"I was the NRA"...an observation on guns and gun ownership.

a reply to: buster2010

Wasn't going by the article, rather by the OP.

I see a lot of political buzzwords thrown around that article.

To be honest, the NRA is one of the most fear mongering associations I have ever seen. I look forward to their envelopes in the mail. My son and I have some pretty good laughs reading through the fear words all bolded in a font that is 3 sizes above the rest. If they really want to get your attention, they make it bold, huge, red, and underlined.

I pay them the $25/year membership so I can access a local shooting range. Otherwise, I would probably ignore them as a bunch of clowns.

Like I tell my son: I don't assert or display my rights. Such histrionics are for children. I just live, and do my thing. I assert my rights by not asking for them, or making a fuss over them.

I'm pro gun but I don't blame the NRA. The entire countries politics have moved to the extreme. Not sure who is to blame, but it seems like the Clinton administration very existence, motivated the right in this country to come out to support GWB in 2000, but GWB didn't win in 2000 he was appointed by the supreme court. Al Gore won Florida and should have won the election but this didn't happen.

The reelection in 2004 had included the gay marriage banns in order to draw more of the religious right to vote, it worked and GWB won 04.

These things that happened to this point wasn't enough to awaken the true majority (liberals) but the economic crash of 07 sure did. and when Obama was elected this left backlash has continued to this day, other than in 2010 when a record breaking amount of money was spent on that midterm election, most of this money was koch brothers and other conservative big money groups. Outside money affecting local election, but the right wing majority supreme court ruled that they can do this.

Backlash against tax cuts to the rich, gitmo, patriot act, war, torture, preemptive war, gay marriage bans motivated the liberals like nothing ever. Unfortunately Obama hasn't lived up to the campaign promises. Gitmo, torture, preemptive wars are a affront to what America has always stands for. None of these things have changed under Obama.

So here we are with the extreme in charge of our politics. Both left and right suck, but IMO the right has done more damage to our country, but to be fair Obama still has a couple of years left to fix things or make things worst.

The NRA is attempting to be relevant in a extreme time....so they are much more extreme than they were in the past or no one would notice them.

The NRA is nothing but, way for gun companies to make money. They spread fear to increase sales. They care nothing for gun owners or their rights. The NRA is about one thing money. However their are plenty of non profit second amendment groups who do not spread fear nor answer to big gun companies. Those are the people that gun owners should support.

a reply to: TiedDestructor
You can't get a real accurate number for guns in canada. The registry was short lived, and most people didn't bother unless they were buying a new one and had to. In my experience it is similar demographics to the US, country people are raised with guns as common tools. We need guns to put food on the table, and to kill any animals that would harm us. Just as we need cars because it's just too damn far to walk anywhere lol.

Right now many are afraid and concerned about government over-reach. The progressive movement mocks those of us who are concerned.

But place a republican in the White House, have a republican led senate, and you'll find those progressives members screaming about government control.

Scream about guns all day long, if you wish.

But try to take them away and there will be an issue.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

I am all for people owning guns and we've always had that right but it's changed.

The prevalence of guns in our culture has changed the way police react while patrolling the streets.
The prevalence of weapons makes police many more times likely to shoot to kill.

This onslaught of weaponry is all in the hands of a few people since there are enough guns sold for one to every person in America but only half of America owns guns.

Gone are the days when Police fired warning shots or brought troublesome offenders in. Police are scared for their lives and almost everyone who gets in an altercation are shot. It wasn't always this way. Caught in the net of fear are many innocent people. Old ladies protecting their property, others who were mentally handicapped and off their medications, for whom parents called Police for help, some were drunk, some did not understand the officer was speaking to them...all of them were shot and killed because Police have risen to meet the level of violence they see on the street.

Just so a few people can keep their arsenal and say everyone should have one?
It doesn't seem right.

a reply to: beezzer
I don't think it is going to be an issue to prohibit guns in the homes of people who have had a history of mental illness or are being treated for mental illness or mood disorders. I don't think it is going to be an issue to require thorough background checks either. That should be good news to everyone without a covert agenda.

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: TiedDestructor
Another US is bad because they like guns thread... oh joy.

originally posted by: Swills
Wasn't going by the article, rather by the OP.

To all outside appearances...including this site...America is gun-obsessed. Is that a judgmental statement? Am I saying US is bad, anywhere in my post? I said we do things differently. Is feeling different an anti-American action? Methinks you're working a chip on your shoulder...I'm just interested in the discussion the article generates.

a reply to: gladtobehere

The NRA needs a reason to exist. They profit from membership and manufacturers of firearms. Your post is so spot on. Why do gun and ammo sales skyrocket?
Because people are easily duped...
At least no one has brought up FEMA camps yet...
If your organization ceases to have a reason to exist, it does just that, unless you can invent a new danger or new enemy. Then cha-ching!!!

originally posted by: roadgravel
About 90 per 100 persons. Just about one for every person.
I've known many persons, many with families, that have no firearms. So is there a small group with a huge number of firearms? I also would think this is based on some sales/manufacturing numbers. Might be quite a bit a slack in the numbers.
edit:
I wonder what percent of the population is a gun owner? A lot of people who like firearms tend to have quite a few.

The Pew Research Center has a statistic on that; 37% of Americans own a firearm but there are roughly 300 million guns in the US.

Given those figures we have about 115 million gun owners in America. The NRA has 5 million members. I would say that the NRA doesn't represent the average gun owner at all.

a reply to: MrSpad
I fell back into the lazy habit of answering posts in order. Like usual, you come through with the voice of Reason before I can get there. Follow the dollars and you find out that the NRA is just as you said a paid for mouthpiece for scaring people into buying guns and ammo every few years. First Clinton was going to eat them, then, you needed them to defend your family against Terrorism, now Obama is going to eat them. Just ask a friend of a friend who belongs to the NRA...they know the "truth".

Where is Switzerland. I understand that they require everyone to have a firearm.

a reply to: amfirst1

You understand incorrectly. They issue everyone between the ages of 20 and 30 a gun as part of their militia, the weapon you're issued is stored in the local armory and not your private home. Switzerland has no standing military.

There's no requirement to own a gun, just to join the militia.

Wow. "The NRA is trying to scare people." How about all of the false information coming from mainstream media? What about the complete disregard of facts and evidence every time some self-obsessed narcissist brat, usually with "progressive values," goes on a rampage, showing his complete disregard for human life, learned from a culture at odds with the vast majority of "right wing gun nuts" How about ignorance feeding off ignorance in social media and on faux, self righteous threads like this one? Who is trying to scare who exactly?

There are millions upon millions of gun owners in the U.S. Statistics and studies prove that states, cities, and communities that have lax gun laws have fewer violent crimes, including those involving firearms.

The NRA is one of the very few powerful lobby groups that actually represents a very large number of average Americans(AARP being the other). Anyone who actually knows actual facts about the NRA or deals with them directly understands that gun safety has been and remains their number one effort. There is a reason that states use the NRA's safety standards for concealed carry courses.

Not sure where some of these "I was the NRA" types are from, but in Louisiana we have a gun culture that begins in childhood. We learn how to properly use a firearm from our fathers and uncles and friends. Primarily , it is for hunting, but just shooting at the range is common as well. Yes, we believe in personal responsibility and the family and community's job in teaching weapon safety. If you want a CCP, you have to prove basic know-how to the state. Most of us are members of the NRA because it is the most effective vehicle with which to protect the rights of average, low and middle class Americans. Without it, there is obviously a large movement by the establishment elites to monopolize guns. The fact that so many people buy in to Bloomberg propaganda is proof we need the NRA. Badly.

mythical jack-booted government bogeymen

This is the part that scares me the most...

The self-assured naivety...the absolute blind eye to history
...the narrow focus on the here and now and nothing of the future.

100 of millions of people dead. Natives and Jews and Christians
and people with the wrong political stance all massacred, starved,
tortured, exiled, or enslaved...

And this guys calls it mythical??

what an idiot

a reply to: rival

100 of millions of people dead. Natives and Jews and Christians and people with the wrong political stance all massacred, starved, tortured, exiled, or enslaved...

Where is this happening in America?

I own a gun because I value my life enough to protect it to the fullest extent possible when confronted with any situation. I also own a gun because I value the lives of those around me enough to protect them.

If you are against protecting yourself and your family, that is a strong, negative statement of the kind of person you are.

originally posted by: buster2010
a reply to: rival

100 of millions of people dead. Natives and Jews and Christians and people with the wrong political stance all massacred, starved, tortured, exiled, or enslaved...

Where is this happening in America?

He was saying that its happened in other places, and its foolish to think it couldn't happen in America.

Socialist canard - the 2nd Amendment along with all the Amendments of the US Constitution have nothing - no thing to do with Sportsman/Hunters.

All the Amendments of the Constitution are protection against a tyrannical Federal Government...that's it!

These Lefties want to bring hunting into it - has nothing to do with hunting!

Was there DayGlo Orange & Pabst Blue Ribbon in 1788....of course not?