SHARE THIS ACTION ALERT
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Tremendous controversy has erupted over an AR-15 raffle organized by the coach of a traveling little league baseball team in Neosho, Missouri. Coach Levi Patterson organized the team, and has the 7-9 year-olds on it selling raffle tickets in the community. Patterson’s original Facebook post about the raffle used the Neosho School District Wildcat logo, even though his team is not affiliated with the school district.
The raffle prize is a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, Spec 15, manufactured by Black Rain Ordnance in Neosho (retail: approximately $1,000). The Spec-15 comes in different calibers: .300 Blackout, .223/5.56, and .458 Socom. Black Rain also sells “NY Compliant” and “CA Compliant” versions of the rifle to help customers evade assault weapon ban laws in those states.
Raffle tickets are selling for $5 each or five tickets for $20.00. The drawing is scheduled for March 14, 2018.
Remarkably, the mayor of Neosho, Ben Baker, is supporting the raffle and attacking its critics. “It’s the same Resist folks who go around wearing their female lady part harts in the name of feminism and apparently have nothing else to do but stir up trouble,” he said on talk radio.
Please contact one of more of the four parties listed below and give them the following general message, personalized to your liking:
I am horrified that Coach Patterson’s AR-15 raffle is happening in the wake of 17 students and faculty being shot dead by this weapon in Parkland, Florida. The insensitivity to that grieving community is appalling. Equally disturbing is the message being sent to the 7-9 year-olds being used to sell raffle tickets. They’re seeing a weapon that has been used to murder other children in this country being glorified. Shame on Coach Patterson, Mayor Baker, and anyone else telling children this raffle is “wholesome.” This is fear, idolatry and ignorance masquerading as “culture” and it’s got to stop if we are going to save students from the next Columbine or Stoneman Douglas. The raffle should be canceled immediately and any money received by Coach Patterson should be refunded.
Coach Levi Patterson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/levi.patterson.37
or https://www.facebook.com/midweststormshelters.net/
Mayor Ben Baker
Email: bbaker@neoshomo.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.r.baker
Neosho Little League Baseball president Angie Leach
Phone: (417) 850-6369
Email: neosholittleleague@yahoo.com
Black Rain Ordnance
Phone: (888) 836-2620
Email via webform: https://blackrainordnance.com/pages/contact-us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackRainOrdnanceInc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackrainord
Once you have contacted one or more of the four parties listed above, click the orange banner below to report taking action!