The National Rifle Associations has every right...
I was on my way home from work on Monday and I listened to the news on my car radio. There was a story covering the rally held that day in L.A.'s Pershing Square in protest against gun violence. In the wake of the Parkland, FL school shooting, these protests are again on the upswing.
In addition to the usual sound bites from protestors, the story included remarks from someone who was there counter-demonstrating. He said:
"The NRA has every right to lobby Congress in support of their agenda."
"Money is speech."
The thing is, he's right on both counts. Just as individuals can spend money to advance their agendas on the political battlefield, so can corporations. So can groups of people with shared interests.
* * *
We cannot stop the NRA from lobbying. That would be contrary to our beliefs in freedom of expression. But we can use our own right to those same freedoms to overcome their influence.
The NRA has 5 million members. Coincidentally, their CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre earned a salary of over $5 million in 2015.
Also coincidentally, according to OpenSecretsDotOrg, the NRA spent just over $5.1 million on lobbying activities in 2017. That was an increase of nearly $2 million over their 2016 lobbying expenditures.
The NRA's spending in Washington, D.C. makes it very influential. The way to counter their influence is to make it clear to the members of Congress that we will not continue to send those among that membership who bend to the will of the NRA and continue to push legislation that is contrary to our safety.
Their interpretation of the intent of the Founding Fathers who created the Second Amendment is skewed because it ignores the first words of its text.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
In addition to the usual sound bites from protestors, the story included remarks from someone who was there counter-demonstrating. He said:
"The NRA has every right to lobby Congress in support of their agenda."
"Money is speech."
The thing is, he's right on both counts. Just as individuals can spend money to advance their agendas on the political battlefield, so can corporations. So can groups of people with shared interests.
* * *
We cannot stop the NRA from lobbying. That would be contrary to our beliefs in freedom of expression. But we can use our own right to those same freedoms to overcome their influence.
The NRA has 5 million members. Coincidentally, their CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre earned a salary of over $5 million in 2015.
Also coincidentally, according to OpenSecretsDotOrg, the NRA spent just over $5.1 million on lobbying activities in 2017. That was an increase of nearly $2 million over their 2016 lobbying expenditures.
The NRA's spending in Washington, D.C. makes it very influential. The way to counter their influence is to make it clear to the members of Congress that we will not continue to send those among that membership who bend to the will of the NRA and continue to push legislation that is contrary to our safety.
Their interpretation of the intent of the Founding Fathers who created the Second Amendment is skewed because it ignores the first words of its text.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
The people who want to own assault rifles and would own automatic weapons if they were legal are not part of any well regulated militia. Guns to protect one's home and loved ones are available without having to resort to large-magazine assault weapons.
If those of us who oppose the NRA agenda to prevent any restrictions on the types of guns Americans can own were to join forces, we could outspend and out-influence them in Washington, D.C.
We need to unite under one banner and make our collective voices heard so that the politicians who have been feeding at the NRA's trough either stop, or are forced from office.
posted by me at 7:13 AM
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