Tags Posts tagged with "NRA"

NRA

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Credit xroads.virginia.edu
On May 2, 1967, Black Panthers amassed at the Capitol in Sacramento brandishing guns to protest a bill before an Assembly committee restricting the carrying of arms in public. Photo: Walt Zeboski / AP

The NRA has been able to convince many Americans that the reason democrats and anti-gun organizations are fighting for more laws enforcing gun restrictions, is because these are the forces vying to take away your right as an American to bear arms. They have even gone as far as to convince people that it’s the media’s fault because mainstream media, “loves mass shootings” and this gets them ratings. The NRA leads the charge in the belief that, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people“, so it’s not more gun laws that we need – it’s more people laws. But, the NRA hasn’t always held this belief, and they didn’t always feel this way in terms of restricting access to guns. Most recently, Philando Castile’s mother called out the NRA for not coming to the defense of her son, who told a police officer he was carrying a licensed gun, but was killed in front of his child and girlfriend, because the officer ‘feared for is life’. Not only is the NRA flaky regarding when they speak out, but they are the pioneers of some of the gun laws that we have today. The NRA was also in favor of stronger gun laws in the sixties, when blacks wanted to arm themselves during the fight for civil rights.

According to Adam Winkler, author of the book “Gunfight: The Battle Over The Right To Bear Arms In America”, historically NRA leaders were in favor of gun control. Not only were they in favor of control, but the NRA lobbied for and wrote gun legislation. In 1963, after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the NRA found out murderer Lee Harvey Oswald purchased his murder weapon from an NRA mail-order advertisement. The President of the NRA at the time, Frank Orth, decided and agreed that mail-order sales of guns should be banned. In a statement, Orth explained,“We do think that any sane American, who calls himself an American, can object to placing into this bill the instrument which killed the president of the United States.”

In the sixties, the NRA took gun legislation a step further. They supported California’s Mulfold Act of 1967; this act banned carrying loaded weapons in public. This was a direct response to the Black Panther Party who marched on the State Capitol to protest this new gun legislation. As the Civil Rights movement grew stronger, more gun legislation was put into place. After the summer riots of 1967, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr and Kennedy, Congress passed the Gun Control Act of 1968. This act added a minimum age limit to own a gun, included serial number requirements, and extended the gun ban for the mentally ill and drug addicts.

Credit xroads.virginia.edu

For most of the 20th century, the NRA lobbied and authored gun laws and legislation. These laws were put into place as the Black Panther party rose to power. By the 70s the NRA started to change their tune after the government raided the house of NRA member Kenyon Ballew. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives raided Ballew’s house, shooting and paralyzing him because they believed he had been stockpiling illegal weapons. After this, everything changed. Instead of creating gun laws, the NRA viewed any act against gun control as a threat to the 2nd amendment. According to an article in Time Magazine, “Today’s NRA could be summed up withwordsuttered by the Black Panther Party 40 years earlier: “the gun is the only thing that will free us—gain us our liberation.

While armed militia in Charlottesville are seen as “not so bad guys” by President Trump, armed Militia of the Black Panther party were viewed as a threat and caused the American government “to form a wholly new urban guerrilla, counterinsurgency, army-like” force: SWAT.And, we can go on and on to discuss how the government targeted member of the Black Panther to ensure they were either killed or jailed for life.

George Curbelo (center) at the protest in Charlottesville on Saturday. Photograph: courtesy George Curbelo

So don’t let the NRA fool you with 2nd amendment rhetoric. Take a look at their long history in order to see how they have created laws that have always aligned with the goals and bottom line of their organization. The NRA’s only interest, is self-interest.

Source: Medium,Time

God’s Kid. Editor-in-Chief of Syllabus Magazine. Concerned Citizen. Gamecock. MBA. Made in Charleston.

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This week the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., will be returning to school after enduring one of the worse school shootings in U.S. history, and suffering through two weeks of funerals for some of their friends and classmates. Because of this deadly massacre, and because of the outspoken advocacy of the students, the gun debate in the United States has gained momentum.

Two anti-gun groups have reached out to one of the largest media outlets in the country in order to push their agendas, and strike while the iron is hot; they’ve decided to send a message to the legislature by purchasing a 2-page newspaper ad. This massive ad will appear in the NY Times, and was funded by two gun-control groups, Everytown for Gun Control and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America – as a wake-up call to America and a call-to-action for every member of our legislature who has sat by year after year, while gun violence has ripped American families apart. The ad reads, “These members of Congress take NRA money, but refuse to take action to pass gun safety legislation.” It goes on to list the names of approximately 100 lawmakers who have accepted money from the NRA. Then, on the opposite page, there is the now-famous picture of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students being escorted by police out of the school, with a statement that reads, “We are children, you are adults….get something done.”

The $230,000 ad is set to appear in the Time’s paper on Wednesday, and not only does it list law-makers’ names, but it also lists their contact phone numbers. This is a part of a strategic plan, to continue a needed conversation and dialogue for Americans to take action in regards to gun control. The goal is for lawmakers to finally take a stand against gun laws, and against the NRA, an organization that has been lining the pockets of politicians for decades. For example, here are the list of lawmakers from South Carolina:

SOUTH CAROLINA
REP. JEFF DUNCAN $12,500 (202) 225-5301
REP. TREY GOWDY $7,150 (202) 225-6030
REP. RALPH NORMAN $10,029 (202) 225-5501
REP. TOM RICE $6,000 (202) 225-9895
REP. MARK SANFORD $12,290 (202) 225-3176
REP. JOE WILSON $20,271 (202) 225-2452
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM $50,946 (202) 224-5972
SEN. TIM SCOTT $18,513 (202) 224-6121

People are tired, and people want action. Putting an ad in the newspaper may seem a little dated, but advocates understand it is a smart tactic. It gives people something to hold on to, something to keep and something physical to share. Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America went on to explain,

“We are having a national conversation right now about this issue. A lot of people want to act. One way to act is to call your representative, to have knowledge when you do of how much that lawmaker took from the NRA and how it might impact their vote on gun safety. To be able to see the list and then to take action is a very important part of democracy. We want to continue this conversation at a national level as long as we possibly can because what really matters is what happens in the midterms. That will determine the future of what laws are made around this issue.”

So, if you’re concerned about gun laws, and you want to make your voice heard, click the picture below for a listing of all lawmakers who’ve accepted funds from the NRA. Make phone calls and take action.

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

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In America, mass shootings have become an epidemic, and there appears to be no movement on how we should control guns getting into the hands of people who should not have them. Some lawmakers and proponents of gun rights organizations have tried vigorously to convince the public that tougher gun laws mean the government is trying to infringe on an individual’s right to carry a fire-arm. Those of us who understand the current plight of this country know that this is not the case.

So why are certain political representatives so adamant about keeping guns in the hands of whoever wants them? Perhaps its because these politicians are able to carry on with their luxurious lifestyles by being supporters of filthy rich pro-gun organizations. When you want to know why it seems to be so difficult to make common sense laws regarding gun rights, all one has to do is follow the cash.

Research organization called Center For Responsive Politics conducted some eye-opening research regarding who’s getting high dollar kickbacks from pro-gun groups in the U.S. In 2016, over $5.9 million in contributions were donated to Grand Old Party’s campaigns compared to only $106,000 to democratic contributions.

$5,900,000 $106,000

given to Republicans in 2016 election cycle given to Democrats in 2016 election cycle

Pro-gun groups love Republicans so much, that more than half of the members of the House of Representatives (235 out of 435) received money from the NRA and Gun Owners of America. Out of the 235 members of the House who received funds, only 9 were Democrats.

The Center For Responsive Politics gathered data for the last 30 years to examine what campaign contributions from pro-gun groups were allocated to Representatives while in office. The amounts are significant.

Check out the details below. Senator Paul Ryan, who has been in office over 18 years, has received the most money from pro-gun groups – over $300,000 during his career. Also, the 2016 political cycle saw more campaign contributions from pro-gun organizations than they have seen in the last 30 years. So, the next time you start wondering about why the government seems to be fighting against tougher gun legislation – just remember to follow the money.

NameAmountPartyDistrictYears in office
Paul Ryan$336,597RepublicanWisconsin, District 118
John Boehner$231,265RepublicanOhio, District 824
Don Young$195,272RepublicanAlaska, At-Large District44
John Thune$181,215RepublicanSouth Dakota, At-large District18
Pat Toomey$167,051RepublicanPennsylvania, District 1512
Ken Calvert$144,466RepublicanCalifornia, District 4224
Roy Blunt$143,543RepublicanMissouri, District 720
Denny Rehberg$138,959RepublicanMontana, At-large District12
Steve Pearce$129,250RepublicanNew Mexico, District 26
Saxby Chambliss$128,950RepublicanGeorgia, District 812
George Allen$127,556RepublicanVirginia, District 78
Richard Burr$124,550RepublicanNorth Carolina, District 522
Richard Pombo$122,694RepublicanCalifornia, District 1114
Pete Sessions$121,776RepublicanTexas, District 3214
Jim Inhofe$121,100RepublicanOklahoma, District 131
John Kline$119,887RepublicanMinnesota, District 214
Rick Santorum$115,942RepublicanPennsylvania, District 1816
John Doolittle$111,193RepublicanCalifornia, District 416
Ed Royce$111,120RepublicanCalifornia, District 3924
Dean Heller$108,515RepublicanDistrict 24
Ron Paul$108,453RepublicanTexas, 14 and 2212
Michele Bachmann$108,218RepublicanMinnesota, District 64
Rob Portman$107,727RepublicanOhio, District 220
Bob Goodlatte$104,900RepublicanVirginia, District 624
Martha McSally$104,445RepublicanArizona, District 22
Mike Coffman$101,693RepublicanColorado, District 68
Bob Barr$101,473RepublicanGeorgia, District 78
Collin Peterson$98,500DemocratMinnesota, District 726

Source: Politico

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

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If you haven’t seen this ad yet, it’s pretty disturbing. It’s the NRA’s way of throwing the rock and hiding their hand as they rally their supporters together with a campaign of fear. The ad ignites Trumpsters by labeling anyone who protests against Trump to arm themselves; the ad infers that people who are not protesting are “law-abiding citizens” while protesters are violent, smashing windows, burning cars, bullying and terrorizing law-abiding citizens. It is propaganda 101, and it is the type of propaganda that will work with a not-so-smart, gun toting, weak person filled with fear.

As far as anyone who has ever protested, we should all take this video as an act of violence and a threat to us personally, and to the democracy that gives a person the right to protest. Spreading a message that protesters are fighting with the“violence of lies” and the only way to stop them is with the “clenched fist of truth” is slowly pouring fuel on the fire for tensions brewing here in the U.S.

Tamika Mallory drafted an open letter to the NRA demanding that they take down the ad and apologize to the American people. The NRA responded by creating another four minute clip titled, “We Don’t Apologize for Telling The Truth”

What we have to understand is that here in America, groups like the NRA believe in the freedom to do certain things, like the right to bear arms, and only those freedoms that benefit them, and people like them. Protesting is just as much of a right as bearing arms, however because it does not fit into the agenda of the Trump administration and the NRA, their job is to turn people against it protesters by doing what they do best, initiating fear.

The @womensmarch & I made 3 demands of the @NRA and we stand by them. We are waiting for a real response. pic.twitter.com/ASKMPye5mV

The founder of the Women’s March are asking that folks join in on a March Against the NRA, July 14, 2017 to show the NRA that women will not be intimidated. The mass demonstration will be held in Virginia, but they are asking that anyone who believes in the rights of all people join in solidarity for the cause.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>On July 14, Women’s March &amp; partners will mobilize a mass demonstration from <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NRA2DOJ?src=hash”>#NRA2DOJ</a>. We will not be intimidated.<a href=”https://t.co/7LkVDeh8TK”>https://t.co/7LkVDeh8TK</a> <a href=”https://t.co/1Ypftlhnsv”>pic.twitter.com/1Ypftlhnsv</a></p>&mdash; Women&#39;s March (@womensmarch) <a href=”https://twitter.com/womensmarch/status/882274668874526720″>July 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

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