From the Bearing Arms blog;
The NRA bills itself as the nation’s oldest civil rights group, and I think that’s a pretty accurate picture. They’ve arguably been one of the more effective groups, at least over the last few decades. After all, how many other groups are used as the boogieman for an entire movement?
In fact, the the NRA name is brought up as a proxy for all gun rights groups, which is probably equal parts infuriating and flattering to them, I’d think.
But are they dying?
An article at Newsweek tries to make the case that it is.
Declining membership and money is never a good thing. But I would agree with the author's bottom line.
Look, I can be critical of the NRA and I feel there are legitimate reasons to be critical of them. However, while this article isn’t as biased as many I’d expect to see at a place like Newsweek, I think reports about the demise of the NRA are premature.
Moreover, the power of the NRA has always been as a beacon for gun rights supporters, even those who aren’t formally members of the group. As gun sales are still through the roof, the celebratory gun control groups that the author also talks about should face one very real fact of life: Even if the NRA goes away, the gun rights effort will not, and I don’t see the NRA going away any time soon.
The NRA bills itself as the nation’s oldest civil rights group, and I think that’s a pretty accurate picture. They’ve arguably been one of the more effective groups, at least over the last few decades. After all, how many other groups are used as the boogieman for an entire movement?
In fact, the the NRA name is brought up as a proxy for all gun rights groups, which is probably equal parts infuriating and flattering to them, I’d think.
But are they dying?
An article at Newsweek tries to make the case that it is.
In 2013, Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association, boasted that the advocacy group was experiencing unprecedented growth and was on track to have 10 million members.
Ten years on, that’s not how things have worked out. In fact, the NRA‘s membership has shrunk to less than half that, according to some reports, and with declining membership have come declining revenues. That’s a cause for celebration among anti-gun groups, who have told Newsweek it is proof that Americans are increasingly outraged by gun violence.
The truth is not quite so simple—but it is clear that the NRA is fading fast from what was once a central position in U.S. politics.
Declining membership and money is never a good thing. But I would agree with the author's bottom line.
Look, I can be critical of the NRA and I feel there are legitimate reasons to be critical of them. However, while this article isn’t as biased as many I’d expect to see at a place like Newsweek, I think reports about the demise of the NRA are premature.
Moreover, the power of the NRA has always been as a beacon for gun rights supporters, even those who aren’t formally members of the group. As gun sales are still through the roof, the celebratory gun control groups that the author also talks about should face one very real fact of life: Even if the NRA goes away, the gun rights effort will not, and I don’t see the NRA going away any time soon.