(Thread)
How the NRA helped get us into this mess, and how we can get out.
I read these two books⤵️ and I’m ready with a Twitter Book Report.
The NRA was founded in 1871 by a former Union general and a soldier who were appalled by the terrible marksmanship of Union soldiers.
How the NRA helped get us into this mess, and how we can get out.
I read these two books⤵️ and I’m ready with a Twitter Book Report.
The NRA was founded in 1871 by a former Union general and a soldier who were appalled by the terrible marksmanship of Union soldiers.
2/ Before the Civil Rights movement, the NRA was an apolitical, gun safety group. Members were gun enthusiasts from both parties.
When the National Rife Act of 1934 was debated in Congress, the NRA lobbyist said this ⤵️
When the National Rife Act of 1934 was debated in Congress, the NRA lobbyist said this ⤵️
3/ Then after the Civil Rights movement, everything changed.
There was a power struggle within the NRA between the “old guard” and the radicalized extremists who advanced the [new] idea that “conservatism” meant unfettered access to guns.
There was a power struggle within the NRA between the “old guard” and the radicalized extremists who advanced the [new] idea that “conservatism” meant unfettered access to guns.
4/ At the 1977 NRA convention in Cincinnati, in a well-planned coup, the moderates were voted out and extremists took over NRA leadership and created what we know now as the NRA.
The rise of the modern NRA was part of the angry backlash against the Civil Rights movement.
The rise of the modern NRA was part of the angry backlash against the Civil Rights movement.
5/ The new leadership spent decades engaged in a propaganda campaign (which grew increasingly well-funded) advancing their view of gun ownership.
They did grassroots organizing. They lured in members with offers, Then blitzed them with propaganda to indoctrinate them.
They did grassroots organizing. They lured in members with offers, Then blitzed them with propaganda to indoctrinate them.
6/ They also worked to elect politicians willing to advance the idea that the Second Amendment protected individual gun rights.
To use phrasing from ⤵️ began outsourcing its voter mobilization to groups like the NRA and Fox News.
To use phrasing from ⤵️ began outsourcing its voter mobilization to groups like the NRA and Fox News.
7/ In a nutshell: The NRA turned out voters in exchange for the politicians embracing and advancing NRA views.
As a result, elected Republicans became more openly committed to the NRA position on guns.
As a result, elected Republicans became more openly committed to the NRA position on guns.
8/ By the time SCOTUS decided D.C. v. Heller, a majority of justices had been appointed by presidents who were members of the NRA.
oyez.org/cases/2007/07-…
SCOTUS held that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns (unconnected to a well-regulated militia).
oyez.org/cases/2007/07-…
SCOTUS held that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns (unconnected to a well-regulated militia).
9/ After the Sandy Hook massacre, conspiracy-theorists Alex Jones insisting that the massacre was fake, and staged by the US government with child actors as a pretext for robbing people of Second Amendment rights.
10/ A prelude to what's happening now: In 2015 Trump accepted Jones’s endorsement and said Jones had an “amazing” reputation.
cnn.com/2015/12/02/pol…
Here’s the thing to notice: The NRA spent decades spreading its propaganda and electing politicians who supported their agenda.
cnn.com/2015/12/02/pol…
Here’s the thing to notice: The NRA spent decades spreading its propaganda and electing politicians who supported their agenda.
11/ Meanwhile, a great many had been lulled into complacency by the success of the Civil Rights and women’s rights movement.
We were taught in school that the heroes of the past had secured democracy for all people, so many of us thought the work was done.
We were taught in school that the heroes of the past had secured democracy for all people, so many of us thought the work was done.
12/ Meanwhile—since the late 1970s—the radical right wing has been working hard to undo everything our heroes had made possible.
And here we are: A major political party holding a considerable amount of power was handpicked by the conspiracy theorist of the NRA and Fox News-
And here we are: A major political party holding a considerable amount of power was handpicked by the conspiracy theorist of the NRA and Fox News-
13/ Consider how much time and energy the NRA spent forming grassroots organizations and working to get their people elected at all levels of government.
We have to put that same energy into voting them out.
People have been doing amazing work.
Look at the Parkland students.
We have to put that same energy into voting them out.
People have been doing amazing work.
Look at the Parkland students.
14/ Unfortunately, there's no quick fix. We can’t punish them into changing their views. There are no clever tricks to get them to behave as we’d like.
It won't take us as long to get them out as it took them to take over because we have an advantage: There are more of us.
It won't take us as long to get them out as it took them to take over because we have an advantage: There are more of us.
15/ No whining about the fact that our work is harder because they lie and cheat.
They didn’t whine about the fact that they were outnumbered. They worked to overcome their disadvantage.
They didn’t whine about the fact that they were outnumbered. They worked to overcome their disadvantage.
16/ It’s easy to be popular by proposing a quick fix. I don’t believe there are any. (Winning both seats in GA would put us way ahead, though)
The right-wing worked harder to get where they are because they knew they were outnumbered.
We have to work harder because they lie.
The right-wing worked harder to get where they are because they knew they were outnumbered.
We have to work harder because they lie.
17/ The history of gun laws in the US shows that gun laws (like many other laws) were used to maintain white supremacy.
The history of gun laws also shows that the NRA interpretation of the Second Amendment is a newfangled invention.
More threads?
The history of gun laws also shows that the NRA interpretation of the Second Amendment is a newfangled invention.
More threads?
https://twitter.com/houseofannie/status/1340743524069691392
I expanded this a bit and put it on my blog, here: terikanefield-blog.com/how-the-nra-he…
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