Politics & Current Affairs — December 10, 2009

Gunning For It

National Rifle Association members aren’t as afraid of gun restrictions as the Congressmen who impose them, according to The New Republic.

bigthinkeditor

“When it comes to passing sensible gun laws, Congress typically offers Profiles in Cowardice. The National Rifle Association wields power that would make an Afghan warlord jealous because the organization is thought to command legions of one-issue voters ready to punish any deviationism from the never-pass-any-new-gun-laws imperative. Many legislators fear that casting a single vote for even a smidgen of restraint on weapons sales could be politically lethal. But imagine if members of the NRA were more reasonable than the organization’s leaders and supporters in Congress in understanding the urgency of keeping guns out of the wrong hands. NRA leaders, meet your members. It turns out that the people in the ranks actually are much wiser than their lobbyists. In a move that should revolutionize the gun debate, Mayors Against Illegal Guns decided to go over the heads of Beltway types and poll gun owners and NRA members directly.”

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7 min

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with

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