There's absolutely nothing wrong with owning a firearm. If you are so inclined, handle it safely, keep it secure and use it for something, you know legal, like target-shooting or hunting, or even self-protection, fine. It's not worth the argument anymore over guns and personal rights. I'm uncomfortable with the whole Assault Rifle thing, but it's an issue that's not going to be won until people's attitudes fundamentally change about needing a weapon like that.
On the other hand, this NRA effort to defend gun manufacturers goes one step too far. Maybe it's time to not worry about Gun Control, but Lobbyist Control. The NRA is now by having bought and paid for most of the 55 republican senators, controlling the agenda in the senate, and that's a disgrace.
Senate Republicans on Tuesday moved the National Rifle Association's top priority ahead of a $491 billion defense bill, setting up a vote on legislation to shield firearms manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits over gun crimes.
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Gun opponents say the bill effectively exempts gun manufacturers from liability. They also say dealers sometimes allow the weapons to get into the hands of people the law says shouldn't have them.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the gun industry gave 88 percent of its campaign contributions, or $1.2 million, to Republicans in the 2004 election cycle. Gun control advocates funneled 98 percent of their contributions, or $93,700, to Democrats.
Perhaps it really is time to look at limiting the access lobbyists have by forcing them to pay to disclose everything that they lobby for to each congress persons constituents before every race. Onerous? Absolutely, but if some of the voters actually knew what they were getting in terms of how their representatives supported special interests over their interests, we might not see so many of these congresspeople returned to office.
The NRA is the lobbyist arm of the gun manufacturers and dealers. All the warm cuddly stuff about kids learning to shoot and sons and dads hunting together is a lot of BS. The NRA has two core constituencies: far right wingnuts who believe that they need to be armed to the teeth to protect themselves from the US government and the corporations involved in making sure every American has the right to purchase as many weapons (an cop killer bullets) as they can be induced to buy.
