Hypothetical question on the NRA

[bluestateguy]

Hypothetically, let's just say we had mandatory liscensing and registration of all guns with the federal government. Obviously, the NRA would oppose that, but let's say they lost and had to live with it. Now let's say that John Ashcroft's "Justice" Department decided to use the database of registered gun owners to confiscate guns from any person with an Arab, Iranian or Pakistani last name, all in the name of "national security". My question is, would the NRA oppose this? The reason why I am not interested in joining the NRA at this time is that I cannot get rid of the vibe I get that the NRA would much prefer it if only conservative white men owned guns.

[mlawson]

1. Some would say, "I told you so".

Others, I dunno. From what I have heard, not all NRA members are extreme RW on subjects unrelated to guns.

[DoNotRefill]

2. I sure as hell would object and be pissed...

but I'm only 1/4,000,000th of the NRA....

Oh, yeah...I also wouldn't register my guns. Civil disobedience to an unconstitutional law and all that...

[LARED]

3. The last time

I sent in my check continuing my membership, no one asked my political affiliation, my race, my religion, or anything like that. I think the NRA would be 110 percent against the federal government confiscating guns from any group of law abiding people.

[lastliberalintexas]

4. It's hard to say

But I think you might be surprised. Not all NRA members are RW nuts, and we hurt ourselves by assuming that.

You also ought to check out the number of times the ACLU and the NRA have actually teamed up on the same side in lawsuits. Unlike some here, the ACLU does see the gun issue as one of civil rights.

[DoNotRefill]

5. Actually....

if you read the ACLU's statement about the Second Amendment, you'll see that they're DEEPLY divided on it. Rather than risk fracturing the group, they adopted a non-descript position on the issue.

http://www.aclu.org/PolicePractices/PolicePractices.cfm?ID=9621&c=25

[lastliberalintexas]

7. On paper, yes

But time and time again, they have joined the NRA (or vice versa) in suits challenging gun control laws. I have actually been able to persuade a few gun nuts that the ACLU isn't really all that bad because of that fact. :)

[dolstein]

6. Sorry, but the NRA wouldn't just "live with it"

They'd challenge the law in the courts. They'd spend tens of millions of dollars trying to defeat members of Congress who voted for it. And while they might not openly encourage members to break the law by refusing to register their firearm, they certainly wouldn't discourage it.

[Fescue4u]

8. Terrorist with guns has not shown itself to be a problem

In fact I cannot think of a single terrorist attack on US soil that utilized a firearm in anyway.

Nonetheless, Im certain the NRA would oppose it.

The vibe that you are getting is the message put out by the Anti civil rights groups like the brady bunch etc.

Most all gun control laws have racist roots designed to keep guns out of the hands blacks.

[Township75]

9. They would fight it...

why? Because they would view it as a step towards confiscation of all guns from all people. Additionally, they have fought against Bush on campus finance reform, and whatever deregulation of media conglomorates was just passed.

Finally, there biggest motivation would come from their close to 5 million members, of which I am one. Yes, there are lefties, moderates, and other left thinkers in the NRA...if more leftests were outspoken for gun rights, they would find a good friend in the NRA, despite the fact a ton of people on this board start crying at just the thought of it.

[fujiyama]

11. Many of us...

aren't all that crazy about making gun control a big issue in the next election.

I would consider myself a moderate on guns and definetely am not interested in confiscating them from law abiding citizens. Still many of us (inlusing myself) dislike the NRA because the way we see it, they have become nothing more than a schill for the GOP. They have become shrill and unreasonable. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in joining an organization, where Grover Norquist has a high position, even if I'm sometimes sypathetic to what they may have to say (like concealed weapons laws for example). I'm also not very much in favor of licensing and registration (for the reasons stated by the original poster of this thread).

While it's true many in the NRA may be like you or a few other DUers, that's a very small minority of their organization. Most have completely bought into ridiculous lies and propaganda that the dem. party will take their guns away from them. Yes, we have to fight that, but I'm not interested in having the party kiss any interest group's ass.

[Ernesto]

10. WES CLARK

He would be one of them (repuke), but they rejected him. What a man of principle?

[Wellong]

12. There is no doubt

the NRA would object to such actions by the justice department.

When African Americans were finally given the right to vote the NRA was instrumental in teaching and training blacks with firearms for defense and security at polling places. And the NRA often sent members to polling places to help with security in the south.