And comments on the carve out the NRA got to a campaign finance reform. A carve out that doomed the speech restrictive legislation.
"When other interests howled, Democrats began tweaking the bill to enlarge eligibility for membership in the category of groups that will have broader speech rights than others do. The NRA's intellectual ludicrousness and moral disarmament is in arguing that the Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms is absolute, but the First Amendment's protection of free speech ("Congress shall make no law" abridging freedom of speech) is for favored groups to negotiate with . . . Congress."
The law was super-crappy, Mr. Will. The NRA was the only organization with enough juice to challenge wording in the Bill. And in doing so they arrived at a win-WIN situation. Either they 'win' by getting a special deal to pursue their single-issue interest, or they 'WIN' by poison-pilling the stinky Bill.
And if you got to the range more and supported ALL the Amendments better, you might see that angle and throw us a bone every now and then, too. Get all more of these conservative interests on the Constitutional page together pushing together. Throw the 2nd Amendment a bone, George.
Look, the NRA is not a Republican organization. Obviously. It's not a Democrat organization either. Or a Women's or Men's or Black or White or Catholic or Free-French... If a large part of the various interests groups get on board with the NRA's one issue, it will stop looking like a GOP organ like is sorta does now and will start looking like something else. But the NRA will, if as true to its roots as it is now, ALWAYS look like a 2nd Amendment organization.
I don't like that, but I understand it. I'd prefer all the groups I like agreed with me on everything I thought. But I'm a grown-up, not some magical thinking fabulist divorced from reality, and I appreciate the NRA for what it is. No more, no less. At least it is good at what it does. Lobby for the 2nd, raise money, and teach people how to safely shoot.
I'm not a George Will fan. He's proved, over the years, to be nothing more than an inner beltway RINO. Bill Kristol is another whom I've no respect. But they and others cower in fear when a real conservative appears.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA is a single-issue organization. That means they view the world, politics and politician through a narrow slit. The viewpoint also means that some democrats get a good NRA grade because they're judged on a limited number of issues. The results is that Harry Reid get a good grade while his 'pub opponent gets a lesser one.
Fair? Yes, given that narrow worldview of the NRA. Do I like it? No. But if the NRA changed, it'd lose its status and respectability.
George Will, meh. The Rear Guard of the Internet Revolution in communications.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA screwed the pooch on this one, though. They should have just said that they were scoring this bill and who votes for it. That would have probably killed it, in this election year.
Then again, I'm really sick of their trimming - giving up a little each year - which is why I'll let my membership lapse. I don't see them aggressively defending the 2A any more. They're following Gura, when they should be leading. This whole thing could get broken wide open if they had the stones to push.
Of course the left and the MSM (redundancy alert) will hate them for it. Here's a News Flash - the left/MSM already hates them.
Like Borepatch I'm sending my membership renewal notice back WITHOUT a check.
ReplyDeleteI've found the NRA to be FAR too "accomodating" recently. My "single issue" is the US Constitution and NRA has sold the Constitution out. Those who describe the NRA as "Quislings" have it right.
My money will continue to go to JPFO and others.