-=> Quoting Paul Nixon to All on 06-03-96  19:02 <=-
 Re: nra
 PN> The following was asked of me today.  I have an answer...but it's
 PN> only one answer.
 PN> Anybody who'd like to comment I'll pass along, he'll get wider
 PN> perspective that-a-way.  Thanx.
 PN> Begin included text:
 PN> I read somewhere the other day that only something like 12% of the NRA
 PN> membership bothered to vote for the association's leadership.  The
 PN> inference made was that perhaps the NRA would be more amenable to
 PN> "reasonable" gun control laws if the average member was voting for the
 PN> orginization's policies.  Comments?
There is only one answer, but there are about 5 different tacks on it.
On what basis do they presume that the 12% who vote are not
representitive? Or to reverse the argument, what percent of US citizens
(not simply registered voters) voted in the last presidential election?
Yet they still believe the people "have spoken" in that case. There is no
basis to believe either that the 12% (if that's what it was) who voted in
the NRA elections were not representative of the geneeral membership. And
even if they were not, it may not make us more amenable to "reasonable"
gun control laws.
If they survey the membership - including especially on the definition of
"reasonable" gun control laws - then they might have a basis for their
remarks. By definition, every single person is in favor of whatever they
consider to be reasonable laws (gun control or otherwise), so unless you
ask how they interpret the term you don't know what was just agreed to.
Of course, to me - as fundamentally a Libertarian - any law which
dictates prior restraint is unresonable. But that's me. It may well be
that Tanya, Marion, Neal and Wayne do believe that some small amount of
gun control is reasonable (as in, I don't speak for them or for the Board
of Directors). Though obviously, said small amount doesn't include the
assault-weapons ban. They have supported (in a limited fashion) an
instant check system as a "reasonable" control.
In other words, the question is both unconscionably vague and completely
without basis. There is no possible answer due to the vagueness, but I'm
not even sure it is a valid question.
Steve
... The NRA is not a lobby, it is a social movement.
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