NRA Assault
D. S. Mitchell
NRA Strategy
In an article for The Hill, Tim Devaney highlighted a change of strategy by the NRA. For the last 8 years the NRA has been kept on the defensive by the Obama Administration. With the installation of the Trump Administration it is full-bore ahead, shaping policy and writing bills favoring the NRA and its activist activities.
I Like The Second Amendment
I believe the 2nd Amendment is sacred. It’s the best defense the citizenry has against a President that wants to overstay his welcome. We have seen it in the banana republics, where the generalissimo hangs on after an election. About 36,000 people died from gun violence last year. I do not feel it makes sense for the Congress to roll back regulations on guns. The NRA has engaged in heavy lobbying efforts (that means money, vacations, gifts etc). The mentally disabled should not have access to guns. The Republican House reversed a Obama Administration regulation inside Social Security to restrict gun ownership. There are similar regulations in VA rules, and it is expected that the House will also rescind those.
Easy Access Not A Good Idea
A bit scary. I’ve worked with the mentally ill. I was an RN for many years and worked in Crisis Psychiatry a large part of the time. There are a number of the folks I’ve worked with that I would be very uncomfortable with if I knew they had bought a gun. If someone can’t discern real voices from those in their head, can’t manage their finances, and is a danger to themselves or others, I do not believe they should have easy access to gun purchases.
A Threat To Society
The point of this post is to alert the public to yet one more threat to our society. “The gun lobby was one of the first to support Donald Trump, and now that he won and their friends control Congress, they are going to expect a return on that investment,” former Rep. Gabby Giffords said recently. Ms Giffords survived a mass shooting. She now fronts for Americans for Responsible Solutions.
PAC Support
First and foremost, the NRA is seeking a far right conservative for the Supreme Court: a Second Amendment purist. The NRA is ready to spend big money to make sure Trump’s nominee wins confirmation. Wonder if they aren’t some of the PAC money behind the support Neil Gorsuch ads running nationwide? If he gets appointed, Constitutional law professor, Adam Winkler commented, “That’s 30 years of votes, against gun control.”
NRA Wants To Rewrite Laws
In addition to the Supreme Court, the NRA wants to expand the concealed carry laws across state lines. They want to relax restrictions on the use of sound suppressors by hunters. Sound suppressors are in fact, silencers. NRA spokesperson, Jennifer Baker said, “For the first time in a decade, we are shifting from a defensive stance to a pro-active stance.” The NRA was a big and early supporter of Trump and dumped at least $30 million into his campaign. The gun lobby and Trump are close. This election will have deep and profound consequences. Far worse than even what many of us most pessimistic observers foresaw.
Hair Pulling Moments
I’m pulling my hair out as we navigate this new political quagmire. Since I write a political blog, I try to keep up on the Bills going through Congress, but this one was so quiet and so fast, considering the enormity of the issues it effects, I hardly heard a whimper from the left. Calamity News and Politics has written very little about this topic. I am sure that it will be back in the spotlight sooner, than later, and I can address it in a deeper and more thoughtful article at that time.
All I can do is to keep screaming. Is there anyone listening?
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