Why Do People Protest the NRA?

[SgtToadette 59]

He's spot on about "bad guy/good guy with a gun." And I wouldn't want him to leave the NRA as his heart/mindset is in the right place.

 

But, perhaps a different "brand ambassador/rep."

True. But after watching him in interviews with him, he seems to flounder when challenged and has a hard time responding to questions.

[seamusSU 0]

He's spot on about "bad guy/good guy with a gun." And I wouldn't want him to leave the NRA as his heart/mindset is in the right place.

 

But, perhaps a different "brand ambassador/rep."

That's a sound bite/slogan that works great when preaching to the choir but not so much with the centrists, who should be the target. The focus should be on mental health. The need for improvements in the mental health system is one thing that all sides can agree on.

[Candyman87 10]

I know that this thread was more about sharing the video than actually asking the question in the title, but for the sake of conversation I'll actually try and answer the question the best I can.

 

I'm a young dude and I am friends with other young dudes. Young people tend to lean more liberally and "older" people tend to lean more conservatively. That's a pretty static trend. As a result, I'm friends with plenty of liberal people. We don't usually agree on guns, though some points we share similar opinions on. Given past conversations about the issue, I don't think the hate on the NRA is of a specific nature, but rather because the NRA represents something bigger.

 

Liberal people tend to consider themselves especially rational and fair-minded. They consequently get upset when something doesn't go their way, especially when they don't see a rational reason for it. The vague concept of background checks, as an example, seems superficially to be common sense and simple. When people argue against it, they must be daft. So they get stereotyped as being redneck gun owners clinging to their guns and bibles.

 

The NRA as a lobby represents these people. After all, they get NRA hats, jackets, and bumber-stickers to show how proud they are to be members. The NRA represents the opposition to the gun control agenda and when it fails, the NRA becomes the idol of that failure.

 

"If only the NRA wasn't there, we could solve the gun issue."

 

"If only the NRA wasn't there, we could have common sense gun laws."

 

"If only nobody opposed us, we could do what we want."

 

I'm not saying that I agree with this. I certainly don't. But it's what we're dealing with. The NRA, at the end of the day, is really little different than other popular lobbying organizations like the ACLU, NAACP, PETA, etc. The only difference is the demographic of the supporters and the specific issue of the organization.

 

We need to remember that people who oppose the NRA aren't typically gun people. They lose nothing by implementing gun control measures and they gain peace of mind and political satisfaction. They are effectively fair-weather supporters of an issue they otherwise don't think twice about. I'll ask people if they feel in fear for their lives by merely crossing the Delaware River into PA. Nobody has ever answered yes, yet residents of PA are able to own dreaded assault weapons, carry firearms on their person, and own NFA items. Cognitive dissonance at its finest.

 

Well stated. As another young dude who's friends with more liberal young dudes, we were brought up in a pretty liberal environment. From day one in schools we're taught guns are bad. And many of my peers never questioned this, and never learned to think about the other side of the coin. We're taught that they're killing machines, but have never discussed the positive impact they can have.

 

If guns are bad, the NRA is bad. Growing up, I was told that the NRA is a bunch of rednecks that want to maintain entire arsenals at home. And many have never questioned this. Without anyone questioning what they're taught, people don't get exposure to guns, people don't try to learn any more about guns. If you don't want to know anything about it, the NRA represents everything you were ever taught was bad.

 

And of course there's the media. I have yet to see a single televised news story where a gun saved a life, or protected others. We only ever hear about the crazies who would have done harm with something else if it wasn't a gun.

 

Despite how and where I was raised, I questioned what I was thought, and made an effort to expose myself to shooting. Now I'm a gun owner and NRA member. I don't outwardly tout it since I am in a liberal state and work for a rather liberal company, but I don't hide it if asked. I've encouraged others to learn about guns and have brought many people to the range to experience it for themselves.

 

What I've really discovered is most people who fear guns have never been around them and have never learned that they can be used safely. What people need is exposure by someone they trust. If every gun owner can expose 4 or 5 people to guns and help them understand their use, we'll have 3 or 4 less people that fear guns, and in my experience, one or two new gun owners.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

What I've really discovered is most people who fear guns have never been around them and have never learned that they can be used safely. What people need is exposure by someone they trust. If every gun owner can expose 4 or 5 people to guns and help them understand their use, we'll have 3 or 4 less people that fear guns, and in my experience, one or two new gun owners.

We fear that which we do not understand.    

[Candyman87 10]

We fear that which we do not understand.    

 

This is exactly it. And this is why I try to help others understand, one at a time.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

"Knife control."

We need more of it:  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/25/connecticut-high-school-student-dies-after-reportedly-being-stabbed-in-prom/

[Sparks450r 0]

what a joke

[raz-0 1,259]

I think we agree much more than you lead on. Perhaps it was the style with which I wrote my comment, but your commentary seemed to largely build upon what I was saying rather than rebut it.

Well except for the bit where you were arguing that they didn't protest the NRA simply because someone told them to. Boil it down, and that is what it is. Facts and thought don't enter into it.

 

Case in point, I ran into an awesome one today. Apparently the NRA spends billions on buying off the government. It's choice, it really is.