Does the NRA wield too much power? 'Guns: An American Conversation'

WASHINGTON - Love it or hate it, the National Rifle Association is a major player in America's gun discussion.

In Dallas over the weekend, the organization's annual convention drew roughly 75,000 people, the New York Times reported. President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence were both speakers.

"We will never give up our freedom. We will live free and we will die free," Trump told the crowd, according to an Associated Press report.

Its importance in the shaping of U.S. public policy was brought up for discussion recently in "Guns: An American Conversation," an initiative by Advance Local newsrooms from across the country in partnership with Spaceship Media.

The monthlong project has brought together 150 engaged readers with a broad spectrum of opinions to talk about guns in an honest and civil way. The conversation started the beginning of April inside a closed Facebook group where participants post links to articles, ask questions and discuss issues.

Today's topic: Does the NRA wield too much power?

Around 19 percent of all U.S. gun owners say they belong to the NRA, according to the Pew Research Center.

That same poll also asked about the organization's influence in America.

Forty-four percent of all adults say the NRA has too much influence over gun legislation; and 40 percent say it has the right amount of influence, the Pew report states.

Only 15 percent say the NRA has too little influence.

The organization is so controversial, that even its membership numbers are subject to partisan dispute. The NRA website says it has "nearly five million" members. The 2014 book "Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to Know" by Philip J. Cook and Kristin A. Goss says membership is probably closer to 3.4 million.

Here are some quick facts:

  • The organization was founded in 1871 by Civil War veterans concerned about the lack of marksmanship among Union troops.
  • The organization was largely
  • The NRA itself, which includes the Institute for Legislative Action, had expenditures of $419 million in 2016, up from $312 million the prior year,
  • The NRA's Political Victory Fund, the political action committee, ranks politicians on their friendliness to firearms and contributes money to campaigns. According to the NRA website, the PAC has a $30 million budget.
  • The NRA Foundation, established in 1990, raises money for firearms-related public interest activities. It spent $33.8 million in grants training, education and safety programs in 2016, according to the NRA website.

The NRA did not respond to an inquiry for this story.

So where does the NRA's money come from?

Some comes from the gun manufacturers, but a 2015 CNNMoney report said that personal contributions make up the lion's share of its funds. The report said the NRA had 30,000 donors, with 90 percent of the donations being for less than $200, with an average donation around $35.

Inside the conversation

We asked the 150 participants in the Facebook group if the NRA has too much power. We included an informal poll, the results of which were: 29 people said yes, the NRA is too powerful; and 20 people said no, the NRA is just fine. Two people had no opinion.

This is what a few of the participants had to say:

Amy Johnson of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

"As a Second Amendment supporter, here is why I do not like or support the NRA: I think we can all agree that both sides of the issue want to see a significant reduction in gun violence. Where we differ is how we believe we can achieve that goal.

"People like me do not believe that gun bans are the answer. We believe that we need to address mental-health issues, inadequate medical care for people who need help, ending the stigmatization of people who are 'different,' etc. The NRA pretends to support these ideas, but without fail, they support political candidates who not only do nothing to improve these problems, but often push legislation that will make it worse.

"The NRA has the power to push politicians to make the changes they claim will have an impact on gun violence, but they consistently fail to do anything about it. If they made this change, I would be a lifetime member in a heartbeat."

David Preston of Mobile, Alabama

"I don't believe that they have too much power, I just don't like the way that they use it. Especially when they run social media advertising that says 'join the NRA or lose your guns!' Or 'you're either with us or against us or join us or lose your rights!'

"That type of demagoguery is unhelpful to the discussion, and frankly offensive to me."

Michael Paul Burkardt of New Orleans, Louisiana 

"What's surprising to me is no one goes after the health-insurance lobby or the big-pharma lobby with nearly as much anger as they do the NRA. With all the issues around health insurance and opiod/pill abuse and the astronomical pricing for all of it, the health insurance and pharmaceutical groups are doing enormous damage to the people in this country.

"I'm holding no opinion because I see the NRA similarly to (another participant's) comment about them being the ACLU for the Second Amendment. I don't know that I care for some of the things they have successfully implemented in the past, but similar to what I just said about other industries, the NRA is not the only guilty one (in terms of wielded influence), and I think that other industries do just as much influencing but they don't get the same amount of coverage."

Joe Vargo of Columbus, Ohio

"The NRA has made itself part of the Republican political apparatus by engendering fear, xenophobia, racism and violence among its audiences. It has been used by the Russians to foment discord in American society, and it should be thoroughly rejected by anyone who values American democracy."

Ambar Ramos of Boston, Massachusetts

"As a gun owner, I don't even want to imagine, where we would be without the NRA, out there, fighting for our constitutionally protected rights."

Daniel Boykin II of Denver, Colorado 

"I'm not against, nor do I support the NRA. However, I must admit that they have done a great job at preserving our freedoms and gun rights. Mind you, the Second Amendment protects all other amendments."

What do you think?

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