[pwd72s]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
The NRA has done more to train both citizens and law enforcement in the use of firearms, and in firearm safety, that anyone else in the country. Their Eddie Eagle gun safety program for school children has been touted for its quality and effectiveness. Their LEO training programs are the best there are.

The NRA has lobbied for as long as I can remember for tougher punishment for those who would use a gun to commit a crime. They have lobbied (successfully in some states) for mandatory minimum add-on sentences for anyone convicted of using a gun in a crime. They are working as hard as anyone in the U.S. to rid our streets of gun violence.

Bob, you will simply never hear about these efforts through most media outlets. They prefer to paint the NRA as "unreasonable" because they will not give in to the feel-good, proven inneffective, Brady-esque approach to "gun control". To the Bradys of the world, "gun control" = gun confiscation, with the ultimate goal of no private ownership.

Similarly, you will not hear much about Eddie Eagle. It is free to anyone who askes for it. Many schools have refused to show the film, or introduce the material into their classrooms. Why? Because it comes from that "evil" NRA that cannot be "reasonable" about gun control.

What is "reasonable"? We have the innalienable right to keep and bear arms. Groups like the Brady Campaign are trying to reduce, impinge upon, or eliminate that right. The NRA says "no". The Bradys respond with "let's compromise". "Compromise" in what way? Compromise is a give and take - the Bradys and their ilk offer nothing; they only want to take.

I think a good analogy is a burglar in your home. He wants to clean you out, and you say "no". His response is "o.k., let's compromise. I'll only take your T.V. and stereo." Your obvious response is still "no". Now he thinks you are being unreasonable by not compromising with him. That is precisely the relationship between the NRA and the gun control lobby. The NRA's position is one of defending an innalienable right. The gun control lobby's position is to "compromise" by only taking a little of it away.

I find it interesting that most of the gun control lobby has done nothing to support tougher sentencing for those that use guns in crime. As a matter of fact, some have fought stridently against minimum sentencing for gun crime. They still blame the gun, rather than the criminal. They see the NRA's position on fighting gun crime by punishing criminals as "unreasonable".

They see everything about the NRA as "unreasonable" and their knee-jerk reaction is that if the NRA supports it, they must oppose it. This line of thinking seems to have pervaded the modern media as well. I will almost gaurantee you will never hear of any of the good the NRA does outside of the NRA. The media will continue to paint them as unreasonable zealots, because they are standing guard over what we have, and will not allow it to be slowly eroded in the name of "compromise".

Bravo Jeff...well said, 100% accurate, and to the mark. BULLSEYE!