The NRA is losing its grip — on reality and politicians
Feb 26, 2018 22:06:12 #
Copy and paste from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-nra-guns-money-trump-20180226-story.html
National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre and spokeswoman Dana Loesch have in recent days helped pull back the curtain on the mindset of the NRA. This is not a group that wants responsible gun ownership. (Do responsible people have a weapon of war designed purely to k**l as many people as possible as fast as possible?) This is not a group that is focused on making cogent arguments about gun legislation. Instead, like President Donald Trump and Fox News, the NRA now operates in the fever swamp of what used to be a conservative party. Now, it's a cult based on the preservation of Trump, a cult that requires conspiracies, bizarre rhetoric and out-and-out lies to keep its members in a high-pitch frenzy.
LaPierre ranted at the Conservative Political Action Conference, "If they seize power, if these so-called European socialists take over the House and the Senate, and God forbid they get the White House again, our American freedoms could be lost and our country will be changed forever." If someone were mumbling like that at a bar, the bartender would be obligated to cut off his drinks.
The NRA's arguments no longer depend on or even include facts; they are tribal calls to signal that it's time for the faithful to toss away rational debate. (What about all the people saved by guns?! Any cursory look at the facts would tell you that's a horrible argument, but it's part of the NRA playbook. It's what the NRA crowd says because ... socialists are out to get them?)
When LaPierre cautions the CPAC crowd that he's not talking about armed r*******n (was anyone??), he's showing some rhetorical leg. He's hinting (Who knows? "Some people say ..." as the president likes to tell us) there might be an even wilder, weirder edition of the NRA gospel to come. (Is telling us that he's not for armed r*******n supposed to make his hyperventilating speech sound saner?)
Loesch gave her own vitriolic rant at CPAC (as she does regularly in her NRA propaganda ads). She didn't bother with the dogwhistle at CPAC; she brought out the bullhorn on race and liberal media, two of the hot-button issues that bind Trumpkins together these days. "Many in legacy media love mass shootings. You guys love it," she declared. "I'm not saying that you love the tragedy, but I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you and many of the legacy media in the back." That's not an argument; its defamation.
On the Sunday shows, Loesch dialed back her nuttery, but her position was just as extreme and unbending as it has always been. On ABC's "This Week," she sought to shift blame to the police and FBI and falsely insisted that almost all gun sales are covered by a background check anyway. (Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler found "22 percent of gun owners who reported obtaining a firearm in the previous two years did so without a background check. Among purchased firearms, the figure was 13 percent. The number was zero for gun shows, but 45 percent for online sales, but the sample sizes were very small. Among nonpurchased firearms (such as gift or inheritance), 57 percent reported not having a background check.") Loesch refused to acknowledge that the assault-weapons ban reduced the number of mass k*****gs and tried to pass off Trump's flirtation with an increase in the age requirement as "just things that he's discussing right now." (The message: He's still on the NRA's short leash.) Asked whether there is "any new proposal you're willing to support now that you weren't supporting before," she filibustered. In other words: No.
David Hogg, one of the surviving students now leading a movement to curtail weapons of war and organizing the March For Our Lives, immediately followed. His candor was refreshing:
"Honestly, it's just d********g. They act like they don't own these politicians. They still do. It's a Republican-controlled House, Senate, and executive branch. They can get this stuff done. They've gotten gun legislation passed before in their favor, in the favor of gun manufacturers. And what I want people to know is look at Dana. Look at what she saying, is she actually saying anything or is that just a tone to distract the American public and distract her NRA members from the fact that she's not serving them? She is serving the gun manufacturers. She's not serving the people of the NRA, because the people that are joining the NRA, 99.9 percent of them are amazing people that just want to be safe, responsible gun owners. And I fully can support that."
National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre and spokeswoman Dana Loesch have in recent days helped pull back the curtain on the mindset of the NRA. This is not a group that wants responsible gun ownership. (Do responsible people have a weapon of war designed purely to k**l as many people as possible as fast as possible?) This is not a group that is focused on making cogent arguments about gun legislation. Instead, like President Donald Trump and Fox News, the NRA now operates in the fever swamp of what used to be a conservative party. Now, it's a cult based on the preservation of Trump, a cult that requires conspiracies, bizarre rhetoric and out-and-out lies to keep its members in a high-pitch frenzy.
LaPierre ranted at the Conservative Political Action Conference, "If they seize power, if these so-called European socialists take over the House and the Senate, and God forbid they get the White House again, our American freedoms could be lost and our country will be changed forever." If someone were mumbling like that at a bar, the bartender would be obligated to cut off his drinks.
The NRA's arguments no longer depend on or even include facts; they are tribal calls to signal that it's time for the faithful to toss away rational debate. (What about all the people saved by guns?! Any cursory look at the facts would tell you that's a horrible argument, but it's part of the NRA playbook. It's what the NRA crowd says because ... socialists are out to get them?)
When LaPierre cautions the CPAC crowd that he's not talking about armed r*******n (was anyone??), he's showing some rhetorical leg. He's hinting (Who knows? "Some people say ..." as the president likes to tell us) there might be an even wilder, weirder edition of the NRA gospel to come. (Is telling us that he's not for armed r*******n supposed to make his hyperventilating speech sound saner?)
Loesch gave her own vitriolic rant at CPAC (as she does regularly in her NRA propaganda ads). She didn't bother with the dogwhistle at CPAC; she brought out the bullhorn on race and liberal media, two of the hot-button issues that bind Trumpkins together these days. "Many in legacy media love mass shootings. You guys love it," she declared. "I'm not saying that you love the tragedy, but I am saying that you love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you and many of the legacy media in the back." That's not an argument; its defamation.
On the Sunday shows, Loesch dialed back her nuttery, but her position was just as extreme and unbending as it has always been. On ABC's "This Week," she sought to shift blame to the police and FBI and falsely insisted that almost all gun sales are covered by a background check anyway. (Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler found "22 percent of gun owners who reported obtaining a firearm in the previous two years did so without a background check. Among purchased firearms, the figure was 13 percent. The number was zero for gun shows, but 45 percent for online sales, but the sample sizes were very small. Among nonpurchased firearms (such as gift or inheritance), 57 percent reported not having a background check.") Loesch refused to acknowledge that the assault-weapons ban reduced the number of mass k*****gs and tried to pass off Trump's flirtation with an increase in the age requirement as "just things that he's discussing right now." (The message: He's still on the NRA's short leash.) Asked whether there is "any new proposal you're willing to support now that you weren't supporting before," she filibustered. In other words: No.
David Hogg, one of the surviving students now leading a movement to curtail weapons of war and organizing the March For Our Lives, immediately followed. His candor was refreshing:
"Honestly, it's just d********g. They act like they don't own these politicians. They still do. It's a Republican-controlled House, Senate, and executive branch. They can get this stuff done. They've gotten gun legislation passed before in their favor, in the favor of gun manufacturers. And what I want people to know is look at Dana. Look at what she saying, is she actually saying anything or is that just a tone to distract the American public and distract her NRA members from the fact that she's not serving them? She is serving the gun manufacturers. She's not serving the people of the NRA, because the people that are joining the NRA, 99.9 percent of them are amazing people that just want to be safe, responsible gun owners. And I fully can support that."
Feb 27, 2018 10:25:37 #
crazylibertarian
Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island
Rumitoid and his liberal allies have never, evidently considered the parity of weapons at the disposals of the British vs. the colonists during our War for Independence. How would such an uprising succeed today under the proposed gun controls?
What is extreme & unbending are the liberals' reactions.
As a high school student David Hogg is at a perfect age to appreciate the virtues of gun control.
What is extreme & unbending are the liberals' reactions.
As a high school student David Hogg is at a perfect age to appreciate the virtues of gun control.
Feb 27, 2018 22:57:58 #
crazylibertarian wrote:
Rumitoid and his liberal allies have never, evidently considered the parity of weapons at the disposals of the British vs. the colonists during our War for Independence. How would such an uprising succeed today under the proposed gun controls?
What is extreme & unbending are the liberals' reactions.
As a high school student David Hogg is at a perfect age to appreciate the virtues of gun control.
What is extreme & unbending are the liberals' reactions.
As a high school student David Hogg is at a perfect age to appreciate the virtues of gun control.
Okay. Ty for sharing.
Feb 28, 2018 11:24:52 #
Just joined the NRA, along with many others. The NRA don't need the politicians they have us, we'll get the politicians in line rest assured !!!!!!
Feb 28, 2018 22:05:53 #
TrueAmerican wrote:
Just joined the NRA, along with many others. The NRA don't need the politicians they have us, we'll get the politicians in line rest assured !!!!!!
No doubt. Money talks with the Right and Left.
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