The Second Amendment Foundation, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and DefendGunRights.com have announced they will join together with other groups to sponsor Guns Save Lives Day on December 14, the first anniversary of 12/14, “because crazy people, criminals and gun control extremists prefer unarmed victims,” the trio of organizations announced by way of a joint press release on October 10.

“We are proclaiming Saturday, December 14 as Guns Save Lives Day,” Alan Gottlieb, president of the Second Amendment Foundation and chairman of the Citizens Committee, said. “In the coming weeks, you can go to GunsSaveLivesDay.com and get updates on this open source national project that all freedom loving organizations are invited to be a part of.”

Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra was not pleased with the announcement.

“For this group to use our Sandy Hook tragedy as a springboard for political action is disrespectful to our community of Newtown and is of particularly insensitive timing,” Mrs Llodra said in an October 11 statement. “I respect their right to promote their beliefs regarding guns. I ask that they respect our community and not use us for their purposes.

“We will not host a political rally of any stripe on that day and we hope that all such inclined persons understand that they and their agenda are not welcome. We ask for privacy and expect that all caring folks, including the media, will accommodate us. Those persons, who choose to not accede to our request to be left alone, [will] show the world their own moral and ethical fiber.”

In addition to the events being planned by the three group, an online petition has been launched for individuals to sign in support of the right to own a firearm. The groups are planning events and activities in all 50 states to counter “the anticipated push by the gun prohibition lobby to exploit the anniversary of the Newtown tragedy to push their political agenda,” according to an October 10 press release.

“The event is designed to counteract what certainly will be a day of activism and misinformation from the gun prohibition lobby,” said Larry Ward, founder of DefendGunRights.com. “We wanted to ensure that the public has the facts on gun rights and understand how many Americans stand with them in defense of Second Amendment rights.”

“Americans are concerned about attempts to erode their gun ownership rights, and for good reason,” said Mr Gottlieb. “Our mission with Guns Save Lives Day is to assure them our groups are working day and night to thwart government gun-grabbers at every opportunity. We are going to show America that there is a good side to guns.”

“The Founders understood what many modern-day politicians do not: that Americans are safer — from crime and tyranny — when they have the means to defend themselves,” added Mr Ward.

Americans protect themselves from violent crime with firearms up to two million times annually, by some estimates. Nearly half of those incidents occur away from home, demonstrating the effectiveness of concealed- and open-carry laws. In the majority of those cases, a shot is not even fired, but the presence of the firearm serves as a deterrent to violence.

“No one at Newtown should have been a victim,” Mr Gottlieb said, “and no one in the future should be victimized by laws that do not allow people to defend themselves.”