The report, Blood Money: How the Gun Industry Bankrolls the NRA, reveals that since 2005 contributions from gun industry "corporate partners" to the NRA total between $14.7 million and $38.9 million. Total donations to the NRA from all "corporate partners"--both gun industry and non-gun industry--for the same time period total between $19.8 million and $52.6 million. The vast majority of funds--74 percent--contributed to the NRA from “corporate partners” come from members of the firearms industry: companies involved in the manufacture or sale of firearms or shooting-related products.
Now, the NRA has continued to claim it is not partnered with the gun/ammo manufacturers.But , the telling figure is that 22 of the gun manufacturers 12 manufacture automatic weapons. One of these manufacturers, Beretta has given money to the NRA to help in 2008 after the SCOTUS ruling to overturn gun laws. And then there is the NRA's corporate benefactor MidwayUSA.
Each time we have one of these mass murders, the shooters get enormous publicity. But the makers of weapons — without which these killings would be a deranged individual’s fantasy — seem to benefit. To be fair, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been scaring gun owners about the imminent threat to their arsenals ever since President Obama took office. The NRA’s tactics have contributed to industry growth.
This article talks about an incredible job increase from 2008 to 2011 that deal with firearms and ammo. This industry has grown, as stated, by 23,000 jobs accounting for an industry impact of 13.6 Billion dollars. This industry is outpacing the economy in the US by a big margin. Still, the key has been this fear perpetrated by the NRA. The NRA also works to reward lawmakers for working for them.
A third source articulates this unreal power of the NRA. The incredible thing is that the NRA has been too successful at obstructing any attempt to control or institute certain firearm criteria. Read this article as it makes a list of actions the NRA has stood up and actively obstructed.
- A measure inserted in the 2009 credit law making it okay to carry concealed guns into national parks.
- A federal law that shields gun manufacturers and sellers from legal action if their firearms are involved in a crime.
- Laws restricting health professionals and insurance companies to not ask about firearms.
- Basically, from the article, government groups are prohibited from collecting firearm data.
If one was to go to the FBI website, details of firearm crimes do not exist. Instead there is data about crime and only if a firearm was involved. Claims about the effectiveness of firearms cannot be validated or refuted. Interesting. And, who does it serve?
But, what about a claim made by a Connecticut Democrat, Senator Christopher Murphy, that the NRA caters to gun/ammo manufacturers? Well, this was fact checked and found that first, gun owners voluntarily donate to the NRA. While this claim made by Murphy is wrong, he was on the right path based on the NRA's gun/ammo financial contributors.
The National Rifle Association of America, on the other hand, reported $227.8 million in revenues in 2010 — nearly half of which came from member dues ($100.5 million) and program fees ($6.6 million).
This is not to say that the NRA does not benefit from gun sales. It does. Not only does it receive contributions from willing gun customers at the point of purchase, but gun manufacturers are major contributors to the NRA. Smith & Wesson in May became a member of the NRA’s “Golden Ring of Freedom,” which is for donors who contribute more than $1 million. In 2008, the Beretta Group — another “Golden Ring of Freedom” member — exceeded $2 million in donations.
So, perhaps the bad guys are the gun/ammo dealers as the fact check article did mention beneficial programs operated by the NRA. Still, this does not detract from the gullibile nature of all involved-- the NRA, lawmakers, maybe judges. It is certain that the gun/ammo manufacturers are left without any blame. And perhaps they are using the NRA to their advantage and represent the Devil. The opinion is this does not let the NRA off the hook as it is very much complicit in helping the gun/ammo dealers by spreading and perpetuating fear. Is this a lucrative marriage or what?
You be the judge
