Gunned Down: The Power Of The NRA

In the Unites States of America Federalism is the basic structure of the American government; it is the distribution and balance of powers between the National government and the States government. In order to obtain a compromise between those who wanted stronger state government and those who preferred a stronger national government the founding fathers arranged and settled for a federal system rather than the alternatives of a unitary or confederal system. While both National and State governments each have specific powers and authority, they also share certain powers and must be able to cooperate effectively with each other.

For years gun control advocates pushed for a law passed by the federal government. For years this has not worked as the government has not wanted to touch the matter and have potential backlash. Although the federal government has not done much and does not seem to be doing anything any time soon, the states have huge potential to start the change. State governments can decide what laws can be passed and how serious their guns laws will and should be.

In a speech regarding the Charleston, South Carolina shooting in June of 2015, President Obama stated, “More than 11,000 people were killed by gun violence in 2013 alone.” After the Sandy Hook shooting, in Newtown, Connecticut with a death toll of 26, Congress has still failed to pass these regulations which 90% of Americans wish to have. While tightening the gun control may not guarantee the complete absence of mass shootings or gun violence and crime, it has definately been shown to significantly reduce these rates. America is in need of tighter gun control laws because current regulations do not deter violence and crime, and the interpretation of the constitutional right has since been misconstrued.

Wayne LaPierre, a gun rights advocate and executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, said, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” Gun control is laws that regulate the sale and possession of firearms. These laws have become a more prominent discussion due to crime, and they attempt to reduce violence. Many countries have some sort of gun control, but the United States have different rules for each state. The United Kingdom have some of the strictest firearm laws. Guns in America are a constitutional right, increase personal safety, and decrease crime.

The second issue in this paper is about rebellions throughout American history. There were several rebellions, but Shays’ Rebellion, the Whiskey Rebellion, and Fries’s Rebellion were an important part of the militia debate. “Shays’s Rebellion was the largest violent uprising in the new nation’s history, would become the first test of the radical potential of the militia and the right to bear arms in post-Revolutionary America”(Cornell, 31). Shays’s Rebellion revealed a tension in American constitutional theory if the militia was an agent of government authority or a popular system serving as a check on government. The notion that the militia refused to enforce an unjust law or took up arms against the government became the most important

By the year 2003, it is expected that firearms will cause the most injury-related deaths in the United States, surpassing even automobile accidents. Poll after poll have revealed that most Americans favor stricter gun control laws. Five recent suburban school shootings have demonstrated that when guns and kids mix, tragedy results. Yet gun control legislation remains at a standstill.

The National Rifle Association also continues to make an impact with politics and send founding to the national parties and committees. Donations that are made to national committees rapidly increase campaign spending. The NRA is very politically active and is a large organization with over five million members. Followers of the NRA are able to make their own political donations as long as they are in regulation with campaign finance limits. There are so many members involved with the NRA; thus, political power builds immensely.

The NRA spends a large amount of money on lobbying in order to protect the peoples right to bear arms. A common lobbying technique they use is hiring former legislators and government official in order to gain access to policy makers through friendships and personal connections. According to the Journal of Political Science & Public Affairs the NRA spent $3,360,000 on lobbying in 2014 (Journal website). After the Sandy Hook Shooting took place the initial response from the government was to make the gun law stricter, but the NRA wanted no changes made. The NRA’s lobbyist seemed to have “persuaded” enough government official, because no change was made. Clearly the victims and their family member of the shooting were at a loss when the government failed to change any gun

Because of many incidents involving handguns, and any other type of gun, the government has been trying to push a gun ban law. As a result of this rumor and possible law, there have been numerous outbursts of support and resistance. Some people believe that banning firearms would be a benefit to our nation’s safety and its population’s safety, while others oppose this proposal and say that guns are not the ones that need to be controlled, people should be the ones that are controlled. During this decision, people from different organizations have expressed their own views and thoughts. Gun control has both positive and negative effects on U.S. citizens.

The NRA is a lobbying group that is trying to promote gun safety, organized firearm activities, and most of all protection of the second amendment. Supporters of the NRA are loyal to the cause and rightfully so. The organization promotes family dinners, organizational competitions and updates on their fight to keep our second amendment from being repealed. I think that the NRA is a positive thing, even if the majority of there supporters believe their guns will be confiscated if democrats are elected into office. The NRA does a great job promoting there goals and collecting money from its members. The NRA is funded solely through memberships and donations from it's members. The NRA is helping america control gun violence, and showing the

Gun control has been an ongoing issue that has been debated about numerous times in Congress. Over the years, the seriousness of the issue has increased drastically since some recent events. When the Columbine High School massacre occurred in April 20th, 1999, gun control was beginning to become a heated topic to discuss about. Then, 13 years later another mass shooting occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14th, 2012. This one was one of the worst shootings in American history. This increased the intensity of the debate and was one of the most talked topics by Congress during the few months shortly after. To limit any sort of tragedy from occurring, we need to stress gun control. Gun control should be implemented since it will likely,

Former President Barack Obama performed a speech in response to a mass shooting that happened in a community college in Oregon. This speech included other gun related incidents which occurred during his time in office in 2015 regarding Umpqua Community College and Roseburg. After giving his condolences and love to those who felt loss in their hearts, Obama gave a powerful argument regarding gun control and how we, as Americans, should fight and strive for better gun laws. While Obama gave a moving speech, I could not help but feel it fell short in its argument while conducting a thorough critique. Obama appealed to his audience utilizing pathos and ethos with ease but fell short for those in the audience looking for logos or specific facts within his performance. I will be taking this opportunity to delve further into an analysis of this speech and both its heights and pitfalls.

Let me make one small vote for the NRA. They're good citizens. They call their Congressmen. They write. They vote. They contribute. And they get what they want over time.(qtd. in nra.org) The NRA is indeed all of these things, with programs to benefit a variety of Americans, sponsorship of one of Americas oldest sports, and as an organization that will stand up for its political beliefs regarding the Second Amendment. (www.nra.org)

The nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization is under attack, but why? That’s what is going on right now with the NRA and the issues that they are defending. Ever since the NRA was founded, it has been doing things to help out the people of this country and to shape the country itself. There are so many controversies that are going on today in politics that are the center of the NRA’s philosophy. The NRA does a lot for the people of this country by impacting the lives of millions of Americans, through its many organizations. Not to mention, the NRA is a non-profit organization and would not be able to make this impact without the help of others. The NRA’s biggest stance is the Second Amendment. It is their primary focus to do

Michael Moore’s flawed 2002 expository documentary Bowling for Columbine is ineffective in its goals to open Americas eyes to its very serious gun violence problem. Michael Moore sets out to uncover why the United States can’t seem to end its devastating and reoccurring mass shootings, by using deception as its primary tool of persuasion and effect, Moore attempts to vilify pro-gun activists. The humorous documentary frequently highpoints controversial decisions and actions made by the then President of the National Rifle Association Charlton Heston. Bowling also raises issues such as the ease of buying pointless high powered assault weapons just about anywhere, and American media’s film first ask later attitude towards gun crimes and social and racial issues. Americans are left even more paranoid and hostile than ever before, something the documentary should have set out to end.