Its Time to Move Past the NRA


As always, I invite your comments...click the "comments" count button below this post.

Every day since the Parkland massacre, I've been wanting to post about the this issue, and especially about the completely unreasonable level of influence the NRA has in this country.

First, I need the check the usual boxes that you'll usually see when someone attempts to speak out on this issue.    I'm not currently a gun owner, but I have been in the past.    I am a believer in the 2nd amendment TO THE CONSTITUTION, but certainly take issue with the vast expansion of its simple expression of the right to bear arms.    I have a lot of friends of both political parties that are avid hunters and gun hobbyists, people that I respect and that I know might not agree with everything I have to say here.   I feel most of them are also good American citizens and believers in the ENTIRE constitution that would never disagree with my right to speak on the topic, as I would never disagree with theirs.   

I even agree with the deeper original goal of the founding fathers; that the right to bear arms is not just about hunting and self protection.  It is about the rights of the citizenry to protect the nation - from its government.  Particularly topical with our current leadership I would add.   In the days of the founding fathers, citizens with rifles and pistols had a chance to do so.     I see the value in this.

*****
The actions and devices of the NRA after Parkland has gone over the top for me.

This week alone, the NRA has sued the state of Florida for trying to enact very sensible legislation in the wake of Parkland and so many other tragedies.    The President, afraid of the NRA, has backed down on any of the ideas he put forward that make any sense, under the pressure of the NRA.    The attack of the NRA on the children and young adults who were already viciously attacked in their school continue, and are inexcusable.

Watching the NRA and their political mouthpieces try to make the case that our problems are not caused by the huge number of guns in our country despite the massive world-wide evidence to the contrary is Orwellian.    Witnessing the lack of will exhibited by bought and paid for politicians  when other countries like Australia have shown the way out of this mess is the ultimate in frustration. 

Watching the lives of children and the safety of our places of  learning take a back seat to every nuance and every sliver of gun "rights" is the greatest injustice I can imagine.  The very idea that arming teachers is the solution - which by the way would probably sell another 3 million guns to the government - is the worst idea I've ever heard.   Even trained armed deputies on school grounds when the shooting began failed to act.    Americans, you are being mocked right in your face.

The reason cited by the NRA for trying to block legislation requiring a person be 21 years of age to purchase semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15?   "The rights of citizens who have done nothing wrong might be trampled" - referring to the right of an 18 year old to buy a semi automatic weapon.

News flash NRA:   In our civilized society, under our constitution, we ALL AGREE to have our rights impinged.    It's the price of the  greatest level of personal freedom to be found on the plant.

We agree that we can't keep all of the money we earn.   We play taxes. 

We agree that we can't  physically attack and harm another person for what they say.   That person has the right to speak freely on any topic.

We agree that in times of war we may have to give up our personal freedoms entirely to serve our country in the military to keep our citizens safe.     Even 18 to 21 year olds agree to this and are the most often called on during a draft.    And you know what NRA?   I think you'd find the vast majority of those same 18 to 21 years olds that are called on to sacrifice everything would be more than willing to sacrifice the "right" to a a semi-automatic weapon  for an extra 3 years to help keep the most helpless and vulnerable people in our society safe.   I'm certain of it.

We agree that we can't run around doing whatever the hell we want if it harms others. 

And we sure as hell agree that we can't run around shooting each other, and especially our children.

In short, we agree to abide by the Rule of Law, and we eschew the right to anarchy.

The NRA has exalted just one of the rights provided by our Constitution above all others.   There are a of other rights that are quite a bit more important than the right to a semi automatic rifle at the age of 18:  The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The right to a safe place of learning.   The right to not be massacred by one psycho with an automatic weapon.

The fastest path I can see to losing the right to bear arms is the "all or nothing" approach of the NRA.    because in the absence of reasonable, common sense compromise the day will come when the people of the United States are pushed too far, and if the only answer "allowed" by the NRA is nothing, then NOTHING IT SHALL BE.

Only the Sith think in absolutes.    The NRA organization is the dark side, attacking children and taking positions that are unreasonable in the extreme.    Acting as if the desire to get rid of something like "bump stocks" is the government coming into American homes to relieve us of our guns is simple extremism at its worst.

An organization of five million people simply can't stand against and control the other 295 million of us, financially or with the vote.    Since our politicians, including our president, are being bought off and intimidated by the NRA, it may be time to fight fire with fire.    A crowdfunded effort advocating a responsible approach to the second amendment may be an idea whose time has come - an alternative to the NRA for gun rights advocates.   The NRA's strength is organization  and contacts, and that does not come overnight.   Raising 100 million would be a good start.

The NRA is a bad organization with bad leadership, even though many good people are members.      It is up to those NRA members  who do not agree with the extremist all-or-nothing views to be heard and to be heard loud by the leadership of the organization they belong to.    NRA members, you are responsible for the actions of your leadership.     If you do not agree  with the positions taken, please be heard. 

Americans, we can't stand by with our hands in our pockets and let one organization representing an extreme point of view run our country and ruin those lives. 

Agree with me?  Leave a comment.  Disagree with me?  Leave a comment.