NRA: Debate Over Gun Control in America

After the contend, somewhat retired officers remembered the lessons of the war and founded the National give-up the ghost Association as a course of instructing members in the use of firearms. The NRA has nurtured affiliate rifle clubs in all state, raised competitive pip to the level of a full-strength sport, encouraged excellence at arms in the array services, and prep ard many peacetime citizens for the difficult role of wartime riflemen. Mitchell states that by 1978 the social rank had reached 1.2 million dues-paying members, 300 employees, $26,400,000 in securities, a multimillion- clam headquarters twist in Washington, D.C., 37,707 acres of refreshful Mexican real estate, and an write down budget of more(prenominal) than $16,500,000, of which one-quarter was spent by its aggressive lobbying organization, the plant for Legislative Action. Mitchell writes:

The priorities of the NRA are reflected in this budget, and they are quite distinct from the pressing martial concerns of a century ago. For every dollar spent directly in 1976 on such tranquil programs as hunter safety education and competitive shooting matches, two were shelled out in the volatile arena where gun-owner 'rights' and NRA goals are under constant attack by proponents of gun sum across (p. 7).

Mitchell finds that in the early days of the NRA, the organization addressed itself entirely to the issue of target shooting and proper handli

ng of weapons. Membership remained small until the signing of frequent Law 149 by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 authorizing the sale, at cost, of overabundance military small arms and ammunition to rifle clubs get together the specifications of a newly created National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice. One of the specifications was that for any rifle club to be considered for the program, it had to be approved and sponsored by the National Rifle Association. The NRA experienced a period of growth during and after World War II both in terms of landed estateal prestige and the size of its membership. The American perception of the NRA during all this time was not controversial.

It was during the 1950s, as the country was pursuing new directions, that the NRA also shifted its emphasis to the legislative debate over gun control (p. 9).

Sherrill, Robert, The Saturday Night Special. New York: Charterhouse, 1973.

The NRA has been effective in spite of the fact that more and more the organization appears to be at odds with the majority of the American people, shown by polls to be in favor of some gun control as a result of a fear of crime and the realization that there are millions and millions of guns in circulation. This conflict is likely to do some damage to the NRA in the future and has already caused the organization to lose or to come close to losing some battles. The NRA has considerable power because this is a nation with 70 million gun owners in a nine where guns mean prestige and glamour, rightly or wrongly. The NRA has placed guns at the center of its members' social and political faith. Lacayo (1990) notes that the reputation the NRA once enjoyed as an invincible lobbying group has been tarnished in recent years as the group has been forced to accept legislation that it resisted at first, including laws to cast out "cop killer" bullets that pierce protective vests and plastic guns that could cross metal detectors at airports. More and more the NRA
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