The Laws that Perpetuate Tragedy and the Organization that Makes Them Possible: Guns & the NRA
- Markie Anderle
- Jun 16, 2016
- 3 min read
When Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012, the scrutiny of Florida's "stand your ground" law was heightened. Florida's law permits the use of force in any instance where a person is lawfully abiding and feels a perceived threat or direct threat to their physical safety. The law can be broadly interpreted, and the jury in the trial which ultimately resulted in the acquittal of all charges for Zimmerman, cited "stand your ground" as one of the chief motivations for their decision.
The horribly tragedy in Orlando last weekend again provides an opportunity for scrutiny of gun laws. But not only that, it provides an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the organizations that help reinforce the loose gun control our nation possesses. Taking center stage: the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Florida's "stand your ground" law was implemented in 2005, largely as a result of lobbying by the NRA. In a report commissioned by "Mayors for Illegal Guns" (MFIG), they found that states with Stand Your Ground laws "have on average experienced a 53% increase in homicides deemed justifiable in the years following passage of the law, compared with a 5% decrease in states without Stand Your Ground statutes during the same period — an increase disproportionately borne by the black community."
When I first noticed that this law was helped to be passed by the NRA, I was slightly surprised. I didn't see the direct correlation. If you ruminate on it though, you realize that given the above statistic, and that the Stand Your Ground laws are largely taken advantage of through the use of force by gun, it makes sense. The NRA wants Stand Your Ground laws because they encourage people to use guns. The NRA is actively encouraging people not only to own guns, but to actually use them on other people.
Not only is the NRA encouraging people to use guns "even if there is an obvious, easy, and safe opportunity to leave the danger zone" (MFIG), they side with Republican legislators (wow surprise) and have stonewalled legislation that would prevent individuals on the FBI's Terrorist Watch list from getting guns. In December of 2015, the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act was blocked by Senate Republicans, many of whom receive funding from the NRA.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GOA), over 2,000 individuals on the FBI's Terrorist Watch List have bean able to buy weapons in the United States in the past 11 years. Certain individuals on this list have been placed on a "no fly" list, prohibiting them from boarding planes, but they are still allowed to buy guns. Suspected terrorists are not allowed to fly on an airplane, but are not prevented from owning a deadly weapon.
The NRA is the perfect example of the perversion of American democracy. Their lobbying arm and massive budget allows them to ensure that laws like Stand Your Ground get passed, and laws for gun safety don't. They don't care about the safety of Americans, and why should they? The NRA directly benefits in the wake of mass shootings through increased gun sales that spike when instances of mass tragedy such as that in Orlando occur.
The NRA is able to capitalize on instances of national tragedy, and ensure that gun laws in red states get passed in the aftermath of mass shooting events, which help to increase gun sales and safeguard the profits of their members. They donate money to political candidates that ensure that these laws get passed, such as the $900,000 they spent on helping the re-election of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the man who is leading the charge against confirming President Obama's Supreme Court nominee.
Gun control isn't about prohibiting everyone from owning guns. Gun control is about making it harder for people who are dangerous to own guns, and for people to own weapons that are by no means necessary for simple self defense or sport. Gun control is not gun removal.
How can we let this keep happening? How can the NRA live with itself? How can we as a nation live with knowledge that we led the world in 2015 not in science or math, but in violent gun deaths?
The voices of the 85% of Americans who favor increased background checks on private gun sales should not be drowned out by Republican members of Congress that should be ashamed of their record on stopping gun violence and support of the LGBT community in the wake of the Orlando tragedy.
Actions must speak louder than hollow words. If money is speech, as the devastating Citizens United decision in 2010 indicates, then it's clear where the numerous members of congress that since 1998 have received $3,782,803 in contributions from the NRA stand.
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