The flat-out paranoia of the NRA and Wayne LaPierre
Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, gave me a call at home the other day. In the taped message, my friend Wayne warned me that unless I and other patriotic Americans stepped forward to stop it, the dastardly United Nations, with Iran, China, North Korea and other evil countries behind it, would soon come into our country and into our very homes, strip the Second Amendment out of the Constitution and “take away every pistol, and rifle and shotgun” that we owned.
Riiiggghhht. I just have one question though:
How is the UN going to accomplish this? Are they going to import little bulbous-headed men from Mars toting rayguns to take away our weapons? If so, I’m clinging to my copy of Slim Whitman singing “Indian Love Call” and you can’t have it until you pry it from my cold, dead fingers. Nosireebob.
Look, I recognize that the boundary between serious and seriously crazy has shifted considerably in recent years. But doesn’t this kind of nonsense still qualify on the fully crazy side of the ledger?
The ostensible cause of LaPierre’s hysteria is something called the International Arms Trade Treaty. If ratified by the United Nations and then by the U.S. Senate, it would require countries exporting conventional arms to certify that the weapons aren’t being sent to a terrorist or organized crime group, such as Hezbollah, and that they aren’t being sent to a nation conducting genocide or to a nation under a U.N. arms embargo, such as Iran and North Korea.
It would have no effect whatsoever on domestic ownership, possession or purchase of firearms. Such a claim is politically, practically, legally and constitutionally absurd. So why is Wayne LaPierre calling me and others to pretend otherwise?
Money is part of the reason. The United States accounts for 40 percent of the world’s exports of conventional arms, and the U.S. arms industry is nervous about legislation that might curtail their right to sell arms to whomever they wish. Those manufacturers, not coincidentally, are also heavy donors to the NRA, which is trying to whip up hysteria on their behalf.
In addition, such hysteria is part of the NRA’s own strategy for raising money for its coffers. Once the LaPierre robo-rant about the UN finished, for example, an operator quickly came on line to ask me to donate money to the NRA. I politely declined.
Finally, it’s also a matter of increasingly delusional paranoia infecting the NRA. Prior to the ‘08 election, the gun group warned its members that Barack Obama had a secret 10-point plan to end gun ownership in this country.
Point One was a federal ban on the use of guns for home defense. Point Three was a ban on the sale, manufacture and possession of handguns. Point Four was the closure of 90 percent of American gunshops. Federal taxes on guns and ammunition were supposed to go up 500 percent, and the sale of ammunition for hunting rifles was supposed to be banned altogether.
As you may recall, that bit of hysteria touched off quite a spree of gun-buying after the election, boosting the profits of the NRA’s sponsors in the gun industry. In fact, as ammunition disappeared from store shelves, that itself was quickly cited as evidence that ammo confiscation was already underway. The NRA, in other words, played its own members for patsies.
Today, three years later, none of that has come to pass. Obama has made no effort whatsoever to alter the nation’s gun laws. So, given their hyperbolic claims, you might think that would make LaPierre and others a little embarrassed, right? It’s like when evangelist Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on May 21. When he woke up May 22, you just know he felt at least a wee bit sheepish about it, right?
Well, no. Camping did no such thing, because you see, Camping is crazy. Instead of apologizing, he announced that May 21 had merely been the day of spiritual judgment, and that God was really coming to destroy the universe on Oct. 21, 2011. And that’s exactly the course that LaPierre and the NRA are taking.
In a speech at a conservative conference in Florida this month, LaPierre explained that by taking no action to implement his alleged 10-point program, Obama had actually proved that the NRA had been right all along.
You see, “before the president was even sworn into office, they met and hatched a conspiracy of public deception to guarantee his re-election in 2012″ by just PRETENDING not to seize guns. The failure to act “is all part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and hide his true intentions to destroy the Second Amendment.”
“We see the president’s strategy crystal clear. Get re-elected and, with no more elections to worry about, get busy dismantling and destroying our firearms freedom. Erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights and exorcise it from the U.S. Constitution….
President Obama and his cohorts — yeah, they’re going to deny their conspiracy to fool gun owners. Some of the liberal media are probably already blogging about it. But we don’t care because as far as we’re concerned, that lying, conniving Obama crowd can kiss our Constitution!”
The fact that such people have considerable influence over our nation’s policies — for example, 45 senators have signed a letter condemning the arms trade treaty, including the two from Georgia — does not speak well of us.
– Jay Bookman
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603 comments Add your comment
Adam
September 27th, 2011
1:59 pm
First!
Jm
September 27th, 2011
1:59 pm
Don’t know about the NRA, not a member
But jay, I have to say it appears someone, presumably yourself, has upped your blog production quota
Seems like 3 or more a day recently.
More productivity gains!
Adam
September 27th, 2011
2:00 pm
But doesn’t this kind of nonsense still qualify on the fully crazy side of the ledger?
The answer is YES
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
2:00 pm
Can’t wait to hear the cool, calm, collected and Very Logical conservative response to this.
Granny Godzilla
September 27th, 2011
2:00 pm
I know I shouldn’t laugh at this, LaPierre is something of a sociopath and certainly dangerous, but I just can’t help myself….
Guy Incognito
September 27th, 2011
2:01 pm
“Obama sold Israel bunker-buster bombs”
I think Wayne-La’ approves
Good little liberal
September 27th, 2011
2:02 pm
Nah. Nobody needed to protect their home from criminals during the Obama presidency. Bakers and mortgage brokers Yes. But actual criminals, no.
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
2:04 pm
The NRA, in other words, played its own members for patsies.
as opposed to the previous coupla decades how?
Steve - USA
September 27th, 2011
2:04 pm
Never owned a gun and most likely never will.
Of course if Michael Moore keeps going on his campaign of violence then perhaps I need to get one.
Matti Git Yer Gun
September 27th, 2011
2:05 pm
Mr. Bookman,
THANK YOU for writing about this! They called my house numerous times before I finally answered to see what the heck they wanted. And uhhh.. what they wanted was to tell me LIES and have me send them MONEY! So, I had to set the nice young man on the phone straight about a few things: in particular, the NRA membership’s misconception that Democrats don’t own (or know how to use) guns.
Bless his little heart!
Adam
September 27th, 2011
2:05 pm
stands: Or they could just ignore the facts and pretend that Obama wants to ban guns, despite everything written above, like so:
GLL : Nah. Nobody needed to protect their home from criminals during the Obama presidency. Bakers and mortgage brokers Yes. But actual criminals, no.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
September 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
The fact that such people have considerable influence over our nation’s policies does not speak well of us.
Sadly so very true…. but remember the same righties keep telling us that although they cannot identify crazy, wacko, bad arguments, poor judgment, scams, con jobs, a political bull….somehow they are amazing at telling us how bad the President is at his job and how their wackadoodles (an insult to the doodles of the world) can win any election against the President.
Sad indeed.
Jay
September 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
So just to be clear, GLL: You think the UN’s gonna come and grab your guns?
Adam
September 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
Steve Of course if Michael Moore keeps going on his campaign of violence….
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Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:07 pm
“But doesn’t this kind of nonsense still qualify on the fully crazy side of the ledger?”
You have to ask Jay? We see it here every single day!!
Remember how Obama was gonna form this secret black army and force people to become Muslims or something?
Perfectly seemingly rational people have gone crazy, Jay.
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:08 pm
“Of course if Michael Moore keeps going on his campaign of violence then perhaps I need to get one.”
See Jay, see what I mean? Campaign of violence no doubt….
Guy Incognito
September 27th, 2011
2:09 pm
” ‘We got you, you white mother——-!’ ” LaVelle said he heard someone yell in the “mob” of black and Hispanic youths.
Inside his house, LaVelle, 37, called to his wife, Kim, 30, to go to their bedroom with their twin 13-month-old boys, Mark and Mason, and to call police. He also ordered his two other sons, 11 and 17, and his nephew, 7, to stay upstairs.”
I think Mr. LaVelle just joined the NRA
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
2:11 pm
I’m not a big fan of the political side of the NRA, but I do enjoy reading their magazine every month. As far as people trying to take my guns from me. Ain’t happening. You can try, but you better bring more people than I have rounds.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
September 27th, 2011
2:12 pm
The religious right wingnuts protest the property owner/lessor of an abortion clinic by sending protestors to the grade school of the property owner’s child and have signs and websites with his home address, phone number and other personal information….. but M Moore is on a campaign of violence?
Oy vey
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:13 pm
“I’m not a big fan of the political side of the NRA”
There’s ANOTHER side?
getalife
September 27th, 2011
2:14 pm
When the other party shows radical right behavior, there is only one choice.
Four more years.
midtownguy
September 27th, 2011
2:14 pm
The bell curve on crazy has shifted to the right.
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
2:14 pm
Bosch – I’m in it for the shooting competitions, the articles about guns and stuff like that.
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
2:15 pm
Bosch (from below) – I had a boring childhood. Grew-up not even knowing about Star Wars until it was re-released in the late 90s (yeah, I blame my parents too). But yeah, seriously, I knew what was going on in the world as a child. Didn’t understand it all, but I did know about it. Probably that whole “lack of cable” thing, where the only tv shows I got to watch were “This Old House” and the local and national news.
Granny Godzilla
September 27th, 2011
2:15 pm
Keeps..
Maddow did on piece on that.
Seems the family got the names and addresses of the protestors and made some calls of their own.
The gander got a bit of a goose.
Patrick
September 27th, 2011
2:15 pm
I dunno if I I’d trust a feller with the last name of LaPierre–sounds kinda “French”. In fact it sounds “double French”!! He must be a two-time Socialist or sumthin!
ragnar danneskjold
September 27th, 2011
2:15 pm
Whenever I hear crazy leftist screeds, such as “republicans intend to take away your social security,” I just note the source and ignore it. Suggest the same to you, Jay.
Joe COOL
September 27th, 2011
2:17 pm
You can only laugh at people who fall for this BS!! I’m will to bet the NRA has collected more money under Obama, than any other Admin ever (not say a fact, just assuming).
Even funnier is that Im sure we have a few CONs reading this now and thinking its true. lol
Strawman
September 27th, 2011
2:17 pm
“The ostensible cause of LaPierre’s hysteria is something called the International Arms Trade Treaty. If ratified by the United Nations and then by the U.S. Senate, it would require countries exporting conventional arms to certify that the weapons aren’t being sent to a terrorist or organized crime group, such as Hezbollah, and that they aren’t being sent to a nation conducting genocide or to a nation under a U.N. arms embargo, such as Iran and North Korea.”
Perhaps some in the ATF as well would be frightened?
Hmmm…
Keep Up the Good Fight!
September 27th, 2011
2:17 pm
Granny, I saw the piece. And they started a website to help other victims of the extreme attacks fight back.
Joe Mama
September 27th, 2011
2:18 pm
I haven’t sent the NRA any dues in over ten years. They might still consider me a member; I get their gibbering mailers and letters every now and then. But I’m not sending them any money and I don’t care what they have to say. Their “jackbooted thugs” claim some years ago was the last straw for me. And for President Bush the Elder, so it would seem.
getalife
September 27th, 2011
2:18 pm
rag,
Your failed party tried it before with w.
Failed deflection.
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:18 pm
“I had a boring childhood”
irRational,
Same here — in the summertime, the highlight of our month was when the tar truck came to dump some tar on the gravel road and we spent the rest of the day running through it and sticking our toes in…
….yeap…
But, I was aware of the world as a kid too. My dad made it so.
Strawman
September 27th, 2011
2:18 pm
“Are they going to import little bulbous-headed men from Mars toting rayguns to take away our weapons?”
Yes! Did you not see Mars Attack?
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:19 pm
Oh and irRational,
“Grew-up not even knowing about Star Wars until it was re-released in the late 90s”
That is just plain wrong.
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
2:19 pm
Jay: The failure to act “is all part of a massive Obama conspiracy to deceive voters and hide his true intentions to destroy the Second Amendment.”
Makes sense. The EEEEvil Kenyan Marxist (who was NOT born in America), would probably do such a thing……….he is, after all, the Manchurian Candidate!!
Cue evil laughter in the background.
ragnar danneskjold
September 27th, 2011
2:21 pm
Dear Getalife, good afternoon, just remember that they changed the voting day for democrats to Wednesday, November 7, 2012, after the republican voting day of November 6, 2012.
Joe COOL
September 27th, 2011
2:23 pm
NRA mailer: THE BLACK GUY IS COMING FOR YOUR GUNS!
Send $10 to stop him.
Guy Incognito
September 27th, 2011
2:24 pm
“Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:19 pm
Oh and irRational,
“Grew-up not even knowing about Star Wars until it was re-released in the late 90s”
That is just plain wrong.”
You’d think that iR grew up in the Degoba system
Matti Git Yer Gun
September 27th, 2011
2:25 pm
ragnar dannesrandzucker @ 2:15,
So, when I hear Republican presidential candidates explaining why they think Social Security is a bad thing, and how we would all be better off without it, I should “consider the source” and ignore them? Got it. Thanks!
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:25 pm
Guy,
He may have…
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
2:25 pm
Remember how Obama was gonna form this secret black army and force people to become Muslims or something
You mean he DIDN’T do that?! OMG so when I “accidentally” shot that black guy who was trying to come into my yard and give me a pamphlet, he really WAS a Jehovah Witness? Uh Oh.
getalife
September 27th, 2011
2:26 pm
rag,
Not a good time to change leaders.
They will call this one earlier than the last time you lost.
Union
September 27th, 2011
2:27 pm
and…. thats why im no longer a member..
btw.. didnt obama tell everyone to stop “complaining”? whats everyone doing on here?!
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
2:29 pm
Bosch – I blame the cable companies for me knowing what was going on with the world as a kid. If other shows had been available at my house (and assuming my parents would have paid for cable, which it still doesn’t reach their house), I wouldn’t have watched the news. As it is, I spent summers outside exploring the woods, shooting, and reading. I like to think I turned out okay.
Guy Incognito – Yeah, Degoba is a much more happening place than my hometown. I can remember having to “get dressed to go to town” which meant “put shoes on, we’re going to (the nearest) Walmart” which is about 20 miles.
poison pen
September 27th, 2011
2:29 pm
Rag, Please tell him not to vote more than 15 times.
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
2:30 pm
btw.. didnt obama tell everyone to stop “complaining”? whats everyone doing on here?!
Did you see Maxine Water’s reply to that?! I had a GREAT time on the LA Times blogs making fun of her followers!! I just LOVE Maxine! Without her, women like Oprah would be just plain boring!! Maxine Waters and Omarosa have done more for Black Women than Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis and Harriet Tubman combined!!
Butch Cassidy
September 27th, 2011
2:30 pm
Sounds like his message was perfectly crafted for the typical Georgia voter. What’s the problem?
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:31 pm
Oh and Jay, don’t know if you saw this post downstairs, but remember the other day when you said you didn’t think Palin would sue author guy?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2011/09/27/palin-threatens-to-sue-joe-mcginniss.html
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:32 pm
“Omarosa”
OMG, you didn’t not just say that Debbie! Ewww.