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Mark Kelley on the NRA: Principle Schminciple. It’s All About the Money, Money, Money

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Mark Kelley (courtesy examiner.com)

“The NRA is a gun industry trade association masquerading as a shooting sports foundation,” ex-astronaut, professional husband and gun control advocate Mark Kelley opined in a Houston Chronicle editorial [via cbsnews.com]. “Guns fly off the shelves after tragedies because LaPierre and the gun manufacturers he represents exploit people’s fears. In return, gun manufacturers gave LaPierre and the NRA tens of millions of dollars last year alone – and he spent almost $1 million of it on his own salary, Everyone in the gun lobby gets rich when the gun manufacturers sell the most guns. And that’s why LaPierre and the rest of the leadership of the NRA and other gun organizations are spending so much of their time wild-eyed, preaching possible government confiscations . . .

When LaPierre and his crew of highly paid Beltway insider staff reversed their earlier support of common-sense measures like expanded background checks, they sent a strong message that instead of standing with the 3 million of your members who supported background checks, they were working on behalf of the manufacturers’ profit margins instead. It seems to me that the time is right for a new generation of leaders within the NRA.

Nick agrees that Mr. LaPierre may not be the ideal NRA jefe—given Wayne’s “get off my lawn” demeanor and antipathy to the younger generation’s love of COD. Still, doubting LaPierre’s motives, or the government’s desire to confiscate firearms, is like questioning the fitness levels of a professional cheerleader.

Anyway, Mr. Leghorn, Dan and I are in situ, ready to report from Kelley’s heart of darkness: the NRA convention. We’ll look for Mark, Rachel and any other gun control advocates we can find . . .


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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Mark Kelley on the NRA: Principle Schminciple. It’s All About the Money, Money, Money”

  1. I keep getting confused, so is the NRA the tool of the gun companies (which you’d think, not for nothing is the NSSF’s mission statement, but what the hey) or are they the bullies who force S&W to toe the NRA line through threats of boycotts?

    Can’t the antis make up their mind?

    Reply
  2. “Guns fly off the shelves after tragedies because LaPierre and the gun manufacturers he represents exploit people’s fears.”

    Yeah, like there’s no fear fomented by the fascist disarmers on the other side. Di in a Fire admitted she was working on her disarmament legislation for a year. It would never have seen the light of day if there hadn’t been a made-to-order massacre.

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  3. Yeah! Like that Obama – always flapping his lips about gun bans and confiscatory regulations! He’s just doing it to scare people and make a buck!

    Oh wait…

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  4. Mark,
    Guns fly off the shelves after tragedies because people like me know that people like you may use the event to remove my rights.

    People in business also tend to get rich when a whole lot of their product is sold. That isn’t exclusive to firearms, and it’s not a problem, it’s a market.

    Reply
  5. I’m sure the NRA paid Cuomo to say “confiscation is not off the table” and compelled Feinstein to introduce a new assault weapons ban that banned all transfers, including inheritance. And it had to be the NRA that wrote the SAFE Act, which has stiffer penalties for an overloaded magazine than actually killing someone. All to whip up gun owner paranoia and sell guns.

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  6. I don’t care about his opinion of the NRA. The fact is that after Sandy Hook, a tragedy to be sure, we have no new federal anti gun laws. That’s what I pay the NRA for. To protect my rights against those that would infringe on them even tho I have never fired a shot on a school property.

    Kelly wants to blame me for what happened at Sandy Hook and to his wife. And heartless pols are using him to get their agenda thru which has nothing to do with protecting the innocent.

    So, let WLP become a millionair. Like a good lawyer, if he protects my rights he’s worth it. Can the NRA stand some improvement, sure it can. But bottom line, no new federal anti gun laws.

    Reply
  7. I freakin’ love the NRA for the simple reason that it makes all the gun grabbers writhe like the snakes they are. As long as the NRA causes the progressives to lose sleep at night and stomp their feet in hissy fits it will continue to get my money.

    It’s comical watching all the gun grabbers go red in the face shouting about the NRA and acting as if its the Evil Empire.

    Reply
    • Unfortunately, the current leadership – while generally alright about maintenance – isn’t all that great about outreach.

      Many antis can be educated and brought into the fold, but you have to respect them as people and understand how they came to be who they are.

      I’ve brought a few ’round; it CAN be done, and should.

      The best preachers are reformed sinners, and the best advocates are reformed antis.

      Reply
  8. Nigel: Please don’t consider suicide. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary
    problem. In fact suicide is no alternative simply because it is permanent. I can
    partially relate to your pain, depression, and hopelesness. I too contemplated
    suicide back in 1976 (I was aged 19 then) using a firearm. Sadly this occured
    following the literal suicide death of my own adopted 15 year old girl cousin in
    Bend, Oregon. She shot herself with a rifle. No………I didn’t attend her funeral
    because I was so distraught and traumatized! Fortunately caring Christians who
    loved me had my in their godly prayers. I gave my own life to Jesus Christ in
    October 1978 and was baptized (immersed) into Christ the following Sunday,
    December 10th, 1978. Am I perfect, have all the answers, etc? Certainly not!
    Do I still have my quirks, faults, and shortcomings? Sure. Nontheless I have hope
    beyond the grave. I’m eternally grateful Jesus and not Satan now has my soul!
    Today I own about 12 firearms and have ready access to them. Happily I have
    no desire to kill myself. The Bible states: “For God hath not given us the spirit
    of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” —–II Timothy 1:17
    Too Colossians 1:13 states: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
    and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Jesus).”

    Anyway Nigel, it’s not my intention to preach, fix, or change you or anyone else
    reading this posted site. Too, I don’t know where you live. But it’s probably several
    thousand miles away from you (Ashland, Oregon). If you ever need help be sure
    to contact us. Perhaps we can be of assistance. But again, please don’t commit
    suicide. On the net:

    The Christian Church of Ashland at 2nd and B” Street.
    http://www.cc-ashland.org

    Reply
  9. Y’know, I am an actual rocket scientist. As such, I can argue the finer points of spacecraft design with him.

    Pity he can’t return the favor with regard to firearms… :[

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  10. Reality check #2: As the veep of one of the largest organizations in the country, Wayne makes a fraction of what he could make as a veep of any other body with even half as many members. And he actually works for it.

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  11. exploit people’s fears?
    Aurora
    AWB
    exploit people’s fears?
    V-Tec
    Mag limits
    exploit people’s fears?
    Sandy Hook
    Psych Exams
    exploit people’s fears!
    Who wrote the book?

    Reply
  12. I am an unabashed Magpul fanboy, and as such will be picking up some of those sights to replace my current MBUS setup ASAP. If they make those 1911 grips for lefties too then those are also on my list. Haven’t been able to find anything near Magpul quality for the money. Daniel Defense and Noveske stuff is waaaay outta my pay grade, and as long as Magpul’s quality doesn’t take a sh*t, I’m totally fine with it.

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  13. What a shameless lap dog #ss whipe this guy has become to the grabber crowd.

    The grabbers move to confiscate oops I mean heavily regulate guns and establish more complete federal owner data bases oops I mean background checks which are conveniently also capable of identifying firearms owners. The grabbers and their political stooges make clear statements that this is just the beginning, and we have jurisdictions such as CA serving as a model for how to incrementally move from regulation to draconian regulation to confiscation; how would anyone including both gun owners and gun related organizations like the NRA respond to that kind of political atmosphere. Of course they are going to push back – hard. That takes a lot of effort and MONEY; especially when the grabbers have Bloomberg’s BILLIONS at their disposal.

    Cause —> effect. That shouldn’t be rocket science – especially for a former astronaut.

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  14. “Guns fly off the shelves after tragedies because LaPierre and the gun manufacturers he represents exploit people’s fears.”

    …and then anti’s like Feinstein and Bloomberg confirm those fears.

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  15. Be very careful buying magpul mags after july first for colorado. Magpul does put dates on their mags. Look for the clock looking casting, in the center will be the year and the hand will point towards the month. Am not sure if it is the actual month of production but if that date is after july first you are in trouble, and you cant scratch it off, if you tamper with it you are automatically guilty, and you can bet the state knows that magpul puts dates on their mags.

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  16. I’d like to thank ‘Susan’ for doing the interview.

    There are some interesting comments after the interview.
    Some are uncalled for, but we all have the right to freedom of speech – – so far.
    I am someone who lives on the other side of the coin.
    I try to give the community in general the impression that I am a right wing kind of person. White middle class male, open gun supporter, avid shooter and all that sort of thing. Behind the scene, I am bisexual, cross dressing, middle of the road voting registered democrat (No, I didn’t vote for Mr. Obama.)

    As a member of Pink pistols, it is nice to hear from some of my brothers and sisters who are more open about their life styles, and I support them whole heartedly.

    Reply
  17. I thought he was supposed to be “donating” more AR’s to the local police department? I guess speaking about that he knows not of won out, Randy

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  18. Getting a letter from the NRA or whoever saying “X, Y and Z want to take your guns” is nothing compared to seeing X, Y and Z on TV day after day saying they want to take my guns.

    And what’s with all these people raking in the corporate Bloomberg dollars trying to make the NRA look evil by connecting it to corporate dollars?

    Stark raving mad lunatics who dont hear the word coming out of their own mouths.

    Reply
  19. Do I see posturing for a run for the Oval Office?

    This guy’s his own worst enemy. Good luck with that one.

    Hope he tries; more political infighting on the liberal Democrat side of the spectrum.

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  20. I get a kick out of people sitting in their easy chair pain free & telling others to tough it out. I was in a bad auto accident with a lot of pain & while nowheres near suicidal, life was not fun anymore. There are people with cancer that have no hope & it is ludicris for someone to tell them they have to stay so that “they” can feel good. Kevorkian was right & a great man in my opinion. A gun is just a great “tool” in this case, Randy

    Reply
  21. I wonder if this guy has ever talked to someone who has bought a gun during a panic? I have heard anyone say “Because the NRA email scared me!” Is he saying Feinstein’s press conferences were not widely distributed?

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  22. Is suicide as a an act or contemplated act the business of the state? Is the state concerned with the method or the act? Depending on your beliefs ,suicide is a humane act ending a boat load of pain and misery or a direct affront to G-d . The use of firearms to effect a suicide should be its own category for statistical purposes. Every other use of firearms resulting in death or serious injury should be captured as distinct category.

    Reply
  23. Did he just figure out how lobbyist work?

    The NRA represents every firearm owner, much like the American Teachers Union represents… wait for it…. Teachers.

    Of course the NRA receives money from manufacturers, thats how you affect policy change.
    The NRA receives money from it’s members, and last I checked memberships grew at a rate of 10K per day (at it’s peak) in the months following Sandy Hook. Those memberships have dues paid by… wait for it… Citizens. That is how we lobby. We pay our dues, we pool our money, we engage congress, the senate, and policy makers, and we push for policies that favor the majority.

    What is so god damn shocking about this? This guy is a tool.

    Seriously. Did he just figure this out?

    Reply
  24. We need to turn this narrative before the next shooting. Hammer the pols that are wasting time and resources trying to punish the law abiding and infringe on our civil rights.

    When the next shooting occurs we’re already on the offensive and we rip into this admin for the lack of protection at our schools, malls, theathers, etc.

    Don’t let the anti’s take the offensive against guns. Come out swinging at the lack of leadership and real world solutions to the security problems.

    Why haven’t we ripped this admin a new one over the bombing in Boston? All these years since 9/11 and we still aren’t safe? Instead we wasted a lot of our energy whining about the number of cops searching for the bombers.

    We need to be attacking, not waiting and hoping the NRA will save us again.

    Reply
  25. Surprisingly, the security guards we have over here in Nigeria all seem to have knives taped to the foregrip of their AK’s. I’m suspecting though that it’s because they would have to answer for firing rounds and not for knifing someone.

    Reply
  26. Mark “The Professional Husband” Kelly clearly sees a politcal future for himself. He should be ridiculed at every opportunity. And made to account for every penny sent to their anti-gun group.

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  27. Nobody show this to my 12-year-old! He’ll be relentless in lobbying me to trade in his perfectly-good Weatherby SA-09 youth model for this bit of Italian loveliness…

    Reply
  28. Rep Steve Israel, D-NY 3rd District’s bill HR1474 would ban so called undetectable firearms, home made firearms with non metallic receivers, and home made plastic magazine bodies. Manufacturers and their subcontractors that make plastic bodied magazines must get a type 7 FFL.

    The law has not been updated to reflect the increased sensitivity of modern metal detectors, does not take into account modern screening processes and technologies like x-rays, and does not consider how unenforceable it is with modern $600 3D printers becoming more popular. Also many details of compliance are quite vague.

    Everyone please contact your representatives, and the members of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

    This law is set to sunset December 9th, and was passed in 2003 by a voice vote, and unanimous consent. It better not go that way this time.

    Reply
  29. Wow! I see nothing wrong with what the cops did. Makes me want a 1,000 round magazine. That guy was determined to do some more shooting but that last flurry of rounds fired at him finally scored and put him down.

    Reply
  30. Adam Kokesh is a good man to have nothing to do with. Here is a letter from a former member of Iraq Veterans Against the War:

    http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=10593

    This stunt is probably a ploy on his part to damage the cause of Second Amendment Rights. Media(propagandaist) coverage will use his march in Obama’s 2014 Take Back Congress campaign.

    Reply
  31. I hope your opposition doesn’t read this blog 😐

    one of the reasons that IL Carry no longer broadcasts info like this.

    Reply
  32. Justice Department: Gun Violence Is Down
    http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/05/07/justice-department-gun-violence-is-down/

    So, before we get on with this history lesson, let’s look at what the Washington Post reported today on this issue of guns – and gun violence.

    Gun violence has dropped dramatically nationwide over the past two decades, but nearly three-quarters of all homicides are still committed with a firearm, the Justice Department said in a report released Tuesday.

    The report, by the department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, painted an encouraging picture of long-term trends at a time of divisive political debate over guns and legislation to regulate them. Firearms-related homicides declined 39 percent between 1993 and 2011, the report said, while nonfatal firearms crimes fell 69 percent during that period.

    […]

    Overall, the Justice Department report said, firearm-related homicides dropped from 18,253 homicides in 1993 to 11,101 in 2011, while nonfatal firearm crimes declined from 1.5 million in 1993 to 467,300 in 2011. The drop extended to schools: Homicides at schools declined from an average of 29 per year in the 1990s to an average of 20 per year in the 2000s.

    Although the rate of firearms homicides for African Americans declined by 51 percent over the past two decades, that rate was still 14.6 per 100,000 people in 2010 — compared to 1.9 for whites.

    Reply

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