Organizational Values of the NRA™

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II. Company Introduction 

 

A. In order to understand the ARA™, it is unfortunately necessary to delve into NRA™ history. Their organization was founded in 1871. The foundation was essentially begun around a campfire by former soldiers who had participated in the Civil War and shared common interests surrounding gun stewardship, competitive shooting, and hunting. 

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B. In it's original form, the NRA™ regularly appeared in schools to instruct firearm safety. (Bruggeman, 2022) Good faith efforts such as support for hunters and shooters, land preservation, and education were at the forefront of their agenda. (A Brief History of the NRA, n.d.)

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C. Flash forward: In the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing, the NRA™ lobbied heavily in 1993 / 94 against bills which would order the addition of trace elements to grain fertilizer, in order to enhance bomb investigations and to dissuade would-be bad actors / terrorists from utilizing this method of bomb-making.

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D. The above is not a gun-related issue. However, the NRA™ lobbied against trace elements and in favor of ease of construction and use of a weapon of mass destruction. The old values once ensconced by the NRA effectively ceased to be prominent during that period, and intervening years have demonstrated nothing more than corporate greed and further “due care” decline, particularly post-Citizens United. This year, they were tried in the courts.  We've all seen the verdicts and the evidence supporting them.  Corruption is rampant, members have lost voice, many feel disenfranchised, and the NRA is fundamentally broken. Litigation continues. We don't have that problem.

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E. The NRA and its ill-gotten gains no longer align with common sense or decency.  They are no longer of the people, nor are they for the people. They are, however, by the people, though the people's money goes wherever is most convenient to NRA elites. 

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F. While safety and education programs have been drastically cut by the organization, the newly-unemployed NRA™ CEO's wife flew on the corporate jet to get her nails done at a cost of $60,000 per visit. Members shouldered the cost. Finally, the corruption got some attention. 

G. According to ABC in June of 2022, “Revenue from membership dues has plummeted nearly 43% from a record high in 2018, according to the 2021 financial assessment, pulling in just over $97 million -- down from nearly $120 million in 2020. Spending on the areas of 'safety, education & training' was cut roughly in half over the past three years, the document shows.” (Bruggeman, 2022) 

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H. More kids and other innocent Americans are dying every day.  It's a national emergency. Yet somehow, inexplicably at this crucial and violent moment in the United States, NRA leadership are okay cutting safety, education, and training programming in favor of doing their nails. So we'll be the "adult in the room" instead. We choose to instruct, train, educate, and make our society safe through objective methods, methods that actually care and inform and represent. We'll do our nails later.

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I. All possess and shall be caused to exercise voice. The cohesive, aggregated common-sense support of responsible gun owners as well as non-owners greatly enhances the collaborative voice of all parties currently and constructively divided. Non-partisan internal and public sentiment are key: none must be left behind, none unheard.  This is a democracy.  Again, it seems we need to start showing our politicians how to do that the right way.

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J. To that end: one voice equals one vote.  Each ARA member gets a chance to help shape our society into a more responsible and safe place, according to their own personal vision and belief system, each and every time the ARA or ARAF deliberates an issue and calls for a vote. Together, we will reshape safety within our society and use our resources to collectively deal with the challenges that impact our lives and safety every day.

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     Let's get it right together.