Assaulted:Civil Rights Under Fire (Finishing Fund Campaign)

kickstarter.com ^ | 23 January, 2013 | Kris Koenig

[marktwain]

We're raising funds to finish our film and release it in theaters by March 2013. Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire raised $71,140 here on Kickstart last fall - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/assaulted/assaulted. Since then we completed filming while the issue of guns in America has become the leading political debate due to the tragedy at Newtown. Assaulted - Civil Rights Under Fire

When the subject of gun control laws are discussed, rarely are they associated with the civil rights movement and the quest for equal rights for all.

This film will compare the historical aspects of gun control targeting the indigenous tribes of North America and emancipated slaves, through the Jim Crow era to today’s laws that favor rich elitists and denies the rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment to the most vulnerable in our society. This documentary takes a critical look at the original intent of the current guns laws across the nation in contrast with crime and murder statistics before and since their implementation; and compares these laws to those currently proposed by the President and various states. A Few Threads of the Film

The threads below will be woven with current events in California and nationally that are creating demands for new assault weapons legislation and ammunition sales restrictions. Are these law in the best interest of public safety or an infringement of our civil rights?

We will seek out interviews with leading constitutional historians, anti-violence leaders, gun rights activists, law makers and gun owners to create a film that will start a meaningful conversation, not add to the rhetoric. Battle of Athens

When the 2nd Amendment is discussed, the concept of the citizens’ rights to defend themselves against a corrupt or tyrannical government is sure to be included. The idea of the people rising up against the government here in the USA seems farfetched. Just the stuff of a Hollywood film, but it has happened.

In 1946, returning GIs from WWII faced off with a corrupt county sheriff and his cronies in McMinn County, Tennessee. The film will look at the causes of the conflict, and how the soldiers and the citizens restored the rule of law to their county by the applied use of the 2nd Amendment. Deacons for Defense

The civil rights movement of the 1960’s is always associated with the nonviolent actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights workers that spread out across the South. Rarely mentioned are the “Deacons for Defense” and how a handful of armed black men protected the civil rights workers, broke the stranglehold of the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana and secured civil rights for all citizens in the South. Guns for the White Man only

Gun laws from the beginning of the United States of America have always favored the wealthy white man. The first laws written barred Native Americans and Blacks (freed or enslaved) from possessing firearms and continued through the Jim Crow era.

World War II saw gun confiscations precede forced interment of Japanese-American citizens just because the fear of war empowered the white man to do so. The fact that no German-Americans or Italian-Americans had their firearms taken supports that gun laws have been written for the white majority.

The California Gun Control Act of 1968 has been said to be a knee-jerk reaction to the Black Panther’s use of loaded rifles in peaceful protest to bring attention to white bigotry in the Oakland police department and abuses by its white police officers against black citizens. Even today, the majority of Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permits issued in California are given to white males.

This racial trend in gun control has also jumped the color barrier to only favor the rich who can financially afford their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and secure self-defense CCW permits through political campaign donations while the single mother in the inner city can’t legally acquire an affordable gun to protect her family. Distribution

We will pursue a theatrical release of the film in March 2013 followed by distribution by Southern Oregon Public Television to PBS and PTV stations across the nation. How will the funds be used?

Post-Production

Talent costs money and high-quaility, national level editors don't come cheap; no matter how well the story is written, a bad edit will sink a film. Post-production also means meeting PBS engineering standards and practices. There are direct costs associated with a PBS review that the producer pays for on top of the overall production.

Then there are duplication costs, tapes, lawyers fees, insurance, and health insurance for the crew...on and on.

With your help we can produce a great film about a serious subject that affects lives, our civil rights, public safety and our liberty. Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

We're lucky to have an experienced editorial team onboard for this project. Jon Fischer (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1502707) our lead editor, is a highly respected reality TV editor, and will co-manage with director/writer Kris Koenig (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2861174) and producer Eric Katzenberg (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2890899) a team of assistant editors and production assistants to bring the vision of the script to a finished film.

Jon is concurrently working on other broadcast productions, so additional personnel is critical to help him execute the script on the editor. Not having the financial resources to secure additional talent will challenge us from being able to meet our production schedule of 60 days.

Since our initial funding here on Kickstarter, Kris and Anita Ingrao (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2871870) have traveled across the country to secure over fifty interviews of politicians, educators, lawyers, law enforcement, victims and gun owners to capture both side of this debate. Each of these interviews have been ingested into the editor and transcribed for the editor's and writer's use. All in 90 days!

This campaign is seeking "good money after good action" since our first Kickstarter success. It will be heartbreaking to limp to the finishing line 6 months from now after this debate is over in congress without our film having an impact in the discussion.

Finally, Kris was the overall manager of his last major project, 400 Years of the Telescope (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1231285). This project involved over 125 individuals, a 9-month deadline from initial funding, and required the crew to film on five continents over six weeks. All while managing the creation of a PBS science special, full-dome planetarium program, a PBS affiliate outreach component,website development and original score performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The $2.9 million dollar budget was highly controlled by Kris and whole project was delivered ahead of schedule. Kris has the experience to overcome production obstacles but he is only human. Sickness, injury or death are the only things, except funding, that will keep him from finishing this film on time.

[marktwain]

I was one of the early contributors to this program. It can make a difference.

[Lurker]

Sounds like a worthwhile project, Mark. How would one go about throwing a few bucks their way?

[cripplecreek]

Gun buying opportunity in Lansing Mi next week. Guns for groceries will give a $50 gift card for each operable long gun, $100 for operable handguns, and $150 for “Military style assault rifles”.

http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/City-Announces-Next-Guns-for-Groceries-Program-189369471.html

[marktwain]

Sounds like a worthwhile project, Mark. How would one go about throwing a few bucks their way?

Go to the source link. It is kickstarter. I believe you can use a credit card to make a donation.