“The NRA released a divisive new video [below] timed to the one-year anniversary of the Dallas police shootings,” The Trace’s email blasts announces. “The minute-long spot, entitled ‘My Brother,’ is narrated by a sister of one of the fallen officers, who says, “While there are those in the media who paint our police as criminals … the NRA backs our blue.”
I suppose that calling out the mainstream media for characterizing cops as murderous racist thugs could be considered “divisive” — at least amongst those who gain influence by getting as many people to view the police as murderous racist thugs as possible.
Then again . . .
The NRA has its own motives for supporting police, and a huge blind spot when it comes to the politics of law enforcement. Although the NRA receives income from police training, it claims it doesn’t have a political axe to grind.
Although the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is involved in politics, the Law Enforcement Division does not get involved with political issues. Providing the best training possible to our law enforcement officers is our number one priority. We have only one goal in mind — to provide every law enforcement officer in the country with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to WIN a lethal encounter!
Yes, well, as a whole, the NRA’s support for the boys in blue is both unquestioning and uncritical — even when law enforcement works against the interests of firearms freedom, as it sometimes does.
For example, the NRA doesn’t directly challenge (or pressure) the high-profile big city police chiefs and powerful law enforcement organizations that routinely lobby against NRA-backed gun rights restoration (e.g., Florida legislation for open and constitutional carry).
While it’s a good thing that the NRA sticks up for law and order generally, and hard-working law-abiding cops specifically, the average American’s gun rights should be their primary concern. Which is why the NRA’s silence on the Philando Castile homicide is more than a little worrying.
The days of NRA veep Wayne LaPierre labeling ATF Agents “jack-booted thugs” are over. Not because they’re not, but because the NRA is now so closely allied with law enforcement that they can’t — or won’t — single out police officers, commanders or their fraternal organizations for being on the wrong side of the gun rights divide.
Your thoughts?