NRA Once Again Embracing Anti-Government Rhetoric

[kiver]

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...racing-anti-government-rhetoric-90943419.html

NRA Once Again Embracing Anti-Government Rhetoric
PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, April 15

New Study Details Links Between NRA Election Volunteer Coordinators and Tea Party Movement

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifteen years ago former National Rifle Association (NRA) member Timothy McVeigh -- motivated by his fear and hatred of the federal government -- bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Today, the NRA and other members of the gun lobby are again embracing and validating anti-government rhetoric according to the new 21-page Violence Policy Center (VPC) study "Lessons Unlearned: The Gun Lobby and the Siren Song of Anti-Government Rhetoric" http://ww w.vpc.org/studies/lessonsunlearned.pdf.

The study offers examples of the NRA's anti-government language, details NRA marketing to Tea Party supporters, and reveals links in nine states between NRA State Election Volunteer Coordinators, the Tea Party movement, and other factions of the "Patriot movement."

The study's release comes four days before the pro-gun "Second Amendment March" in Washington, D.C. The April 19th event, held on the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing and the federal government's siege at Waco that contributed to McVeigh's anti-government anger, has been publicized by the NRA and received financial support from the organization.

The study finds that, echoing the language of the resurgent Patriot movement, the NRA routinely presents the election of Barack Obama as a virtually apocalyptic threat not only to gun ownership, but to the future of the United States itself.

In a December 2009 direct-mail letter echoing the language of both the Tea Party movement and the Oath Keepers, the NRA urges the reader to join an "army whose highest allegiance is not to any individual or any political party but only to the cause of freedom."

In the letter, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre -- who, speaking at the 2009 CPAC convention, told cheering attendees that "our Founding Fathers understood that the guys with the guns make the rules" -- warns of "...massive armies of anti-gun, anti-freedom radicals marshaling against us for an attack that could make every other battle we've ever fought look like a walk in the park...an attack aimed at completely rewriting our nation's values and the future of our country in ways that you and I won't even recognize."

In the first four months of 2009, the NRA's flagship activist magazine, America's 1st Freedom, profiled key members of the Obama administration, likening them to a "'who's who' of gun-ban advocates."

* A January 2009 article entitled "Beware the Rahm" asked, "Will Rahm Emanuel be able to stab a knife into the Constitution and scream that the Second Amendment is 'Dead! Dead! Dead!?'"
* A February 2009 NRA profile of Attorney General Eric Holder attacked his record under "the infamous Janet Reno," the Clinton Administration attorney general who is widely blamed in pro-gun circles for the Waco stand-off.
* A March 2009 cover proclaimed, "The Whole World is Watching—Hillary Clinton Takes the Reins: Will the new secretary of state defend the U.S. constitution, or will she invite the global gun-ban movement into the corridors of power?"
* An April 2009 cover featured Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with the headline: "What would this man teach your kids? Anti-gun extremist Arne Duncan takes over as Secretary of Education."


The organization now also markets NRA clothing products emblazoned with the Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me" flag, which has become the symbol of the Tea Party movement. The description for the NRA Gadsden tee shirt reads: "What goes around comes around. In the late 18th century, oppressed American patriots voiced their defiance of tyranny by exclaiming, 'Don't Tread on Me!' Perhaps it's time once again for Freedom-loving citizens to rally 'round the legendary slogan of the famous Gadsden flag."

The VPC study states that "the NRA incites its members and others, offering words that outside of the purported protective bubble of direct-mail and official publications would be chilling." It cites an August 2008 NRA direct-mail letter warning of the threat posed by a possible Obama administration: "Our Constitution and our system of government guarantee that every American has the opportunity to write his or her name in the history books of tomorrow -- to leave his or her imprint on the fabric of our nation. But in the end, history is always written only by a select few -- the few who sacrifice of themselves to fight for the causes in which they believe."

The study concludes, "Such language offers benediction to the most violent of acts...Based on past history, the overriding concern should be that the NRA's words may, in fact, once again be revealed as violent prophecy."

The Violence Policy Center w ww.vpc.org is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter ht tp://twitter.com/VPCinfo, Facebook http://ww w.facebook.com/#!/pages/Violence-Policy-Center/284334690298?ref=ts, and YouTube
http://w ww.youtube.com/user/VPCvideos.

CONTACT: Marty Langley, Policy Analyst, 202-822-8200 x109, [email protected]

SOURCE Violence Policy Center

Timestamp:
April 15, 2010 11:38 EST

Contact Information:
Marty Langley, Policy Analyst, VPC, +1-202-822-8200 x109, [email protected]

WebSite:
http://w ww.vpc.org

 

[Larry Legend]

NRA and other members of the gun lobby are again embracing and validating anti-government rhetoric according to the new 21-page Violence Policy Center (VPC) study "Lessons Unlearned: The Gun Lobby and the Siren Song of Anti-Government Rhetoric" (http://www.vpc.org/studies/lessonsunlearned.pdf)

This is all you need to know. Might as well have been a study done by Phillip Morris toting the effectiveness of a cigarette based weight loss plan.

 

[Chris]

New Study Details Links Between NRA Election Volunteer Coordinators and Tea Party Movement

Umm. So?

So... Civil rights activists interested in preserving a specific right can't enjoy participating in a civil rights movement that seeks to simply check the abuse of government?

Oh yea, I forgot - you can't advocate civil rights unless they are the PC civil rights. In other words...

Silly citizens. Pay no attention to that 9th Amendment and listen to us, your overlords, for we know what is best and we will tell you what is proper and improper to fight for. Freedom is following us blindly. Anything else makes you a nutjob.

I don't know what is sadder... That this crap is being reported as news, or that someone might actually believe this drivel.

 

[drgrant]

I see the antis are doing everything possible to further separate and alienate themselves from the bulk of the population. Good luck with that.

-Mike

 

[cekim]

I see the antis are doing everything possible to further separate and alienate themselves from the bulk of the population. Good luck with that.

-Mike

Careful - they have allies in DHS who have echoed these words and worse...

 

[calsdad]

They ought to change their name to the Big Dig Policy Center because they keep digging their hole deeper and deeper.

 

[TimMcG74]

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...racing-anti-government-rhetoric-90943419.html

These people are frightening. This is a very well written piece of propaganda aimed at a specifically targeted, ignorant reader. I love how it implies that the Gadsden flag is symbolic of a dangerous, radical, fringe militia movement. It is one of the most commonly recognized symbols of the American Revolution. I am deeply concerned for the future of this country. Children who grew up without being sufficiently educated in American history or Constitutional law are coming of age, and they are unwittingly consuming a steady diet of the shite written above.

 

[xtry51]

It's so funny to see articles like that calling Tea Party's and Gun owners "Anti-Government". We don't want anarchy, we want small government that doesn't infringe upon our natural rights. Apparently if you're not Stalin or Chavez these days you're just a white right-wing racist wingnut waiting to have slaves and shoot people.

 

[center442]

The VPC =

Their initials should stand for Very Pussified Citizens. This latest drivel from them is no more or less than I have come to expect.

ETA: Judging by the strident and virulent attacks that the TEA party is encountering I would say that they've hit a nerve. Good. Now rub that nerve raw.

 

[Twigg]

They ought to change their name to the Big Dig Policy Center because they keep digging their hole deeper and deeper.

Fits their fiscal police too.

 

[cekim]

The VPC =

Their initials should stand for Very Pussified Citizens. This latest drivel from them is no more or less than I have come to expect.

ETA: Judging by the strident and virulent attacks that the TEA party is encountering I would say that they've hit a nerve. Good. Now rub that nerve raw.

Violent People Culling?

Soylent Green! It's made with people! Long live socialism (because no one else is going to live very long under that system - at least the system itself might as well get some mileage... )

 

[mikem317]

What I always find peculiar is that the Violence Policy Center has focused their attention on what's largely a law-abiding, peaceable portion of the citizenry who happen to privately own guns for hunting, recreation, self-protection, etc. However, 100 million+ people were killed by their governments in the 20th century alone.

And they want defend governments? I thought they were anti-violence. Not pro-violence.

 

[cekim]

And they want defend governments? I thought they were anti-violence. Not pro-violence.

Anti-freedom, pro-violence. What a fantastic political platform - no wonder it is so popular...

 

[soloman02]

These people are frightening. This is a very well written piece of propaganda aimed at a specifically targeted, ignorant reader. I love how it implies that the Gadsden flag is symbolic of a dangerous, radical, fringe militia movement. It is one of the most commonly recognized symbols of the American Revolution. I am deeply concerned for the future of this country. Children who grew up without being sufficiently educated in American history or Constitutional law are coming of age, and they are unwittingly consuming a steady diet of the shite written above.

I graduated HS in 2005. I NEVER saw a gasden flag until after Obama was elected in November 2008. I didn't even know what it is. I payed attention in HS and MS in history. The gasden flag and some of the other revolutionary war flags and symbols were never mentioned. I did graduate from a rather liberal school system. Math and science were unbiased (at least that I can remember). Social studies (AKA history) and language arts (AKA english) were rather biased toward the left with social studies being the worst offender.

Also, we never did much with the constitution. We did something in the eight grade, but I was too young to properly evaluate what I read as I had never seen it before. When I took US history in my junior year we covered it but did not go into much detail. There was no dedicated class on explaining the constitution.

Even though I never had much exposure to our founding documents and principles before coming of age and reading them on my own time I turned out fine. I can think independently and read critically. I blame my parents for not turning me into a mindless zombie who leaches off welfare and votes accordingly.

 

[TimMcG74]

I graduated HS in 2005. I NEVER saw a gasden flag until after Obama was elected in November 2008. I didn't even know what it is. I payed attention in HS and MS in history. The gasden flag and some of the other revolutionary war flags and symbols were never mentioned. I did graduate from a rather liberal school system. Math and science were unbiased (at least that I can remember). Social studies (AKA history) and language arts (AKA english) were rather biased toward the left with social studies being the worst offender.

Also, we never did much with the constitution. We did something in the eight grade, but I was too young to properly evaluate what I read as I had never seen it before. When I took US history in my junior year we covered it but did not go into much detail. There was no dedicated class on explaining the constitution.

Even though I never had much exposure to our founding documents and principles before coming of age and reading them on my own time I turned out fine. I can think independently and read critically. I blame my parents for not turning me into a mindless zombie who leaches off welfare and votes accordingly.

I graduated from Natick High in 1993 and I recall being taught very little about the Constitution in high school. We touched on it a little in Junior High, but at that age a student isn't sufficiently mature or educated to fully comprehend the document, what it means and how it was drafted. My civics teachers in high school were more than happy to talk about the origins of union labor, women's suffrage, Woodstock, Marx & Engles, but the Founders were largely omitted. I learned most of what I know about American government from reading and watching the History Channel. That is more than a little pathetic.

Honestly, given the press that the Tea Party movement is getting lately, I am surprised that no one on the left is making the argument that American Constitutionalism is inherently racist, because it was conceived by slave owning, rich white men.

 

[Larry Legend]

I am surprised that no one on the left is making the argument that American Constitutionalism is inherently racist, because it was conceived by slave owning, rich white men.

I think it is partially because the rich, white, southern slave owners were many times Democrats. AKA, "Southern Democrat". Plus, for some reason, lots of people convenient forget (or are ignorant to the fact) that freed black's owned slaves too. Also, slavery was an already established industry before the colonial era. It's not as if the colonists were solely responsible for establishing the slave industry.

 

[soloman02]

Honestly, given the press that the Tea Party movement is getting lately, I am surprised that no one on the left is making the argument that American Constitutionalism is inherently racist, because it was conceived by slave owning, rich white men.

Its funny you mention this. A black guy called into Rush's program today complaining that as soon as someone brings this up in a political argument with him, he has no rebuttal and loses the point.

 

[upStomp]

I think it is partially because the rich, white, southern slave owners were many times Democrats. AKA, "Southern Democrat". Plus, for some reason, lots of people convenient forget (or are ignorant to the fact) that freed black's owned slaves too. Also, slavery was an already established industry before the colonial era. It's not as if the colonists were solely responsible for establishing the slave industry.

To paraphrase a CATO scholar I once heard speak: "Slavery was not a uniquely American tradition, abolition was."

 

[TimMcG74]

I think it is partially because the rich, white, southern slave owners were many times Democrats. AKA, "Southern Democrat". Plus, for some reason, lots of people convenient forget (or are ignorant to the fact) that freed black's owned slaves too. Also, slavery was an already established industry before the colonial era. It's not as if the colonists were solely responsible for establishing the slave industry.

The word Democrat didn't mean in the colonial/post revolutionary era what it means today. Democratic Republicans, the party of Jefferson, far more closely resembled modern Libertarians than Democrats. They were apposed to strong, centralized, federal power. Not until Andrew Jackson do we see a President who calls himself a "Democrat", and even then, they were quite conservative. my point was that I don't expect the ignoramus race pimps who label as racist anyone who disagrees with the Obama Administration to be able to make any distinction between colonial era politics and the current two party system.