A big theme of the protest today, as always, is "Why?"
Let me explain why, because blaming NRA $$ is only half right.
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Let me explain why, because blaming NRA $$ is only half right.
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1st, let's talk about NRA. Originally a sportsman organization, members were hunters who paid dues & voted on policy positions. Dues funded hunter safety classes, including classes geared towards women. They were not against gun control or gun safety.
Misguided, but legit.
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Misguided, but legit.
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In the late 70's (I think) the organization was taken over by hardliners, and gun manufacturers started funding them. For a long time they went through the motions of letting their membership of hunters vote, but it was a formality.
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Today NRA serves as a trade association of sorts, lobbying arm of gun manufacturers. The "wholesome" pro-hunting image of NRA protects brands from criticism. People hate NRA, not Beretta and Colt.
Brilliant right? Smoking industry tried to emulate but it didn't work for them
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Brilliant right? Smoking industry tried to emulate but it didn't work for them
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So that's where the money comes from, and that's where the policy comes from. Anything to help expand the market for more guns. Guns in church? Guns in bars? Guns to shoot black people? Guns to match every outfit? More opportunity to use guns = more guns sold. That's the frame
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But here's the thing: They have almost unlimited funds, but they can't do anything any other company can't do. Donations are capped. They can't give candidate unlimited funds. The dollar figures you see for Members? That's cumulative, spread out over many years.
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Of course that's still bad, and of course we need to get money out of politics, and of course even capped donations help. But that's not the point. If it were about money, a pro safety group could match donations and theoretically even things up
But it isn't about the money
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But it isn't about the money
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NRA's power comes from voters. Money they spend on donations is negligible compared to the money they spend trying to scare people. "Obama's coming for your guns." "MS13 is coming to rape your women." "Show off the latest fashions."
This propaganda is what sells guns.
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This propaganda is what sells guns.
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And for a large faction of the population is susceptible to this. For them, gun rights and 2A are all that matters. They vote single issue. If their members of Congress votes less than 100%, they vote them out and replace them with someone who will.
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As with virtually every other problem in American society, it all comes down to GERRYMANDERING. These 2Aers are concentrated in red districts. Their reps are basically hostages.
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It's all about the voters. Shootings, deaths, rallies, marches, heartfelt entreaties, none of it matters. Members want to keep their seats. If we target Members who take NRA donations or if any of them had a change of heart, they'd just be replaced by someone to their right.
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We have to address the real problem. Making it about NRA only protects the real culprits: Beretta, Colt, Smith & Wessen, Remington,etc. These companies fund propaganda to rile up their constituency with race baiting and paranoia so they'll buy more guns. And those guys vote.
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I don't know how we address the stubbornness of gun culture. They don't seem to care about the shootings, the senseless tragedy, the victims. The freaking Majority Leader got shot and that only made everyone dig in harder.
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But we can dilute their power. There are more of us. It would be easy to defeat them in a fair fight.
Like every important issue, it comes down to voting rights.
We have to end gerrymandering, end felony disenfranchisement, end voter suppression.
That's how we win.
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Like every important issue, it comes down to voting rights.
We have to end gerrymandering, end felony disenfranchisement, end voter suppression.
That's how we win.
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P.S. It's not that I mind being challenged, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion about what I said, but you people arguing that we "can't let NRA off the hook" and "it's about campaign finance law" are exactly the problem I wrote this thread to address. Be smarter.
Here's a perfect illustration. It doesn't say, "We will withhold our $5400" It says, "We will tell our membership to vote you out."
I have to say, responses to this thread make me really sad. Blaming NRA is like blaming a shadow instead of what cast it. It does not exist separately from the manufacturers. They have to be called out
