The NRA evolved from backing a 1934 ban on machine guns to blocking nearly all firearm restrictions today.
By Robert Spitzer, The Conversation
The mass shootings at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, just 10 days apart, are stirring the now-familiar national debate over guns seen after the tragic 2012 and 2018 school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida.
Inevitably, if also understandably, many Americans are blaming the National Rifle Association for thwarting stronger gun laws that might have prevented these two recent tragedies and many others. And despite the proximity in time and location to the Texas shooting, the NRA is proceeding with its plans to hold its annual convention in Houston on May 27-29, 2022. The featured speakers include former President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.
After spending decades researching and writing about how and why the NRA came to hold such sway over national gun policies, I’ve seen this narrative take unexpected turns in the last few years that raise new questions about the organization’s reputation for invincibility.
Recent Posts
Putin Warns Of ‘Direct’ War As U.S. Mulls Letting Ukraine Use Long-Range Western Missiles
Take Action Now “It is a question of deciding whether or not NATO countries are directly involved in a military conflict,” said Russian…
Biden’s Legacy: The Decline Of Arms Control And Disarmament
Take Action Now The only remaining nuclear disarmament treaty—the New START Treaty—expires in February 2026, and there is no indication that U.S. and…
Both Presidential Candidates Agree: We Need To Stop Arresting People For Marijuana
Take Action Now Further proof that an issue once considered a political hot button has gone mainstream. By Paul Armentano, OtherWords At a time…
Here Are The Members Of Congress Invested In War
Take Action Now More than 50 members of Congress own stock in defense contractors whose profits are soaring from giant Pentagon budgets and…