Opinion
Fayetteville, AR – -(AmmoLand.com)- The NRA’s annual conference, held this year in Indianapolis, has been a cause of controversy. But not for the usual reasons surrounding the debate over gun control in America, but for the ousting of the organization’s president, Oliver North, and over questions of the leadership of Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president, and regarding the group’s finances. These internal struggles are fighting for attention amidst stories about Russian efforts to use the NRA as a part of their interference in U.S. elections.
Picture me in the opening credits of The Simpsons, writing “I will not use a cliché. I will not use a cliché…,” but I have an urge to point out that I have expressed my concerns over the leadership and strategic thinking of the NRA in the past. Oliver North was always a problematic choice for president, given his history, and Wayne LaPierre seems to think that the Second Amendment protects his right to keep and use his job.
The problem, however, is not limited to the public faces of the organization. I’ll sound here like a one-note kazoo, but when the NRA entangles itself with the most right wing of the Republican Party, gun rights in the minds of the public are seen as something that no one in other positions on the political spectrum can or should participate. Admittedly, they hold an ill-informed opinion on the subject, but while majority views are not the source of rights, they do too many times make free exercise difficult. We have to win support left, right, and center and gun-rights organizations that surrender the field rather than seeking to win over more significant percentages of voters are tacitly accepting a loss.
What should the NRA do?
Even though the group is one of the favorite targets of the Left, its history of promoting shooting skills and safety are also a part of the legacy, and any group that will speak out for gun rights has plenty of work to do. And those are what the NRA claims to see as its purpose. Americans love the story of the prodigal son who comes back after going astray, and the most famous gun rights organization has a chance now to restructure itself.
Doing so will require a separation from the Republican Party, as I hinted at above. The American people are increasingly opposed to our system of legalized bribery that campaign financing currently is, and when a gun rights group dissipates its energy in battles over other political debates, the core mission loses. And no matter how many #Blexit campaigns or outreaches to Hispanics the right wing tries, the demographic shifts that we’re going through mean that if gun rights are seen as something that only white men care about, those rights will be entirely hypothetical in not too many years. This may be a painful message to absorb, but the NRA’s failure to speak up for Philando Castile—one example among many to choose from—speaks at a higher volume than occasional mumbling about how everyone is welcome to join.
I don’t know if the NRA has been saved. I do sincerely hope that it can be done. We who support gun rights need all the groups fighting on our side that we can get. But we need that fight directed at opponents of those rights, instead of friendly fire, and we need more allies to win.
About Greg Camp
Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.
The Republicans would sell us down the river in a heartbeat and have even done so recently.The NRA has abandoned the mission years ago. Compromise is their motto today. GOA has my support.
I was disgusted with the 1997 gutting of Neal Knox from 1st Vice and finally purged from the BOD. I believed the nomination and election of Charlton Heston as President of the NRA was wholly and deliberately an act of sabotage by Lapierre against Knox and his allies. I did not abandon the NRA. With the rise of La-Pierre and company I observed the transformation of the NRA from a 2nd amendment advocacy org into a political front group for the Republican party. Sacrificing a non-partisan, a-political stance literally put all our eggs into one basket, with a highly unreliable… Read more »
I can not bring myself to contribute another dime until Wayne and his toadies are GONE.
You do understand that Wayne and his “Boys” have been enriching themselves to the tune of
many millions of dollars from contributed funds, and there is clear malfeasance of office,
NRA is not going to turn the tide till the BOD surgically excises the LaPierre machine from its midst. The fact that the BOD is protecting LaPierre shows they’re also part of the problem; and the way the BOD and voting for board members is structured keeps the membership from reforming the organization as a whole.
NRA is a lost cause and the sooner gun owners realize that and start supporting other groups like GOA, this farce will end.
GMB. I will be looking for that list as well.
The reason there are 76 directors is because so many Do Not show up for board meetings (e.g. M. Hammer, etc.) that it takes that vast a number to assemble the minimum for a quorum. As someone said even large corporations seem to manage quite well with 9 – 12 board members, who BTW attend and participate in the business at hand.
Why would they side with the anti-gun democrat party? Everything the democrats want is anti-gun. Seems to me if your a democrat & want to keep your guns then leave that crappy party like the rest of us did. You want your guns but support abortion?
I agree with other commenters that turning away from the Republican Party is not a good idea. Although I agree with the author that reaching out to minorities and women in trying to strengthen support from these groups would be huge. The single biggest thing that will help keep both NRA members and non member gun owners loyal to the NRA is if the NRA stops compromising and throwing support behind things like a bump stock ban, or red flag laws; that are grossly unconstitutional. So long as the NRA keep supporting anti-gun legislation, they will continue to lose support… Read more »
NRA reform should be a top priority. Do away with a 76 member board of directors…which in itself virtually guarantees paralysis. Put 9-12 real directors who give clear guidance to the executives, then hold them to the execution. No more letting the executives just spend the $ however they want, and achieving limited to no results. For too long, the NRA has taken credit for gun owner’s successes and shrugged off where the NRA has made mistakes or failed. Time to set some performance expectations for the entire NRA staff. To do less will be to allow “more of the… Read more »
I’m done, letting my subscription expire. I’ll stay with TX State Rifle Assn. and GOA.
Separating from the Republican Party is NOT a good idea. Though not perfect, the Republican Party is the anti-dote to the Democrat Party’s extreme views on gun control. It is the “extreme right wing” that are the most pro gun rights and it’s simply stupid to attempt to dissociate from them. “Moderates” aka liberals from either party, have proven they cannot be trusted with upholding our rights. Not just gun rights, but many rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution. When Democrats win at the ballot box, we lose. When and if Democrats gain control of both Houses and the… Read more »