Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership

"JPFO" redirects here. For the Jewish section of the IWO, see Jewish People's Fraternal Order.
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
Formation1989
FounderAaron S. Zelman
39-1732344[1]
Legal status501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
HeadquartersBellevue, Washington
Membership
7,000 (as of 2011)
Alan M. Gottlieb[1]
Revenue (2016)
$127,851[1]
Expenses (2016)$79,336[1]
Employees (2016)
0[1]
Volunteers (2016)
12[1]
Websitewww.jpfo.org

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of gun rights in the United States and to encourage Americans to understand, uphold, and defend "all of the Bill of Rights for all Citizens."[2] The group was founded by U.S. Navy veteran, former FFL dealer, and author Aaron S. Zelman in 1989. Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership recognizes the Second Amendment as protecting a pre-existing natural law right of individuals to keep and bear arms. It is based in Bellevue, Washington.[3]

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership takes the position that an armed citizenry is the population's last line of defense against tyranny by their own government.[4][5] The organization is noted for producing materials (bumper stickers, posters, billboards, booklets, videos, etc.) with messages that equate gun control with totalitarianism, often through the Nazi gun control argument. The most famous of these are the "All in favor of Gun Control raise your right hand" materials, which features a drawing of Adolf Hitler giving a Nazi salute.[6] The organization also attempts to prove that genocide is linked to gun control, by showing that most countries where a genocide has taken place had gun control first.[7]

Members are not required to be Jewish. The only membership requirement is that you must be a "law-abiding citizen," by "obeying the Bill of Rights."[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. Guidestar. December 31, 2016.
  2. ^ JPFO "What Is Bill of Rights Day?"
  3. ^ JPFO: About JPFO Retrieved 2012-12-16
  4. ^ Samuel C. Wheeler III (2012). "Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO)". In Gregg Lee Carter (ed.). Guns in American Society. ABC-CLIO. pp. 455–456. ISBN 978-0-313-38670-1.
  5. ^ Horwitz, Joshua and Anderson, Casey. Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea, p. 137 (University of Michigan Press, 2009).
  6. ^ JPFO online store: Raise Your Right Hand poster Retrieved 2012-12-16
  7. ^ JPFO: The Human Cost of "Gun Control" Ideas Retrieved 2012-12-16
  8. ^ JPFO: JPFO Membership Information Retrieved 2012-12-16