Reuters reports that the United Nations “treaty” to “limit irresponsible arms sales” is on again, now based on “consensus.” We’ve seen this concept before: a group of countries or governments presuming to tell other governments what to do using vague, arbitrary and capricious criteria. Given the potential threat to America’s sovereignty, the NRA needs to assert the values that American gun owners hold near and dear. Currently, the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) education programs teach the the Gun Owners Responsibility code of ethics. But it does not assert the right own firearms formally, in writing, in the lesson plans. Nothing in the NRA’s Legal Lesson Plans for its two Personal Protection Programs covers the development of the Second Amendment, or its importance for guaranteeing our freedoms. The same black hole swallowed any gun rights component for the Law Enforcement Activities Division (LEAD).
This past Sunday I ran the NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home program. There were 16 students. During a break in the Range Exercise, I went through the personal lesson plan below. It was well received; many students did not know of the depth of the law that protects their right to keep and bear arms. Linking political education with hands-on shooting was a natural, logical and powerful combination. I see no reason why the NRA shouldn’t tell Americans why we have the right to bear arms and what it means to us as a society. And I see every reason why it should.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
10 minute discussion concept for insertion into NRA educational programs and legal lesson plans
a. Natural law validates the necessity and naturalness of self defense. The possession of tools weaponry is innate in mans nature.
b. Common law / religious laws validate the importance of having the means of self defense for religious values.
c. Case law has validated the right to possess firearms. d. History has shown the need for people to possess firearms. e. Federal Constitution Bill of Rights 2nd Amendment: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
d. State Constitution
Right to Bear Arms
– “No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms. (As amended November 2, 1971 and November 2, 1986.) “
– The NRA believes that the right to have firearms is an individual right that is for the benefit of the individual and mankind as a whole. The NRA is actively promoting that right. By participating in this program we hope that you will grow to appreciate the right and responsibility of firearms ownership as seen in the pledge: A Gun Owners Responsibility.
I think the NRA is wise to keep its training operations and political advocacy separate. Politics tends to taint anything it touches, and not all recipients of firearms training are gun-rights advocates.
Were the NRA to include those political elements in their training, two things would happen:
1. It would become easier for the NRA's opponents to portray its training operations as either mere political hectoring, or as a sinister means of political indoctrination.
2. it would take time away from the purpose of the course, which is to train people to safely and effectively handle firearms.
The NRA has to walk a fine line if it wants to maintain its status as the accepted standard-setter for firearms training. If it strays too far towards the political, gun-rights side, it's going to be marginalized as just another advocacy group.
Knowing the processes at NRA HQ that may be as a group how they thought or think about the issue. The NRA HQ is cautious but it may not be a reasonable level. The first goal the organizations charter is for promotion of the right to keep and bear arms. At face value people who are members would agree that that is what the organization should be doing. In todays climate it is time for a more assertive role reflected in the training it gives. It is time for a lesson plan review at NRA HQ.
It is really a pragmatic concept verses political one. This may be where NRA HQ is lost.
A person can view the consitiution as being the law or not. Criminals can also say the law does not apply- they do routinely. Natural law ,common law and case law behind the second ammendment, which are less talked about can also be disreguarded but at a cost to the credibility to the program. These are Laws that provide the very foundation for why people have guns and take classes. It is not political – it is a matter of law. It is the most important law for gun owners. It is relevant to firearms training and worth repeating.
It is tha same as repeating the gun safety rules, only more important because "having a gun" is the first thing to be safe. I would call the Second Ammendent the NRAs first rule of gun safety- " to have a gun". It is the first goal in the charter of the organization also. "Have a Gun" and then use it safely and wisely. How could this detract from training or take time away from something else so important?
The NRA is the premier gun advocacy organization in the country.
Pandering to every minority is not possible or advisable. The consequence of being a fence rider on the issue is the majority of students are indirectly alienated by omission in the current program because it is incomplete legally. In my view it is also incomplete ethically. To say one thing and do something else is dishonest. If their were some particiants who come to classes and don't believe in the second ammendent, why did they come? Why do they have a gun themselves? Did someone force them to come? It is the instructors and NRAs role to level the field.
With the police, security and military training the NRA promotes it is even more important the protective professionals be trained and I would use the word indoctrinated in gun rights law because that is what it is -the law. It is part of their training and they will get in trouble if they do not know it. Politicians routinely forget the law and get in trouble.
Should the NRA train people who break the law? According the NRA policy, " the NRA only trains people who are law abiding citizens". So lets teach the law and the right thing completely. Gunrights law is law not politics.