Good Monday Evening,
We stay away from politics on this website, mainly because that is one area where there is more opinion then there is fact. We like to stick to facts, with a few opinions. However the news recently begs for a bit of comment. I have had more then a few people ask me about my thoughts on the New York Attorney General filing to dissolve the National Rifle Association.
My feelings on this are mixed. There have been lots of rumors and news swirling around the gun industry about the NRA for sometime. So much so that Wayne LaPierre has likely done more damage to the NRA by not stepping down, then he has by trying to dispel the myths. Again this is my opinion, and it probably stinks, but I believe that the NRA under Mr. LaPierre’s is suffering from self inflicted wounds.
This opinion does come with a footnote. The NY AG openly stated she would go after the NRA and it’s allies when she was elected. Even if the NRA had a pristine record, she would have found something, it was her mission. This is nothing new. The NRA has long been the punching bag of the political elite. So much so it is difficult to determine if the threat is legitimate or if it is platitudes spoken to appease a political base.
With that said, NRA isn’t blameless here. Having enemies is nothing new, but the accused behavior of the NRA is akin to leaving the kid’s bedroom window unlocked with hopes the burglars won’t notice. If anything, the threat of legal action should have prompted the NRA to do everything by the book, as a defense against possible lawsuits of this nature. The accusations here range from Mr. LaPierre pocketing money directly, to NRA Board Members getting contracts through personal businesses and profiting from the NRA.
Prominent members of the Firearms community have spoken out about this, most notably Tom Gresham of Gun Talk. These charges are not surprising to many of us. What is a bit surprising is the move to dissolve the organization rather then to go after the individuals who misused the money, and abused their positions for personal gain.
So why are my feelings mixed? Why am I not calling on people to circle the wagons and defend the NRA at all costs? Well, because I am not so sure the NRA is the best vehicle to achieve our goals as a firearm community. Yes, it is the most visible, but has when you look at dollars spent, what has been our return on investment? The NRA has largely been on the sidelines on many of the more recent legal battles. Other organizations, most notably Second Amendment Foundation, has championed many of the legal battles and make no mistake, the legal battles are what shape firearm regulations.
Name one piece of legislation that the NRA championed in the last ten years? It really has not. The Eddie Eagle Program was one of it’s most important programs, but politically it’s a not starter. No school that I am aware of would ever think of hosting a firearm safety class taught by the NRA. Its really sad, that firearms ownership and responsibility have become so politicized that a firearm safety class is taboo. The NRA has largely failed to adapt to the changing political climate. Even it’s training classes, such as becoming a NRA Instructor, has become somewhat meaningless in the firearm’s community.
With that said what good is the NRA? Perhaps it is the public face of firearms owner, that serves as a politically convenient punching bag for those in opposition to firearm’s ownership. I, for one, wished it would be so much more. While it frustrates me to see such an iconic organization be taken down by it’s own malpractice, I remain hopeful that from the ashes of the NRA a new phoenix will rise. Whether it be the rebirth of the NRA under new leadership, or the shift in power from the NRA to SAF or one of the other gun rights group, we, as firearm owners need to be united under a banner.
All of this likely seems quite harsh. It stems from my high expectations of a group that largely gives a unified voice in defending the Rights of all Americans. To be clear, and I am less then enthused by the blatant political abuse of power by the NY AG. But there will always be people trying to tear down 2A organizations, it is up to the organization to make sure we do not give them an opening, and it is up to us to hold the organizations that represent us accountable.
I am now stepping off my soapbox.
We got moved over to the new house. I am anxiously trying to get the family settled so I can begin setting up the shop. There is a lot to be done and it seems there is never enough hours in the day. It has been a busy past week with trying to get everything moved that there was not any major updates to the website.
I appreciate everyone stopping by, and checking us out. We are growing, slowly but surely and I look forward to expanding out the content. If you have any ideas, thoughts or suggestions shoot them over to me at jayandrew338@gmail.com, leave a comment on our Facebook page, or check out some of the images over at Instagram.
That’s all for this week, stay safe out there.
The Ballistic Assistant