The battle for gun rights will not be won or lost in the middle class mainstream. It will be fought within minority communities. That’s where the need for armed self-defense is highest; where politicians seeking civilian disarmament shelter their statist ambitions. Ground zero for this “culture war” on guns: women. Like it or not, women are often are the final (if not only) arbiter of whether or not there’s a gun in the home. They decide if children grow up with firearms familiarity. With Smith & Wesson writing the check, the NRA has re-launched its female-focused website. NRA Women should post regular videos responding to news events in a timely manner. It should focus on inner city self-defense. It won’t. Not yet. But it’s a start. Is Colion Noir’s insertion into NRA culture and this fresh effort indication that the NRA finally gets it? Or is it just window dressing?
They should make a separate NRA Women’s Channel on YouTube itself. I’d subscribe to that. I don’t subscribe to the regular NRA channel on YouTube.
Is the NRA finally waking up to the fact that just white guys can’t save our rights? I hope so, or 2a is gone.
I joined the NRA after years of waiting once they brought Colion Noir on board. It’s indicative of SOMEONE (maybe not the organization as a whole) finally getting the hint.
Does anyone at the NRA actually read TTAG?
Pretty sure it clearly shows a picture stating “Mr. Colion Noir reads TTAG” on the right. I would also wager that many NRA employees read TTAG, I think most employees in “the industry” read TTAG.
The NRA gotten their act together.
#1 NO Compromise on gun rights
#2 Recruit a mix of minority and women gun owners to get the word out.
#3 Focus on getting the word out to minorities and inner city people that gun rights protect their freedom.
especially #1 🙂
It really needs to be a youtube channel. Having your own website is fine but no one will see it. The NRA never seems to be in touch with modern communications.
They have several youtube channels that I have found … NRAnews for one.
Now they need an openly gay gun owner and the Liberals will be defeated completely. An openly gay NRA talking head would trump so many liberal arguments and destroy any stereotypes they have that it would be unreal. (PS, I am openly gay and I’ve had EXCELLENT success converting Anti-gunners, as they always seem to think I’m more of a voice of reason than anybody else when it comes to firearms.)
Go for it!
And if it doesn’t work for the NRA – there’s also other groups such as the NAGR, FPC, etc. who might be happy to have you.
The Pink Pistols and the NRA have been cooperative for years.
FINALLY!!!
Refreshing to see this. We need more of this out there in the public.
Finally, not Flnally, since no one has pointed it out yet.
Excellent video. The NRA is still pretty damn OFWG, but if they start bringing in women, then they’ve got a party.
The message was great and the video was so well done. Whoever produced that should do every video for the NRA.
Well, it’s a good beginning. More like a baby step judging from the number of “Coming Soon” links.
It’s definitely a start.
Some day soon, a teacher is going to go to trial on charges of presenting “the facts of life,” e.g. self defense, in the same way they have for teaching anything sex related (before that was part of the curriculum) or Darminian evolution.
“Ms. Smith was telling my little Katie filthy lies about how guns are good and peace is bad! Whatever shall I DO?!?”
Or worse (actually better) for going armed without permission and stopping a bad guy with a gun.
The gloves will then truly come off, as “it’s for the children” clashes with “it’s for the children.”
Does NRA have the budget to back an A-list movie? No? What if we all give ten bucks to such a project?
Get Clint Eastwood to produce a reasonable script… say this outline:
Woman in Калифорния is a happy, anti-gun teacher. Teacher gets raped – or nearly. On the advice of a friend, she reluctantly tools up. Over time, she becomes less reluctant, then carries all the friggin’ time. Some time later, she stops cold an A.L. copycat two classrooms over before he’s done all that much damage. Arrest. Trial. Acquittal or minimum suspended sentence with nice speech by the judge. Goes back to teaching – maybe somewhere else. Roll credits.
I’ll give a hundred. Who’s with me?
And yes, I’m serious. A damned cult put out “What the BLEP do we know?” and it did great. Good film, too.
This is definitely doable. Show of hands…?
Well, if you want a realistic movie it would be over in 30 minutes if you showed the ramp-up, maybe two hours if you count scenes with police carrying out the clear-cut investigation and questioning afterward.
Bad guy busts in school, armed teacher gets the kids behind her as she kneels behind a desk at an oblique angle to the door with her firearm ready, the door opens, she identifies the suspect and weapon, she opens fire, go to credits.
I was thinking hearing a ruckus down the hall, sprinting over and shooting him through the window.
More plausible than that he go for the one armed teacher in the whoe district.
I figure about a 105 minute playtime.
Simplified, of course – akin to Taxi Driver.
Ten minutes’ opening introduction;
five minute assault;
five minute downward spiral, with friend’s advice at the end;
five minutes with her watching a movie in which self defense is central to the plot;
five minutes learning and jumping Калифорния gun hoops;
fifteen-twenty minutes at gun shop and range;
ten minutes with life coming back to normal, culminating in her decision to school carry;
five minutes symbolizing a few months going by;
ten minutes of the Incident, culminating in her arrest;
legal drama;
thirty minutes from opening arguments to final gavel – use highlights – a teacher is not exempt from 2A et cetera;
five minutes of her going back to her life, stronger – maybe a bouquet from the parents of those she saved;
roll credits.
Again, I come from a Hollywood family. I am in dead earnest. This would fu<king fly.
Note to self:
While our heroine chooses a 1911, at the range is a 105 pound grandmother with a Scary Black Gun, who talks about the low recoil and not having to worry about having time to shoot several times should the first shot miss.
She sticks with the 1911 because a SBG is not really suitable for CC.
And the shooter in the school should have something very effective – but NOT an SBG.
A stolen Glock? Another 1911, showing that it’s the user and not the gun?
Help me here.
Russ, you should show the school shooter getting his gun by smuggling it up from Mexico. Or buying it in Mexico and smuggling it back in. It could be a real full auto AK that our badguy searched out just for this purpose. No connection at all to legally produced or sold American gun.
Or the bad guy can rip off a government armory as the SLA did.
Hmmm… that’d be effective.
Thanks!
Look up “kickstarter.com”.
I’m in
Or how about a for real DGU story that is still on the net.
A very good friend of mine used a registered ac556 to delete two threats in a scary situation.
Arrested and tried. aquitted.
Cool. However, the more kids saved, the better.
Kids are always a safe subject; a teen DGU will seem to some an overreacting teen; to many, a woman “asks” to be raped.
Details? Just curious – I’m in no position to judge or decide – but Gods and Thunders, I’d like to see this come off.
My li’l bro knows Clint Eastwood and James Cameron… think I’ll make a call.
opening scene. A group of young democrats are plotting, I mean planning for an upcoming election. One orders a pizza, but the organizer doesn’t know it. The pizza guy arrives, and knowing who ordered, jiggles with the locked door knob. The organizer grabs his double barrel shottie, and shoots through the door. He gets tried for crim neg homicide….
Then go with your teacher story!
Cruel, and funny. “But it was a vice-executive order!”
Gary Fadden, perchance…?
That’s a good one. No kids, but a good one.
Yes. Great guy. great friend.
Very cool. Yeah – and the story is already written. Noted.
Bottom line, either a docudrama or straight drama, with A-list actors, top notch production values and unshakable plausibility, would help.
Right now only aging action stars and Ironman have public approval to go armed. This must change, and AMC may be a good weapon to add to our arsenal.
Plus, I strongly advocate school carry.
The NRA was the quiet 800lb gorilla in the room for a long time.
They’ve slowly and incessantly pushed and prodded legislation
but never really throwing its weight around. I think the higher
ups in the NRA have realized that they need to start actively and
openly fighting, but there seems to be almost a deliberate
slowness. While it may be gratifying to have the NRA become
more confrontational, especially via public debate; it may not
be the best long term strategy. With the increase focus on
women and minorities I think that the behemoth that is the NRA
is atleast starting to move around a bit more.
They made a movie about a rape victim a few years ago, the main character was played by Jody Foster (can’t remember the title). They made her in to an crazed armed vigilante going after the men who attacked her.
kodie foster movie was called The Brave One
the brave one
Honestly, i think “modernizing” the NRA is the best route for us. It needs a PR campaign as a reaction to the standard derisive notion that the NRA is just a bunch of white yokels wearing camouflage. As an East Coast non-white moderate, i resisted joining the NRA for a number of years. To me, it just seemed like an OFWG club.
I now know it’s not, because the NRA is a single-issue organization that i am proud to be a member of. EVERY single NRA member i have ever encountered are among the friendliest, nicest people i’ve met. Changing the “face” of the NRA to show that it’s an organization of like-minded people regardless of race or gender will do a LOT to win this culture war that we’re in.
There are a lot more of us “minorities” that are 2nd Amendment people than you think.
It’s good to reach out to everyone, but I don’t think we’ll see that day when women become one issue, pro-2A voters. Even if they were all packing, they have greater interests elsewhere. The best we can hope for is that they as a group will be suspicious of disarmament initiatives. But at the end of the day, they’ll do what the Democrats tell them to do.
Black men present a target audience that should be a top NRA priority. Since the NRA does not advocate on any issues other than firearms, there are no extraneous political conflicts with any minority group. So, black voters may take any position they choose on almost any non-firearms social issue and never feel that the NRA is against them. That’s a major plus.
The attitude of black men toward firearms is a function of where they live. I can’t imagine a rural black family without a gun. Then again, I can’t imagine a rural white family without a gun, since hunting and self-defense are very much a part of rural culture irrespective of color. That’s a plus.
And then there’s the upwardly mobile or fully arrived black middle- and upper-classes. Wherever they live, they want to be able to protect what they earned, and they enjoy the shooting sports. Another plus.
As far as the inner city dwellers are concerned, I don’t see a major difference between whites and blacks on the issue of guns. They have no gun culture. They may have a Glock or Ruger hidden away somewhere for “just in case,” but they’re afraid of guns and want them to go away.
They’ve been disarmed their whole lives. Guns are scary because they’ve never seen guns outside of the hands of police and criminals.
If a person grew up in NYC – some 8 million people – it is illegal to shoot a handgun at a shooting range without a NYC handgun permit. It is illegal to purchase a rifle or shotgun without paying $225 in permitting fees.
When this is the environment they grow up in, they can’t help but see firearms as “other” to their daily existence.
9 times out of 10, an anti gunner who becomes educated about firearms will moderate their position. Will they become pro-gun? Probably not. But if we can convert those who would ban weapons into those who would only demand background checks, I consider that an advancement of gun rights.
However dshim 83, not all New Yorkers hate or fear guns. some grew up fortunate enough to have been turned on to guns when they were young, some legally, some not so much so. I was one of the latter, I was introduced to guns via a family friend and an illegal .25 pistol at about 14 years old. By the time I was 21 I became a security guard so I could have a reason to legally have and carry a handgun in NYC. At 23 I got turned on to hunting, so had to have a 12 gauge and a 30-06. That was back in early 80’s, and even back then permits were expensive and tough to be approved for. Approval for a permit is even more difficult and much more expensive today, but there are still those who relish instead of fear guns in NYC.
Pantera, I’m from The Bronx. You?
Brooklyn, born in Williamburg, raised in Bedstuy and Flatbush.
As a New Yorker myself, I certainly did not intend to imply that pro-gun New Yorkers don’t exist, merely that those who are anti gun in new York are largely so out of ignorance.
As I am a native Brooklynite. Folks have to understand that the culture is only the bad guys and cops have guns. The good people need to just duck and dial 911. That is the way the vast majority of law abiding citizens live in the inner cities. I am happy I got out and saw the light. Now I work to inform others. Hoepfully people of the cities are becoming more enlightened . I will do whatever I can to share my knowledge with all my folks back in Brooklyn.
It is shameful that they (nra) did not find and specifically court The Deacons for Defense and Justice.
I am a housewife and mother, and I’m a 2A single issue voter.
It’s because I was attacked twice as a young woman during my college years back in the Cretaceous Era. The second attack had a much better outcome because of the revolver I had started illegally keeping in my car.
Honestly, I’m mystified why women aren’t more supportive of this issue. I’ve found gun ownership to be very “liberating” and “empowering”.
I truly hope the NRA has realized that they need to recruit more non traditional membership. I agree that our most vulnerable citizens can be law abiding citizens of the inner city. It is a crying shame that our so called civic leaders don’t or won’t see that. Hopefully, enough of us ” minorities” being members of the NRA, GOAL etc. will send a message. I can see it now, NRA lawsuits on behalf of inner city moms wanting to bear arms.
As my sister would say ……You go girls!
Definitely agree that they need a Youtube channel for this, but otherwise great start!
Bravo NRA. It is about time! Well it has been time but now they figured it out. I do not think this is window dressing. The NRA as others understand that Women, and minorities will change the opinion of the masses. Wayne can not and does not speak for all, and by opening their doors, and making it so they are truly diverse only then will the impact be felt. As more get skin in the game, they will become one issue voters, and will push for gun rights.
Finally get it? I think it’s a promising development that some people on this site finally realize that they have a 5 million member organization fighting for their rights. The NRA has a myriad program of activities to take care of and does them well. As we’ve lately seen, it’s a master of lobbying and is largely responsible for preserving what rights we have left. This idea that there’s too many Old White Guys around is some kind of Death-Wish. You alienate them and you can kiss your guns good-bye!
The idea that there is some kind of Magic Formula that will suddenly make things go our way is naive. The demographic groups suggested as anti-gun have a long history of being so and need more than a “with-it” spokesperson to turn them around. Once again, I hate to repeat it, but what is needed is a program of relentless Lobbying, Demonstrations, Lawsuits and Public Education – stuff the NRA has been doing for years.
Reaching out is fine, and let’s have more of it, of coarse. Their web site could be “smoother” and let’s have that. Maybe Wayne can do better behind the scenes and leave the speechifying to others, BUT let’s also give credit were it’s due and support each other, hang together – lest we hang separately.
Well said.
As a life member since the early 90’s, I’ve kinda fallen into the FOWG crowd.
Since my kids are grown, and I helped teach them gun stuff before they went into the Corps, I slacked…
My bad.
Over the last couple months, I have become very active. Writing, calling.
Spreading the word.
Even giving away ammo to those friends in the “I don’t know” group.
Thank you for the reminder that we ALL must be ever vigilant and ever vocal.
I am new to the gun scene since Sandy Hook. I have told my story here before.
My anecdotal experience is telling me that a lot of sensible women are picking up guns and ammo like never before. I am in the horse community primarily and ALL of my women friends are arming up.
So is the NRA driving the women to arm or is the NRA responding to women who are arming?
In either case, it can only help.
Dear Mina,
You are more than welcome and bring many more with you. We had a women President awhile ago and will have many more in the future. All the best.
It is great to hear it. My wife was very reluctant about firearms too. I asked her to take a woman-only firearms class, which she did. She shot a group the diameter of a quarter with a short barreled pistol the first time out. She regularly outshoots everyone at the range, including me, a former LEO and marksman. She absolutely loves the sport. I have seen her self confidence shoot up like a rocket. She is now shopping for a conceal carry firearm. Again, it is great to hear about women taking steps to protect themselves…and have a little fun while their at it.
I don’t know whether or not the NRA (of which I am a member) has “woken up”, but I do get the feeling that they are “waking up”.
Outstanding video, simply outstanding.
+1 Awesome job S&W and The NRA!
I think they’re getting there.
They are timidly stepping a bit outside of their leadership’s comfort zone and maybe trying a little harder to view gun rights outside of the uselessly simplistic 1D political spectrum and demographic map that may have served as their guide up to this point in history.
I don’t think that the NRA has been asleep and I know damn well that it doesn’t discriminate. The NRA has a lot of OFWGs because we are the ones who signed the application. Everybody gets the same one, and we signed it and sent in our checks.
As far as recruiting is concerned, the NRA did not recruit me. I recruited it. So did every other member. If women and black men are under-represented in the NRA, it’s because they have chosen not to join.
Can the NRA do something to make women and black men want to join? Maybe. I hope so. But maybe not.
I agree with ya on principle Ralph but keep in mind…
How likely would it be that you would join a group that’s comprised of 95% black women?
Let’s say you’re a fan of BBQ competitions (more evidence that i’m an OFWG) and the local BBQ group has been around for 100 years, is very involved in politics and local events, has a history of BBQ’ing Emu (something you’ve never tried to cook or even eat) and is comprised of 95% Korean women (i’m changing the demographic on ya).
How likely are you to join that group?
Now, there’s no stipulation that you have to be of Korean decent, be a woman or cook Emu but that’s what makes up the bulk of the organization and most of the public image, advertising, culture and thrust of the group is directed solely at Korean women who BBQ Emu.
You’re gonna assume, as I would, that you’re not the type of person that would be welcome there since you’re a purple man who prefers to BBQ alligator.
That’s the point in things of this nature. It’s not to specifically seek out women and folk who aren’t white as chalk. It’s to let EVERYONE know that like minded folk are here to join, help, learn, teach and have fun with and that the NRA welcomes them to join!
When we’re in the kind of fight this is going to be, that kind of passivity isn’t acceptable. Armed self-defense is a message that should be universal and the NRA needs to find a way to make that connection to as many people as possible.
In an ideal world, the NRA-ILA wouldn’t even have a purpose. Anti-gun legislation would be seen for the obvious fraud it is and “the gun debate” would be polymer vs steel, 9mm vs .40 S&W vs .45 ACP, or AR vs AK. We don’t live in that world and until we do, the NRA should be casting its net as broadly as possible, as aggressively as possible.
It’s about-damn-time!
I’m tired of the NRA looking like me. Enough of the OFWG syndrome!
Self Defense is the right and responsibility of all people. The Shooting Sports can be enjoyed by all people. So why in the hell does the most visible organization that supports those axioms ONLY resemble me? (I know there are others orgs that support these things but face it, the NRA is THE most visible)
Besides, when was the last time you found yourself knowing all the answers to every problem you encounter? That’s essentially what we’re doing in the NRA. We’re asking a ton of folks who are all the same (essentially asking ourselves) how to solve the problem.
We need more folks who are different but agree on a core set of ideals how to solve the problems.
Where was Colion Noir at the convention? Why was he not a featured speaker? He is more entertaining than Frank Caliendo. Has a lot more to say to impact gun owners too.
Was very disappointed his voice was not put to better use.
Did not read all comments, so maybe someone else hit this. And since we continue to be gripped by racial issues, I’m an OFWG lest you question my motives for the statement.
Different people can and do bring different perspectives towards fighting a common problem, which is a good thing. Making overtures to “others than OFWGs” is exactly what the doctor ordered for the NRA. When an entity is essentially at war, it needs to increase the size of its fighting force, marshall those resources, and get everyone to spread its “propaganda”. It has been shown time and again to be the primary course of action in battle for those who wish to call themselves victors. The antis have declared war in no uncertain terms, they are using numerous tools to fight the Pro-2A side, the media, facebook, twitter, but primarily disinformation. We need to utilize the same venues, and win those on the fence, by utilizing facts to destroy the advances made by antis via lies and half-truths.
The NRA needs to realize that guns are for all Americans, not just the conservative right, and needs more speakers like Colion Noir, other minorities, and women to show that the delusional progressives are completely wrong on the issue of firearms: women need firearms, the weak and the elderly need firearms, the poor in bad neighborhoods need firearms — and they need them THE MOST. It’s time to stop catering to the “right” and start bringing in the center; and instead of being branded extremists instead show that it’s the progressives (like me) who are the extremists. Drugs, gangs and lack of mental health are the greatest contributors to gun violence, we can solve that if we really wanted to — and we have to.
I’ve tuned in to some Youtube videos made by minorities in support of their 2nd amendment rights. There is hope.
Good video, and it shows that at least SOMEONE at the NRA understands the war over protecting our 2A rights is just as much a battle over culture as it is over laws in the legislature. Women gun owners have been a group “on the rise” for years, and they needed to be included as a part of an overall strategy by the NRA.
This + Colion Noir is good start. Let’s hope it’s just the beginning, and the not all the NRA is willing to do.
. Ground zero for this “culture war” on guns: women. Like it or not, women are often are the final (if not only) arbiter of whether or not there’s a gun in the home.
Only for beta males like RF, who is known to have been pegged by his ex-wives.
In my mind’s eye the ad opens with Charleton Heston saying, “The Second Amendment belongs to all of us”
Then feature a diverse array of well spoken advocates, cutting between their stories of when they were first exposed to firearms, how guns have impacted their lives and what gun rights mean to them to show the universal themes… I am a citizen not a subject, indpendent, responsible, with a right to self determination, a right to self protection.
The tag line, “It’s up to you to protect it”
As a side note, the NRA is single issue, but it is in danger of becoming single party. We need to support the Dems who voted against Mancin Toomey. Otherwise gun rights will always be vulnerable to an economic crisis that sweeps Dems into power.