Why does the NRA insist on keeping the gov't?

[Makeushiver]

controls from affecting gun ownership. On the other hand, the NRA is strongly in favor on strict laws on behaviors like recreational drug or consensual sexuality. If there is anything noble about insisting U. S citizens being allowed to arm themselves why are the vast majority of NRA members so strongly against individuals being allowed to take recreational drugs and/or choosing the sexual orientation they decide they should be? I am a gun owner though not now nor ever would be a member of the NRA. It seems that the only issue they care about is the ability to buy guns that have no legitimate use outside of the military. They won't own up to the reason being "because we want them and we profit from them". Instead they blather on about lofty principles such as self determination but do not apply that to anything other than the narrow agenda they hold onto with dear life.

[WindAtMyBack]

The NRA has nothing to do with drug use or consensual sex. I don't know where you got that from.

"the narrow agenda"

Of course they have a narrow agenda. They are a gun group, so their agenda is guns. The narrow agenda of AAA is automobiles. The narrow agenda of the Sierra Club is the environment. There are thousands of groups for people with difference interests, and every one of them has a narrow agenda related to that interest.

The NRA is a group of people with a common interest like any other group. It's about people with some kind of interest in firearms. It may be shooting sports, hunting, military, law enforcement, collection, or whatever. Police actually are some of the biggest supporters of the NRA, for obvious reasons.

People think the NRA is some kind of lobbying group. They are not. They created a lobbying branch when they were a century old, because that's when guns really came under attack. It was never needed before that. But that is not what they are about. It is not their purpose for existing. It's only a small part of the NRA.

They fight for the right to have guns because we DO have that right. But that is not their main purpose. It's something they were forced into. And you should hope that there are groups willing to come to the defense of any other right that comes under attack.

[Makeushiver]

I know they don't. In fact they were asked on National Public Radio about that. They were very strongly against many victimless crime. But they do blather on about individual liberties, If they actually had any stance on freedoms from gov't supervision- which they claim they do. Why is it restricted to their favorite toys and nothing else.

[WindAtMyBack]

Compared to most groups, the NRA is far more focused on their core.

By the things you say, it's obvious that you don't like guns. It's also obvious that you know very little about the NRA. Of course they will focus on guns, that's what they exist for.

As far as drugs, sexuality, and stuff like that. they have nothing to do with it. I was an NRA member for 20 years, and I don't think anything like that ever once came up in any kind of official documents or their magazines.

They do push law enforcement, for a couple of reasons. First, because of the nature of their organization, police are MAJOR supporters of the NRA, and make up a major part of their membership. Another aspect of law enforcement is that the legal system allows hardened criminals out on the street, and law abiding citizens get punished for it.

Lack of law enforcement directly affects legal gun owners. So absolutely they push for it.

[NamerOfStars]

If you don't understand why we need civilian ownership of "guns that have no legitimate use outside of the military", then you clearly don't get the point of the second Amendment. It's not about muggers, it's about soldiers. The fact that the military is allowed ANY weapons that civilians aren't should worry you.

[Makeushiver]

Exactly, operating in an organized militia. The military is restricted in when and where they can use those weapons. I tinhk older rifles and shotguns are sometimes beautiful in the craftsmmanship that went into them. Handguns are an unfortunate option but I've been in situations where I know there would be no governmental protection available so they get a pass. But what does a semi-automatic, plastic, ugly piece of shit semi-auto weapon with the option to make it fully auto need to be available from places like gun shows where whatever pathetic legislation the NRA hasn't bribed out of existence and easily bought anywhere w/ no registration need to be in the hands of someone who thinks the solution to him being a loser is to go out and shoot as many elementary school kids that he can find. Also, it doesn't answer my question which was why does the NRA who hides behind some made up noble principles about individual liberty not apply to anything besides their testosterone replacement therapy, guns.