The National Rifle Association Opposes Gun Violence, Hollywood Glorifies It
Whenever there is a protest against gun violence, inevitably there are posters denouncing the NRA or even blaming the NRA for gun crimes. Many gun control advocates claim that the NRA loves gun violence and wants even more school shootings so that more people buy guns out of fear, thereby enriching gun manufacturers. Such views are horribly irresponsible and false. Ironically, the firearms industry doesn’t need school shootings to increase sales, they need Democrats to get elected and demand more gun laws.
The NRA and it’s members are horrified and angered by mass shootings as anybody else. Gun owners have families and children; they don’t want them to be victims in tragedies like these. Another reason law abiding gun owner hate these crimes is because it is our 2nd Amendment rights and principles of lawful self defense that are implicated and blamed in these shootings.
The National Rifle Association has always advocated for gun safety. Treat every gun like it is loaded, don’t point guns at anything you don’t intend to shoot, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. When you pick up a gun, check to see if it is loaded (ahem Alec Baldwin).
There are never murders committed by NRA members, so the accusation that NRA kills people is absurd. Most gun killings are committed in Democrat controlled cities where gun laws are strict. It can be said with confidence that none of the gun crimes anywhere are committed by NRA members; if there were, it would make national headline news.
The NRA has NEVER told anybody to shoot somebody if you are mad at them, or that guns are great for robbing people, or killing large numbers of people with guns is wonderful. Go to a anti-gun violence protest and that is the narrative you hear and see.
There is one industry that does support gun violence: the entertainment industry. Movies and TV shows have entertained Americans with scenes of bullets and bloodshed for decades. The old westerns had cowboys shooting Indians or the bad guys with just a few gunshots. That apparently was too tame, movies progressed into pure mayhem since the 1960’s. By the time a child becomes an adult, they have witnessed hundreds if not thousands of gun killings. And why does Hollywood promote so much killing? For money, profits, greed. Things that liberals denounce.
Some of the loudest critics of the NRA are liberal Hollywood actors who make millions of dollars pretending killing people is glamorous, fun, macho (ahem, Alec Baldwin). Where are the signs denouncing Hollywood’s glorification of gun violence at these gun protests? Apologists for the movie industry claim you can’t prove watching movies causes crime. Besides, it’s only make believe. If gun banners want to correlate high numbers of guns with gun crime, then it is equally valid to connect violent entertainment and gun crimes. After all, guns aren’t watching the movies or committing the crimes, it is people who have been entertained with violence all their lives who commit the crimes.
There are many other factors to discuss regarding violent gun crime. Poverty, the War on Drugs, the breakdown of families are some factors in gun violence. The entertainment industry should be included in the discussion. Democrats have their easy scapegoat to blame, the NRA, but don’t want to face how their own constituents contribute to the epidemic of violence.
Do I want to put limits on the 1st Amendment? No, absolutely not, free speech is vital for a free nation. The 2nd Amendment affirms the right of the people to keep and bear arms, the same people as in the 1st Amendment.