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My original title for this post was "Let's De-Fund the NRA." Then I watered it down to something about the NRA being accountable. And then I ramped it up after seeing this update where the NRA actually dared to deny their own lobbyist's arrogant, authoritarian, flippant attitude toward public reaction to the Newtown shootings, calling it the "Connecticut Effect," a thing to wait out until public memories fade.
Remember this jerk when you hear Republicans and the NRA whine about how divisive Democrats are. Because it isn't Democrats who said flatly, "No, we're not going to do that." And then remember how the NRA lies when it suits them to do so:
Via ThinkProgress:
Now, the NRA is attempting to disavow any association with Welch or its Wisconsin chapter. In an email to TPM on Tuesday, the NRA wrote that “Bob Welch is neither a staff lobbyist nor a contract lobbyist for the National Rifle Association. He does not speak for the NRA.”
That's a flat-out, straight-up lie, as Scott Keyes explains.
The NRA’s attempt to claim no association with Welch and its Wisconsin state chapter is laughable. Welch is a registered lobbyist for the Wisconsin NRA group, known as WI-FORCE (Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges, Clubs & Educators), so any association between WI-FORCE and the NRA is an association between Welch and the NRA.
I think the NRA should be defunded in the same way the right wing has acted to defund schools. Some ways to do it: Sue them for liability in every single gun death inflicted with malice and intent to kill, put a transaction tax on their asset transactions, impose fees and penalties for all manner of things, and call for an end to secret fund transfers between non-profits, which is how many organizations duck their NRA contribution reporting.
I'm all for constitutional respect, but I'm done with these arrogant idiots who just shrug every time someone dies because of their undying love for gun manufacturer profits and their fetish with weapons of mass killing. Especially when they lack the character to own it. If they don't want to own what they do behind closed doors, there's no reason to consider them trustworthy about anything at all.
I'm over it. As far as I'm concerned, they can get on board with the sensible and moderate proposals on the table or they can cease to exist with any power or say in how this country is governed.
