The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
It is an interesting idea. A powerful idea. And it represents the thinking that is necessary these days.
Last week’s column asked when the time will come to talk about gun violence. It was a rhetorical question; that time has long passed. The United States has, by far, the highest rate of gun deaths among developed nations. We also have, by far, the highest rate of civilian gun ownership. It isn’t difficult to do the math.
Anyway, writing about that topic always generates plenty of email, some of it incendiary, much of it thoughtful. And one email this past week was particularly insightful:
I believe that for many citizens in the United States that time is ’bout now. However I also believe for many the question is also how to be heard. To that, I have a suggestion — join the NRA.
Currently the NRA boasts membership of 5 million people. While that sounds like a lot of people, it’s a mere fraction of the total number of U.S. citizens over the age of 18. According to Census Reporter, 78 percent of the U.S. population is over the age of 18. That’s over 254 million people. So, think about it: If, all of a sudden 6 million, 8 million or even 10 million people joined the NRA (Yes! Double their ranks!) with a new voice to be heard, well it may be hard for even Mr. Wayne LaPierre to ignore what the constituency of this organization is striving for.
Membership into the NRA is $45. It may be the most powerful money any of us can spend in the fight for improved gun control and legislative influence.
The writer identified himself as a gun owner and sportsman. That is an important distinction. The idea is not to inundate the NRA with leftists who want to abolish the Second Amendment and seize guns; the idea is to change the organization from the inside into one that better reflects the thinking of gun owners.
Last year, a poll by Quinnipiac University found that universal background checks for firearm purchases were supported by 97 percent of respondents who say they or somebody in their household owns a gun. Among all Americans, a poll last week by Fox News found that 90 percent favor universal background checks and 81 percent desire “red flag” laws that allow police to seize guns from people shown to be a danger to themselves or others. It also found that 67 percent of the public thinks assault weapons should be banned.
These should not be viewed as radical ideas. They are perfectly sensible and would protect the Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners, yet they are staunchly opposed by the NRA. The interesting part is that a majority of those responsible gun owners typically support such measures.
And why not? From 1994 to 2004, the manufacture of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines were banned in the United States, and we managed to avoid martial law or tanks rolling down the streets.
But the most important part of the reader’s email might be its usefulness as a thought experiment. Our politics are so beholden to radical self-interest from both sides of the aisle that it is difficult for anybody in the middle to make their voice heard.
For an example from the left, there is the issue of immigration. Even some presidential candidates have advocated for essentially “open borders.” That is a silly idea that leaves moderate Democrats scratching their heads and Republicans foaming at the mouth or saying, “We’re going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay.”
And on the right, you don’t have to look any further than the NRA to find radical voices wielding more influence than they should have. The best guess is that the organization has about 5.5 million members — the NRA does not release official numbers — and yet it has oversized political influence.
Since the NRA began focusing on politics in the late 1990s, it has held sensible gun control hostage. And when an organization that includes roughly 1.5 percent of the population is able to do that, it is unconscionable for the rest of us to stand idly by.
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