NRA extends its sleazy tradition of profiting off guns that kill people

Yes, gun control is the answer to all the violence we are experiencing lately with firearms deaths, particularly considering the massacres of Tucson, Arizona, Aurora, Colorado, and now the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.  And this is why.  We’ve tried it Wayne LaPierre’s way—he’s the CEO of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA)—with the loosest gun laws in the developed world, and it has not worked.  It’s time now to do the right thing and pass reasonable laws to control guns.



How Congress can be held hostage
by well financed extremists

And if the recent bloodbaths weren’t enough to make up our minds, the head NRA scum-bag and his minions have decided that they need more money, and to get it will take advantage of the 12 killed and 58 injured by Wade Michael Page in the Aurora, Colorado movie theatre.  They sent out a solicitation letter to NRA supporters on July 23—the Aurora carnage was July 20—including even people in Colorado.  It ignores the gunfire during the movie completely. 

The NRA lowlife couldn’t have known that in two weeks another disaster concerning guns would occur at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, but they wouldn’t have cared, even if they were profits.  The only things this gang of gun nuts cares about is protecting their precious guns…innocent deaths be damned.  An American tragedy is unfolding in this country on a daily basis as LaPierre and his minions still fight to loosen any remaining gun regulation still in force.

Excellent view on NRA solicitation letter from The Young Turks:

The solicitation letter was from LaPierre and was four pages long—I used to write similar letters selling products and services in the junk mail industry and know how well they work.  Although I haven’t seen an actual copy of this unconscionable drivel, a Republican lawmaker did release the letter and Dan Gross, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said:

“The ‘extremist rhetoric’ LaPierre uses in the letter would offend the ‘mainstream public’ in the days after the Colorado shooting”

Also from my 35 years in junk mail, I know that with the targeting ability when sending out these letters that is available to the NRA, the response is usually large and donations should be significant.  However, in the Bloomberg News article (link above), it signals there may controversy in the rank and file due to the fact that membership dues are down to only 44% of income in 2010 from 58% in 2008.  That’s a drop of 31.8%.  Is the organization losing its member-edge?



One can never have too much ammo

On the other hand, the NRA’s fundraising has seen significant benefits from the 1996 law that did away with interstate sale of ammunition to consumers.  That means that gun nuts, as well as mass-killers, can now buy as much ammunition online as they want to.  And that’s just what Aurora, Colorado shooter Holmes did; he purchased 6,000 rounds.  Then he used it to kill and maim 70 people.  Naturally, the NRA praised the law as the “greatest legislative milestone.”

But in addition to a law aiding mass-killers like Loughner, Holmes and Page, the NRA has taken in $9.3 million since 1992 in connection with the MidwayUSA website that sells ammunition—like James Holmes purchased—and which kicks back a portion of the proceeds to the NRA.  Owner Larry Potterfield simply asks customers to “round up” their orders to the nearest dollar for the NRA.  It is this kind of despicable collaboration between gun nuts that keeps the killings going.