April 18, 2007

 

Hip hip hooray for the NRA

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The National Rifle Association is resembling more and more Glenn Close’s bunny-boiling character in Fatal Attraction. The bitch just won’t stay dead. The NRA obviously doesn’t hesitate to bully legislators who resist its agenda. As pretty much the heavyweight of special interest groups, and going against them is political suicide at both the state and national level. Check it out:

Georgia gun bill shows reach of Virginia shooting, NRA

The Associated Press

ATLANTA - Tempers were flaring as roughly a dozen Republican lawmakers huddled near the back of the Georgia state Senate contemplating the end of an all-day session that had stretched late into the night.

At issue was a motion to cancel a vote on legislation that would have given more freedoms to gun owners. The testy exchange late Tuesday was an example of the extent to which Monday's gun rampage on the campus of Virginia Tech had changed the gun control debate across the nation.

The measure would have allowed motorists who are otherwise legally permitted to own guns to store a weapon anywhere in their vehicles instead of leaving them in plain sight or in a front-seat compartment, as current law requires.

It also would have required employers to allow their workers to keep firearms in their cars while at work.

Read the whole article

I think this may finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back with regard to the NRA’s inexplicable hold on the politics of this country, and their desperation on this bill shows that they know it. I’m proud of the generally pro-gun Republicans for standing up to them on this, and proud they forced a silence on the issue while the dust settles in Blacksburg. Others such as NRA hoop-jumper (and Democrat, no less) J.B. Powell are too worried about watching out for special interests and getting elected again. What a tool - Georgia senate District 23 must be proud to have such a lapdog representing them.

It seems the NRA was more concerned with their own political agenda than with taking a moment to respect those who died in Virginia, proving that all they are about is power and controlling our legislators and blackmailing them with “F” grades in their newsletter. It probably wouldn’t be such a bad organization if the majority of its leadership wasn’t clueless gun fetishists who don’t respect any other right that falls outside the second amendment. Who in their correct mind would demand the legislature address this bill at such a politically stupid time? IF I owned a gun, I’d never belong to an organization that has less common sense than politicians. Their full court press on the heels of the VA Tech shooting is reprehensible - defending themselves and turning this tragedy into a reason why every American should be allowed to walk the streets with a gun. I’m very uncomfortable with the idea of a bunch of 18 to 24-year-olds packing heat. In the recent New Jersey incident where the FBI agent was killed, it was found that he was killed by one of his fellow agents. If these highly trained officers of the law make mistakes and shoot their own people, how much more often will it happen if every untrained yokel you meet on the street is armed?

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Comments:
Gun control is an ungodly volatile issue. I used to be all Ban guns! Guns are bad! but I'm not that extreme anymore. What I am is disgusted by how easy guns are to get ... not true in all states, of course, and I don't know about Virginia, but that has been my gripe with the NRA. They're like the pro-choice groups only in reverse. Pro-choice groups tend to be hysterical about limiting abortion for any reason no matter what, and that's been true of the NRA with regard to guns. "Limit Uzis? You've got to be kidding! Give up our right to own an Uzi and the next thing you know, they won't let us hunt deer anymore!" It's that kind of black & white extremism that is the biggest problem with the gun issue. Of course, that's just my own humble opinion.
 
I agree with PJ, although I do understand the hysteria, at least from the pro-choice side. We KNOW that the goal is to ban all abortions, so yeah any little step in that direction is worrisome. Probably the gun owners feel similarly.
 
Paula- they do, and with good reason. Remember the automatic weapons ban in the 90's? It was pushed through on the idea that they weren't banning ALL guns, just the ones that sportsmen have no need for. However, as soon as it was passed, there were a dozen public speeches made by the leaders of the anti-gun rally that came right out and stated that the legislation was only the first step toward banning ALL guns. So, just like the pro-choice folks, they worry that every LITTLE step will set a legal precedent that paves the way for a total ban.

O'Tim said...

"It seems the NRA was more concerned with their own political agenda than with taking a moment to respect those who died in Virginia,"

You are absolutely right, the timing is atrocious. However, I felt the same way about the anti-gun people who were on their soapboxes bright and early Tuesday morning. They seemed only too happy to have fresh bodies to enlarge thier political platform with. Just because they oppose the gun people doesn't mean that the same behavior is justified.
 
I think this may finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back with regard to the NRA’s inexplicable hold on the politics of this country ...

You are so naive. I fear the reports of the NRA's death are greatly exaggerated. They'll just rev up the spin machine and place the blame for this on a poor mental health system, a promiscuous culture, and over-sexual music. And they'll fall back on their triumverate of safe arguments:
1. Guns don't kill, people do.
2. If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
3. If all the students were armed, this couldn't have happened.

I'll bet ya on this.

Ook ook
 
If all the students were armed, this couldn't have happened.

Man - even teachers? That sure would have made kids sit up straight in their chairs and pay attention for once instead of falling asleep in history class...
 
Being an eternal optimist, i always look for silver linings and maybe this slaughter will prove the tipping point for some good hard looks at the gun laws. Just devastating that it took the death of 32 college kids to get to the stage.
 
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