 With all the recent talk in the nation's capital and in some statehouses around the country about efforts to implement new gun control measures, it might seem like law-abiding gun owners don't have too many friends. That couldn't be further from the truth. Most Americans who support and exercise their right to keep and bear arms are well aware of the National Rifle Association and its exemplary efforts, today and in previous years, to defend gun owners. But the NRA isn't the only show in town. Meet the Second Amendment Foundation There is another organization called the Second Amendment Foundation that has a stellar history of defending your constitutional right to armed self-defense, and in fact, the organization has recently helped score a major legal victory for the right to keep and bear - and carry - arms in the state of Illinois. According to a press release, the group was involved in a lawsuit before the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down an Illinois law preventing concealed carry of a weapon outside the home. Writing for the three-judge panel, U.S. District Judge Richard Posner said the right to self-defense is 'broader than the right to have a gun in one's home.' Furthermore, the panel's ruling gives the Illinois legislature 180 days to 'craft a new gun law that will impose reasonable limitations, consistent with the public safety and the Second Amendment ...on the carrying of guns in public.' 'This is a victory for Illinois citizens who have been long denied a right recognized in the other 49 states; to have the means necessary for self-defense outside the home,' said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. 'In the broader sense,' he added, 'this ruling affirms that the right to keep and bear arms, itself, extends beyond the boundary of one's front door. This is a huge victory for the Second Amendment.' The SAF represented Illinois resident Michael Moore and others in a case filed against Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. The case, Moore v. Madigan, was combined with a separate case involving church worker Mary Shepard, who was attacked along with an elderly co-worker by a much larger man. The SAF is involved in additional litigation in an attempt to support and defend the constitutional amendment which is its namesake, but there is much more the organization does. As the nation's oldest, largest tax-exempt group of its kind, SAF also serves as an educational, research and publishing resource. Using education, outreach to protect your right to keep and bear arms 'Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control,' says the organization. The group's mission statement says it all: 'The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is dedicated to promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms . To that end, we carry on many educational and legal action programs designed to better inform the public about the gun control debate.' One way SAF does that is through community outreach. Each year, the organization sponsors a Gun Rights Policy Conference , featuring gun rights leaders and activists from around the country. The 28th annual event this year is scheduled to be held in Houston, September 27-29. 'This year we'll take a look at critical issues such as: bans on semi-auto guns and magazines, 'smart' guns, concealed carry, federal legislation, BATFE policies, gun show regulation, state and local activity and the most recent Right to Keep and Bear Arms court cases,' says an informational webpage describing this year's conference agenda. For more information, visit the SAF site here . Sources: http://www.saf.org http://www.humanevents.com 