Ashamed To Be a Gun Owner.
It is sad but I am actually ashamed of being a Gun Owner this week. But after seeing the reaction of many of my fellow practitioners of the Second Amendment about the NRA’s “deal” regarding the DISCLOSE bill, I feel I’ve been sharing my time amongst people that sit on their stoops drinking cheap beer and waiting for the welfare check to come in the mail. The voices seem especially loud in blogs and gun forums where the NRA is denounced as a quisling organization selling out to Washington special interests and “throwing other gun groups under the bus.” You gotta love how often this tag line was repeated among the interweb blabbermouths over and over till it became the official Talking Point demonstrating a lack of independent thinking and an overdose of mob mentality.
The DISCLOSE bill is an attempt to bring back the worst of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act of 2002 struck down by the Supreme Court. McCain-Feingold was a dragon that the NRA faced for seven years at considerable effort and expenditure but I think few Gun Owners actually understood or cared much after the 2008 election. The Democrat-controlled Congress is trying to resuscitate this evil zombie once more through DISCLOSE. Again there was little or no enthusiasm among the Second Amendment populace that is until the NRA managed to obtain a tentative exception from the creators of the bill, as they should have done, since their only worry should be their ability to defend loudly the Second Amendment and the rights of Gun Owners. Only then all Hades erupted and the NRA found itself the target of the arrows of inadequacy from those who did not care before but felt betrayed that the monies of the NRA members and whatever results it may achieve were not shared with those that couldn’t care less for the NRA.
I think many fail to see that if left unchecked, DISCLOSE had a great chance to pass. This bill was being crafted stealthily while the Nation’s attention was concentrated on the Gulf’s oil spill. Once finalized, DISCLOSE would have sailed from Congress to the White House for signature in the time it takes for a politician to come up with a lie. If you don’t believe me, just remember that the Health Care Reform Bill was opposed loudly and constantly by the majority of Americans and it is now the law of the land. I cannot blame the NRA for trying to stay vocal when everybody else was watching and fawning over oil-covered seagulls on TV and balls of tar screwing with the summer vacation in Florida, oblivious to what was happening in Congress. It was much easier for the Moochers to find an easier target with a history of remaining silent as not to endanger the defense of the Second Amendment no matter how vile the attacks were. On its last statement, the NRA was quite clear:
The NRA is a bipartisan, single-issue organization made up of millions of individual members dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment. We do not represent the interests of other organizations. That’s their responsibility. Our responsibility is to protect and defend the interests of our members. And that we do without apology.
And now, the Moochers. In its immense majority, the loudest of the loud complaining about the NRA in forums and some Blogs, commenced their denunciations by saying, “and this is one more example why I left the NRA eons ago!” Wait one damn minute. You are not a member of the NRA, you do not contribute but yet you feel entitled to collect the benefits that others have so hard worked for and complain when you didn’t get your free 52” plasma Digital TV in the mail?
When The Moochers asked to what organization they belong, they proudly puff their chest out and proclaim that they belong to a No-Compromise group. When asked about ANY pro-gun legislation has its roots or achievements attached to this No Compromise group, they remain conspicuously silent, try to deflect the issue or mention cases and laws actually brought to bear by the NRA or other groups and pass them as their own (DC v Heller and the Katrina Laws are embarrassing examples of this depraved intellectual looting). The embarrassing truth is that the No-Compromise organizations are just No-Achievement Mobs, who have no qualms in taking credit for events and successes that they were not a part of or even awake when they happened.
It has been open season on the NRA for a long while within the confines of the Gun Rights war. It has been a two front war being the most common the one against Anti Second Amendment groups, Traditional Media, Ultra Liberals and those who see Armed Citizens a direct threat against their thirst for power. And then we have had the shadow wars of jealous and petty people within the Gun Rights movement who hate the fact they are unable to instantly become the 800 pound gorilla that the NRA took years to be.
So, when did some Gun Owners become moochers? Aren’t we supposed to be independent, self reliant and defenders of the Second Amendment and our organizations? When did posture become more important that real work and real results? When did it become acceptable to backstab your fellow Gun Owners because you don’t agree 100% with a gun rights organization? Why theft of achievements has become proper manners and tactics? I know these groups are festering sores not only for the NRA but also for every Gun Owner and Gun Organization that actually cares for the health of the Second Amendment. This has been one of the NRA’s biggest mistakes: by trying to avoid giving ammunition to the opposition, the NRA and other groups have ignored the constant attacks by these organized Moochers. We know that nobody is going to agree 100% all the time, but at least there was an effort to agree to disagree among organizations, to keep the tone civilized and not to snipe on each other. The No-Compromise groups are either too stupid to understand this or too greedy to care (I am betting that membership fees are a great part of the reason for their viciousness) and go on the rampage whenever it suits them and do not mind the damage they can cause.
Now you can bet the Opposition has noticed this divide and they are starting to plan how to use it in the future. They know that AHSA was a small success in diverting attention and misdirecting this administration’s anti Second Amendment agenda and obtaining a few extra votes, but even AHSA has now disappeared, Brady has become irrelevant and they need another wedge to split Gun Owner and that will be the No-Compromise Mob. The NRA and every single Gun Owner that actually cares for Gun Rights must put a stop to the Moochers and bring to light their pitiful selfishness. The Second Amendment cannot afford to carry scorpions on our backs anymore.