In a recent email exchange, Sarah Joy Albrecht, founder and Executive Director of Hold My Guns®, expressed significant concern and frustration with the inclusion of her organization in a federally funded initiative called “Pause to Protect,” without prior consent or notification. This initiative, run by the University of Colorado, was recently referenced in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders on gun control under a section aimed at promoting “Voluntary Out-of-Home Storage to Prevent Firearm Suicide.” Albrecht’s reaction comes after discovering that Hold My Guns® was named as a resource on the Pause to Protect website, leading to public confusion and potential reputational damage.
Click here to read the actual email referenced in this article.
Misrepresentation of Hold My Guns®
The email begins with Albrecht recounting her previous interactions with Jehrin Clark, an advisory board member of Walk the Talk America, who also goes by the name “J. Hood.” Albrecht noted that Clark had reached out to her about endorsing the Pause to Protect initiative, which she declined. However, the discovery that Hold My Guns® was included in this federally funded project shocked her. She emphasized that no one from Pause to Protect had informed her organization of its inclusion, leading to confusion among those familiar with Hold My Guns’® mission, which is based on private, voluntary storage solutions, not government-backed programs.
Albrecht voiced her alarm about the implications of the unauthorized inclusion of Hold My Guns®. She explains that the organization is deliberately privately funded to maintain independence from government influence and preserve the privacy and rights of gun owners. “What you might not realize is that the inclusion of Hold My Guns®… falsely implies that we receive federal funding, are part of the Biden-Harris Executive Orders, and/or are affiliated with and are endorsing Pause to Protect,” she wrote. She further stressed that the misleading association damages the organization’s standing within the firearms community, which largely distrusts government programs aimed at regulating gun ownership.
Confusion at Industry Events
The discovery of Hold My Guns on the Pause to Protect website came at a crucial time for Albrecht. She was attending the Second Amendment Foundation’s Gun Rights Policy Conference when several industry colleagues approached her for clarification. They were confused by the perceived connection between Hold My Guns and the Biden administration’s gun control efforts. Many of these industry professionals, who understand the core values of Hold My Guns, were concerned about whether the organization had shifted its stance on federal involvement.
Albrecht clarified that her organization remains a privately funded nonprofit and does not receive or endorse federal funding. She emphasized that the purpose of Hold My Guns is to protect individual liberties and provide voluntary storage solutions for firearm owners, free from federal control. This independence is crucial to the organization’s identity and mission, and any association with government programs, especially one tied to gun control efforts, undermines its credibility and trust within the firearms community.
The Origins and Mission of Hold My Guns
Albrecht outlined the history of Hold My Guns, noting that the organization was established to provide a solution to firearms storage that protects both gun owners’ rights and the safety of their communities. In 2018, Albrecht worked with attorney Joshua Prince to develop a legal process for firearm storage that would protect Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and gun owners without federal overreach. The process was reviewed and approved by the ATF in 2019, and the concept of voluntary storage has since become standard practice for FFLs, fulfilling the mission of Hold My Guns.
However, Albrecht warned that the Pause to Protect program, backed by federal funding, strips away the core values that Hold My Guns was built upon—individual liberty and the preservation of rights. She expressed her disappointment that a program claiming to serve gun owners would align itself with entities that advocate for gun control measures, including organizations such as the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research and Fund for a Safer Future.
Concerns About the Leadership of Pause to Protect
A significant portion of Albrecht’s letter focused on the leadership of Pause to Protect, particularly Dr. Marian Betz, a prominent researcher in the field of gun violence prevention. Albrecht highlighted Betz’s involvement in studies that promoted Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), which are commonly known as “red flag laws.” These laws allow for the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. Albrecht emphasized that many organizations that currently endorse Pause to Protect have actively opposed red flag laws, and she questioned whether these endorsers were fully aware of the program’s leadership and funding sources.
Albrecht also expressed concern over Dr. Betz’s participation in the Biden-Harris administration’s gun control initiatives, including her attendance at the signing of related executive orders at the White House. According to Albrecht, this involvement demonstrates that the Pause to Protect initiative is not as neutral or nonpartisan as it claims to be.
Demand for Immediate Action
In conclusion, Albrecht made it unequivocally clear that Hold My Guns does not endorse Pause to Protect or any government-funded initiatives aimed at controlling gun ownership. She demanded the immediate removal of any references to her organization from the Pause to Protect website and associated materials. “We refuse to be quietly included in something that goes against our core values, and we will not allow Hold My Guns to be falsely represented,” she stated.
Albrecht’s letter represents a strong pushback against the misrepresentation of her organization’s values and mission. It underscores the tension between privately funded, liberty-based solutions to firearm safety and government-backed initiatives that seek to regulate gun ownership through public health frameworks. As the gun control debate continues, organizations like Hold My Guns are determined to protect their independence and the rights of firearm owners across the nation.
