Shortly after the mass murder in Las Vegas, Chris Cox and Wayne LaPierre released a joint statement. I'm pasting the text below, and will post a screenshot of it taken from the NRA website. A lot of folks insist that the NRA is leading the charge to defeat any and all new regulation or legislation that would further infringe upon our 2A rights. That may be, but the statement below calls that into question for me. At best, it shows a level of political naivete that I have a hard time ascribing to the NRA. Stupid they ain't.
If one reads carefully, the problem with the NRA's position is obvious. "Additional regulations" equates to further infringement. Period. One might even surmise that it implies a ban. The words "function like fully-automatic rifles" should give the entire gun community pause. The vague and open-ended wording was reflected in the Florida law, which will be applied to devices other than bump stocks. As written, that law could be applied to triggers, lightweight BCGs, muzzle devices or index fingers. And it will be.
Whatever the motivation was behind the statement, the end result is legislation like Rick Scott signed yesterday as well as the regulation submitted by the DOJ today.
If nothing else, I suppose that now the NRA has a cause to fight and raise money off of. I want to support the NRA, but can't do it at the present time. Once LaPierre and Cox step down, then I'll revisit the issue.
Here is the NRA statement:
"In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented. Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control. Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks. This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world. In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law. The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations. In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans' Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities. To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence."
https://home.nra.org/joint-statement/
If one reads carefully, the problem with the NRA's position is obvious. "Additional regulations" equates to further infringement. Period. One might even surmise that it implies a ban. The words "function like fully-automatic rifles" should give the entire gun community pause. The vague and open-ended wording was reflected in the Florida law, which will be applied to devices other than bump stocks. As written, that law could be applied to triggers, lightweight BCGs, muzzle devices or index fingers. And it will be.
Whatever the motivation was behind the statement, the end result is legislation like Rick Scott signed yesterday as well as the regulation submitted by the DOJ today.
If nothing else, I suppose that now the NRA has a cause to fight and raise money off of. I want to support the NRA, but can't do it at the present time. Once LaPierre and Cox step down, then I'll revisit the issue.
Here is the NRA statement:
"In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented. Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control. Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks. This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world. In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law. The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations. In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans' Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities. To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence."
https://home.nra.org/joint-statement/
Last edited:
