Had it not been for NRA and their "extremist positions," and had it not been for the tremendous signing of new members in the months after the Newtown shooting, we would right now be required to undergo a background check if we bought a gun from our brother, the AR type rifles would be illegal to purchase, and larger than 10 round magazines would be illegal to purchase.
When the Senators and Representatives saw this backlash, they trembled in their boots. New gun control legislation, at least at the Federal level, became, and still is, a non-starter. Look at the onerous legislation in states such as Maryland, New York, etc. That would have happened at the Federal level if not for NRA.
The reason is that politicians fear the wrath of NRA. That is a good thing.
To those who say NRA supports candidates with whom you disagree on other issues, consider this: NRA is a single-issue pressure group. I don't want NRA to have an opinion on global warming, the budget, or any of the other half-dozen hot-button liberal vs. conservative issues. I want my NRA to do two things. Those are to support candidates who are gun-friendly and strike fear into the hearts of anti-gun candidates. They do a pretty good job of that.
Other points: LaPierre and the other top executives at NRA earned their salaries several times over in those months after Newtown. If the constant mailers and telephone calls were not effective fund-raisers, they would quit doing it. I don't like the intrusion either, but I got my name on the do not call list and haven't been bothered. I understand why they do it, though.
Finally, in my opinion, if you are truly a believer in 2nd Amendment rights, whatever your reason for not being a member, it isn't good enough.
When the Senators and Representatives saw this backlash, they trembled in their boots. New gun control legislation, at least at the Federal level, became, and still is, a non-starter. Look at the onerous legislation in states such as Maryland, New York, etc. That would have happened at the Federal level if not for NRA.
The reason is that politicians fear the wrath of NRA. That is a good thing.
To those who say NRA supports candidates with whom you disagree on other issues, consider this: NRA is a single-issue pressure group. I don't want NRA to have an opinion on global warming, the budget, or any of the other half-dozen hot-button liberal vs. conservative issues. I want my NRA to do two things. Those are to support candidates who are gun-friendly and strike fear into the hearts of anti-gun candidates. They do a pretty good job of that.
Other points: LaPierre and the other top executives at NRA earned their salaries several times over in those months after Newtown. If the constant mailers and telephone calls were not effective fund-raisers, they would quit doing it. I don't like the intrusion either, but I got my name on the do not call list and haven't been bothered. I understand why they do it, though.
Finally, in my opinion, if you are truly a believer in 2nd Amendment rights, whatever your reason for not being a member, it isn't good enough.
