In October 2015, a Gallup poll found that 58% of Americans had favorable views about
the National Rifle Association. This is surprising, as a recent mass shooting in Oregon was followed
by calls for stricter gun control, which the NRA directly opposes. The NRA is considered
one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington. So we wanted to know, just how
powerful is the NRA?
Well, the NRA is a nonprofit pro-gun rights organization. Since the 1970s, they’ve taken
an active role in influencing gun control legislation. Their main argument is they are
protecting the constitution, in which the Second Amendment states, “the right of the
people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. This combination of constitutionalism
and patriotism has led to gun rights being promoted as untouchable.
And it’s led to major legislative success for the NRA. Over the past decade they’ve
ushered in laws in a number of states allowing for the use of deadly force when in your own
home, called Castle Doctrine. They’ve also gotten gun ranges exempted from noise regulations,
and even found a way to blocks most restrictions on guns during times of emergency, in some
states.
And yet slightly more citizens support stricter gun control. So, why does the NRA see such
success while the public opinion is almost evenly split? Well, first and foremost, they
outspend gun-control advocates fifteen to one in campaign contributions, with a total
operating budget of about 250 million dollars. But what some say is even more effective than
money is their aggressive membership base. Because the NRA lobbies toward just one issue:
preventing gun control, the NRA’s 4.5 million members are single-minded and incredibly active.
In fact, although gun control advocates SAID that they were more invested in gun issues,
NRA members were found to be four times as likely to donate money or contact politicians.
And despite a steady rise in mass shootings, of which there were 336 in 2014, gun control
legislation has been slow, and seemingly ineffective. The passing of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons
Ban, which prohibited civilian use of semi-automatic weapons and large capacity magazines, was
one of the NRA’s biggest losses. But when the bill expired in 2004, its renewal was
prevented by NRA lobbying. Even in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, a
similar ban on assault weapons was blocked, despite consistent public support of the idea.
The head of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, has replied to arguments that stricter gun control would
lower the rate of mass shootings by saying "The only thing that stops a bad guy with
a gun is a good guy with a gun." But realistically, statistics show that where there are more
guns, there is a higher risk of homicide.
Bolstered by an active base of members, a large war chest, and careful alignment with
conservative Republicans, the NRA has seen incredible success in stopping, and weakening
gun control. But as criminals and the mentally ill continue to subvert existing laws to keep
weapons out of their hands, many are asking if the NRA is actually upholding its message
at the expense of public safety.
But why does the U.S. have so many mass shootings in the first place? Check out this video to
learn about some of the factors.
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