amendment. No matter what anyone may tell you, understand that this was a HUGE win for gun owners, and those who believe in the rule of law, our Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

On page two of that brief is a footnote that reads, "Brief for Buckeye Firearms Foundation, Inc., et al. as Amici Curiae 8–9..." In other words, Buckeye Firearms Foundation was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in one of the most important decisions of our lifetime! That is something to be proud of.

It is also something to be thankful for. We are thankful to you - because YOU helped make this possible.

One of our most ardent supporters was U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA).

When the time came to write a brief, we did not have the funds to do the job. We had only weeks to raise a seemingly impossible amount of money. But we knew the importance of this case; failure was not an option.

We needed a partner. Someone who could not only give us money, but help us raise more. I called Tim Schmidt, Founder of the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. I didn't know Tim, except through his products and newsletters, but I knew he was a Patriot.

I asked him for help. I asked him to partner with us. Tim understood the magnitude of this case and its effect on his members, and indeed our Country. Without hesitation, he gave us all the help we asked for and more.

The U.S. Concealed Carry Association was a partner in every sense of the word. When you read those four letters, "et al" in the decision, it means the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. We could not have moved forward without their support.

But that was only the beginning. We still needed more money, more than we had ever before raised. And we needed it fast.

The response was overwhelming. We received donations large, small and everything in between from people in Ohio and around the country. We received help from individuals and other great groups like the Ohio Gun Collectors Association. We received money from people who don't even own a gun, but understand that by protecting one right, we protect and defend all our rights.

And so with funding secured, we hired Ken Hanson to write another brief. His brief in Heller v District of Columbia was cited by the Heritage Foundation as one of the more important briefs. We needed another powerful brief, and Hanson delivered.

The rest, as they say, is history, but none of it could have happened without support. Support from individuals like you, who in turbulent economic times, with high unemployment, dug down deep and pulled together for a cause greater than any of us.

We thank you for your support, because quite literally we could not have done it without you.

Thank you to all our partners. You made success possible. You changed the world.

Yours for Freedom,
Jim Irvine
Chairman