Last weekend's National Rifle Association convention in Louisville could easily have been mistaken for a Republican campaign rally. Former Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee also spoke...(and) rounding out the NRA's "American Values Leadership Forum" were Republican icons Karl Rove and Oliver North, who are now Fox News Channel commentators.Wouldn't the simpler answer be that because the Republican party has been more adoptive of the gun rights platform for the last 40 years there would be more of them speaking to an audience of gun rights advocates? Elbin leaves out the fact that Bill Richardson, rated A by the NRA, gave a keynote speech at the NRA's "Celebration of American Values" event in September. He also left out the fact the Democratic Rep. Dan Boren was elected to the NRA board of directors during the convention this week.
The second step of this deceitful play is to advocate an NRA alternative that is more friendly to the Democratic party. In this instance Elbin touts the virtues of the American Hunters & Shooters Association (AHSA). The reality is that the AHSA is the real front group. Their directors have worked with and made contributions to a number of groups that want unlimited restrictions on gun use and ownership, such as Handgun Control, Inc. They support making compromises on just about every gun rights issue including assault weapons bans and frivolous lawsuits against gun manufactures. They give lip service but take no action to protect the rights of gun owners. Most recently, the AHSA has endorsed Barack Obama based simply on his empty promises to protect the 2nd amendment and the lone pro-gun vote in his political career. I suppose that supporting the most anti-gun candidate in the race is just another compromise they are willing to make in the name of gun rights. The claim that the NRA is the front group for a political party is a perverse bit of irony in light of this evidence.
Bob Rick of the AHSA goes on to say:
The best way to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms is to reduce gun violence and crime. And the best way to do that is to search for compromises that protect both constitutional rights and the public safety.I have to disagree. All of the parties that he wants to make compromises with have had or currently have the ultimate goal of disarming the American populace. The NRA has taken the lead over the past 40 years in the fight for gun rights. The results have been the passing of concealed carry laws in over 40 states, the sunset of weapons bans that were passed by fear and not fact, the preservation of countless acres of hunting space, successful lawsuits against illegal gun laws such as in San Francisco and Philadelphia, continued legal defense of citizens targeted for exercising their 2nd amendment rights, the softening of gun control on the Democratic party platform, and a sea change in the way politicians talk about individual gun rights (see my previous posts). Kentucky.com can preach the talking points of the AHSA, but when you put the facts and figures next to each other the NRA is clearly the strongest group protecting the rights of American citizens.
Entire story from Kentucky.com here.
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