The National Rifle Association, also known as the NRA, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1871 with the original goal to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis.” Additionally, there was a heavy focus of proper shooting sports among America’s youth. It featured multiple shooting programs and developed ranges for members to use and train. Through the use of their magazine “The American Rifleman” members of the NRA were informed regarding firearm bills. With the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934, the NRA formed the Legislative Affairs Division (LAD). The early days of the LAD were not to lobby directly. The purpose of the LAD was to encourage members to proceed with their own action to combat the infringement of Second Amendment Rights by mailing legislative facts and analysis to members.
However, in 1975, the NRA recognized the need for “political defense” of the Second Amendment and formed the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA). In addition to the protection of the Second Amendment, education was a key initiative for the NRA by providing certification for law enforcement officials and the general public. With regards to the general public, “the NRA continues to be the leader in firearms education.” The NRA offers courses to instruct and train individual gun owners. An example of gun education would be in 1988, the NRA established the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program teaching 21 million pre-kindergarten to sixth grade children to
For over 50 years the NRA has been the most controversial and well noted example of an adamant, unwavering, organized, voice as it has arguably inflicted more influence in lobbying efforts than any other special interest group represented in the nation’s capital. Originally founded in 1871, the NRA originated just 6 years after the civil war and just 3 years after the 14th amendment. After just enduring the bloodiest battle in our nation’s history The 14th amendment (1868) granted states the right to further extend the protections available for individual possession of arms. A law of this measure did hold rightful ground, given the climate in reconstruction era America. As an individual right to bear arms would naturally be in higher demand following such a conflict. The NRA was founded to protect the granted rights and to represent a portion of individuals who held these rights dearest. As the essay states “The NRA, as always, speaks for all gun-owners, with respect to the Second Amendment” (Alstyne 5). While it is within our constitutional boundaries to have special interests represented, the NRA has long outgrown its original somewhat transparent roots. Like most
The exact number of gun owners in America is unknown. There are approximately 44 million firearms owners in the US, according to a National Institute of Justice survey conducted in 1994. Looking at firearm production data from 2010, various gun manufactures state the figure is as high as 300 million people. (Agresti and Smith, justfacts.com, 02/12/12). Regardless of the precise number of guns in America they are an everyday reality. For the gun enthusiast there are a number of activities which in some families, have taken on an almost religious reverence. Hunting is engaged in by 23 to 43.7 million Americans, according to a national survey in 2001, conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Generations of families , fathers , grandfathers and sons have enjoyed the great outdoors, refining and taking pleasure in hunting.Target shooting, collecting and self protection constitutes the remainder of “legal gun owners in the U.S. Groups such as the National Rifle Association are the most outspoken and self proclaimed defender of gun owner’s rights. In 2011 the N.R.A. joined a lawsuit to continue its primary role in America. In a court update Chris Cox writes (2011), “The NRA fights to enforce--and extend--gun owners' rights.” Cox’s writing on this case illustrates the divide between state and federal government restrictions, and
Reference groups are actual or imaginary individual or group that significantly influences an individual’s evaluations, aspirations, or behavior. Reference group influences us in three ways: informational, utilitarian, and value-expressive. The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is an American non-profit organization, which backs for gun rights. NRA has been acknowledging its members about gun-related bills. NRA has also been directly promoted against legislation.
The Gun Owners of America, Inc. is an amici group that is a public, non-profit. The organization that was founded by senator H.L Bill Richardson in order to preserve and defend the 2nd Amendment rights the group is now ran by a nationwide network of attorneys. This is a gun right organization with the mission being to preserve the rights of people to bear arms.
The efforts of gun control advocates have been undermined largely by the persistent presence of those arguing the 2nd Amendment protects their Constitutional right to bear the majority of arms in almost every setting. This has occurred despite an ever-changing social climate, where gun violence occurs daily. Automatic, semi-automatic, and assault weapons have become commonplace and account for more than half of the guns used in mass shootings since 1982 (Follman, Aronsen, & Pan, 2016). Advocacy groups, such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, have formed in response to the high
Thinking about taking your child to their first week of elementary school may seem like an easy thing to conceptualize about right? Pack lunch, prepare snack, make sure they have enough energy, and giving them a proper breakfast. These thoughts may be logical prior to the events of December,14, 2012 shooting of 20 children at an elementary school in Newton Connecticut, which left every parents heart in the country broken in fear of their own child's safety. In this essay I will go over interest groups and their role in being apart of the iron triangle of Gun rights in America. In addition, I shall explain the most powerful model of interest group influence, describe each of the important actors in the frame, and close with my reasoning of
The debate over gun control has been raging through the American political systems for years. On one side, there is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and 2nd Amendment-citing citizens who use their firearms for hunting and self-defense. On the other, there is Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) and followers of the Brady Campaign who want to ban guns on the basis that they are dangerous. Both sides have strong arguments, anchored in historical precedent and statistical analysis. Anti-gun control lobbyists’ arguments include the guarantee of the 2nd Amendment, the definition of “militia” as any adult male, self-defense, the relative uselessness of permits and regulations, and court cases in favor of firearm possession. Pro-gun control activists
The National Rifle Association works hard to give guns a positive association, supporting firearms as a symbol of freedom. Since its founding, America has mainly emphasized the protection of citizen rights and sought to place checks on government control. One famous example is the Bill of Rights, in
The organization's opposition to the Brady Bill, a federal handgun law first proposed in 1985, helped to delay its passage for seven years (The NRA Home Page: web). Presently, the NRA lobbies vigorously for the passage of state laws allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons. Furthermore, the NRA has warred to enact legislation in 13 states prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufactures for the misuse of their products. Just this October, a Cincinnati judge dismissed one such lawsuit. The defense, of course, was assisted by the NRA (The NRA Home Page: web).
The NRA is a major proponent of the second amendment. The Constitution’s Second Amendment states that Americans have the
The Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying force of the NRA. “The institute works vigorously to defeat restrictive gun control legislation, pass pro-gun reform legislation, and to educate the public about the facts concerning the many facets of firearms ownership” (NRA, 2011).
With recent rise in mass killings with firearms, the call to ban them has grown considerably. One major portion of the debate is the role that gun manufactures play in the horrible events. It is the stance of the NRA, National Rifle Association, that the manufactures of these guns have no control over the use of the things that they create, that it is on the owners of these weapons to use proper discretion. The author of the article, Michael McNulty, argues in this article that the NRA has lost its true purpose and is no longer looking out for the rights of its members, but the interests of the gun manufactures bottom line.
A key point from the article are how the NRA’s involvement played a role in making gunplay acceptable. NRA’s reliance on the media to support
In 1975, they realized that this was not effective enough. The NRA formed the Institute for Legislative Action(ILA) to focus on the politics that effect the NRA and the Second Amendment. (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