The NRA and Free Speech

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Ridgerunner

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From Dudley Brown RMGO/NAGR, a REAL gunrights organization!

URGENT ALERT: NRA cuts deals to limit free speech
Three prominent Washington D.C. websites are reporting what many capitol insiders warned of: the National Rifle Association has made a deal with the devil (i.e. anti-gun Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) to limit the free speech of Americans in exchange for their carved-out exemption.

While some pro-gun rights advocates may think free speech does not matter or that nothing another gun advocacy group does should ever be questioned, the National Association for Gun Rights and I take a very different view.

Without the right to free speech, we are defenseless in the battle to save our Second Amendment rights.

Let me be clear: restricting our First Amendment rights is the first step to stripping us of our Second Amendment rights, and should be resisted at every turn.

We don’t care who you are or what an organization may have done in the past – we only care about whether your actions will promote or harm our rights.

And frankly, this craven deal by the NRA will damage our gun rights and our free speech rights. After you read up on the facts, I ask you to give the NRA an earful by calling 1-800-672-3888 and insist they renounce the deal with Pelosi and Reid. Believe me, it is not too late if you will get involved.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/06/14/yet-again-the-nra-sells-out-to-democrats/


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38500.html


http://www.campaignfreedom.org/news...out-house-democrats-cut-special-deal-with-nra


Though at first objecting to the DISCLOSE Act, which would radically limit the free speech of organizations and thus, gun owners, the NRA has now agreed to an exemption for their organization (and other mammoth, mostly liberal, organizations like AARP and probably Moveon.org) in exchange for support of the Democrats’ bill.

This legislation would place draconian limitations on the ability of organizations to voice their opinions on politicians, and by extension, their legislation. The chilling effect on free speech would be difficult to overstate.

Along with their tacit endorsement of Senator Harry Reid, the NRA is signaling that they trust the Democrats will spare the Second Amendment from further assaults.

But that’s a strategy of appeasement, and to put it bluntly, it’s insane. It just delays the inevitable.

Winston Churchill addressed this strategy when he said “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

Background:
This is not the only time the NRA has cut a deal to harm gun owners and gun rights in the glare of an anti-gun media frenzy.

Just a three years ago, the NRA joined with arch gun-hater Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) to pass H.R. 2640, the Veteran’s Disarmament Act. When gun control advocates saw the Virginia Tech shootings as an opportunity to pass gun control, the NRA immediately signed the documents of surrender and actively lobbied Congress to pass legislation that will disarm tens of thousands of Americans, including veterans.

Why did they do that? Frankly, they were more concerned with what the media and Washington power-bosses were saying than their loyal-to-a-fault members.

Similarly in 2004 when, desperate to pass the Firearms Manufacturers’ Lawsuits Protection bill, the NRA dangled a re-authorization of the Clinton Assault Weapons ban in front of hungry politicians. The deal was going to be that if anti-gun politicians voted for the Lawsuit Protection bill, the NRA would not oppose re-authorization of the sun-setting Clinton Gun Ban.

Thankfully, a coalition of groups led by the National Association for Gun Rights joined together to kill that deal by exposing it to the light of honest gun owners across this nation... just like we are doing now. In that fight, after a few weeks of excuses and covering their tracks, the NRA backed off of the deal, the Lawsuit Protection Bill still passed and the Clinton Gun Ban ended.

What can you do?
Tell the NRA you’ve had enough, and urge them to kill the DISCLOSE Act, not cut a deal to pass it. Call them at 1-800-672-3888 today, as it may be too late tomorrow.
 

vvvvvvv

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Initially, the Schuler Amendment would have exempted ALL 501(c)(4) organizations. The NRA wouldn't support it until it was changed so that it ONLY exempts 501(c)(4) organizations that:

  • have been active for the previous consecutive 10 years
  • have 1,000,000 or more dues-paying members in the previous year
  • has at least one member in each state
  • receive 15% or less of their revenue from unions or corporations
  • don't use that 15% for independent expenditures or electioneering communications

This is their "answer" the the SCOTUS decision in Citizens United that returned free political speech to corporations. (By the way, the DC Circuit relied heavily on this when ruling that limits on individual contributions are unconstitutional in SpeechNow v. FEC [DC docket 08-5223].)
 

MadDawg

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I can see where small or new 501 c-4s would be upset.

Is sort of warped the way the OP's quoted text went. As if the bill would have ended free speech for all bible clutching, Gawd fearing gun, toting real Americans and the NRA threw everyone under the bus to save themselves.

(Its a real hoot, the AARP is called liberal)

Oh well, the rabble will be shocked and appalled until the Bacholette comes back on.
 

Ridgerunner

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What I read in one of those is that the NRA won't support the bill, it just won't actively protest the bill.
__________________

Wow..what a distinction.

Since the OTHER guys' Ox is being gored...now..no sweat. I guess NOW it passes Constitutional muster...as far as the NRA is concerned.
 

SMS

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The NRA is a 2nd Amendment organization...why would we expect them to expend funds and political capital on a non-2nd issue? Especially in terms of legislation that is not likely to pass anyway.

Twisting it to suggest that the NRA is against free speech is misleading.
 

henschman

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It is SO time to vote these asshats out of office... the ones in Congress, and the ones on the NRA board of directors.

And replace them with pro-liberty people, of course.
 

Werewolf

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The NRA is a 2nd Amendment organization...why would we expect them to expend funds and political capital on a non-2nd issue? Especially in terms of legislation that is not likely to pass anyway.

Twisting it to suggest that the NRA is against free speech is misleading.

Because if their ability to voice political speech is hampered their ability to impact the 2nd will be hampered.
 

SMS

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Because if their ability to voice political speech is hampered their ability to impact the 2nd will be hampered.

They and other organizations are exempt, and the legislation isn't likely to pass anyway....how does this bill hamper them?

These chain-emails are using the same dirty tactics the Left uses....Republicans oppose a bill that grants more power to the EPA and the left runs up the flag "Republicans want dirty water and air! Grab your torches!"

The NRA neither opposes nor supports a campaign reform bill and suddenly they are against free speech? Please.
 

ThePatriotNation

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Update: Wallstreet Journal confirms NRA sellout
Washington is ablaze with news about the NRA’s abandonment of free speech.

Some of you still may not believe the NRA could strike such a gruesome deal with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi on the DISCLOSE Act, which is sponsored by the Senate’s most shrill gun-hater, Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Those of you still not convinced need to view this morning’s Wall Street Journal editorial, which jumped into the fray, decrying the NRA’s sell-out and pointing out that their exemption is not only dangerous but abandons their natural allies.

“Cutting a special deal at the expense of the First Amendment with lawmakers who have decided for now to stop gutting the Second Amendment reveals an NRA that is unprincipled and will be weaker for it in the long run” – Wall Street Journal, 6/16/2010

Or you can check out this story from Roll Call:

“The National Rifle Association is publicly pledging to uphold its end of the bargain with House Democratic leadership over a measure to roll back a controversial Supreme Court decision on political spending.” – Roll Call, 6/15/2010

The NRA response (which can be read here) is somewhat different than you might get on the phone if you call NRA HQ.

Some members are reporting the NRA is responding with “Who, us??” while others report the response as “We oppose DISCLOSE”. But both of these responses are the type you’d expect from politicians, not allies in the fight for freedom (which they aren’t).

But to better arm you in this battle, here is a supply of fact-tipped ammo:

Every news source in Washington, and the NRA itself (in the NRA’s own words, linked above) agree that an exemption for the NRA itself (which would not apply to any other gun rights group) will remove their opposition to the DISCLOSE Act.
The existence of the exemption, in the form of an amendment to the DISCLOSE Act, is not being debated by anyone, only whether or not this deal with the Democrats serves their members (again, read the alert).
Only a few organizations will be exempted, as is the intention.
If gun owners do not have the right to free speech, our firearms freedoms are going away… quickly.
How, after all, can we defend the Second Amendment if we’re not allowed to talk to voters, the general public, or even our own members?

How can politicians be held accountable if organizations cannot discuss their votes? That’s the ultimate politician protection device.

Though the NRA can say it’s a one-issue group (just as we are), mark my words: if we get rid of either the First or Second Amendment, the other is sure to follow.

What can you do?

Call the NRA again, as soon as possible, and urge them to kill the DISCLOSE Act, not cut a deal to pass it. Call them at 1-800-672-3888 today.

http://nationalgunrights.org/blog/?p=530
 

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