Earl Ofari Hutchinson
How the NRA Terrorizes Congress – The NRAs Subversion of the Gun Control
Inboxed to all 535 Senators and House Representatives
Free Amazon Reading Friday February 23
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH3TM34
The Florida school massacre is the latest in the by now familiar ritual. There’s a hideous massacre, followed by loud calls from much of the public for Congress to do something, and do something fast, about passing tougher gun control legislation. The calls for action are backed up by polls that show again that a majority of Americans back comprehensive gun control legislation, and demonstration. This time even by the students at the high school where the massacre took place. The proposals include tightening regulations on automatic weapon sales, more stringent back ground checks on gun buyers, and making sure that those with mental challenges be barred from buying or owning guns.
Now, a lot of Democrats repeatedly demand a vote on one or more of the bills that have been introduced on gun control. But their demands for legislative action have meant nothing. The Florida school massacre won’t likely change that. The proof of that came swift and terrifying. The Florida state legislature absolutely refuse to consider any ban on the very type of assault weapon that Nikola Cruz opened with on students and teachers at the school.
The reason that Florida did nothing and the same reason that Congress has done nothing on gun control can be summed up in three letters: NRA.
The NRA has a well-oiled, well-versed, labyrinth of PACs, lobbyists, legal counsels, divisions, funds, and a foundation to make sure that these senators faithfully tow the NRA line.
The assumption that the NRA is basically a front for conservative GOP business and political interests is another bad misread. A big share of the NRA’s campaign dollars went to Republicans; it has been adept at spreading the largess around. In 2012 and 2016, Democrats also received cash from the NRA campaign contributions.
The same Republican and Democratic senators who took varying amounts of campaign cash from the NRA in the two presidential and national elections since 2008 are still for the most part there. The NRA’s scorecard of wins with them is still nothing short of phenomenal.
The NRA has gotten a stupendous return on the tens of millions it has spent on federal elections in 2012 and 2016 and the tens of millions it spent on past elections. In the decade since the assault ban expired in 2004, nearly 20 strong gun control bills have died still born in House and Senate committees. There hasn’t been much movement in the states either to get tougher gun control laws. Thirty-three of the states have the barest minimal gun checks. A dozen others have only slightly more restrictive controls on guns. Florida being only one of the many examples.
How the NRA Terrorizes Congress – The NRAs Subversion of the Gun Control Debate tells the complete terrifying story of how the NRA has held Congress and the nation hostage to its agenda.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH3TM34