|
Comparing the ACLU to the NRA is akin to comparing apples to rotten oranges. The ACLU exists to uphold the Constitution and to fight for freedom of the people. The NRA, on the other hand, has not exactly been a shining example of an altruistic defender of the people's right (to bear arms). Its officials ranging from Vice-president Wayne LaPierre to President Charlton Heston have unabashedly espoused bigoted rhetoric and encouraged reckless behaviour among its members. A few years ago, former U.S. President George Bush turned in his lifetime membership as a protest to a statement by the NRA. In an NRA fund-raising letter to its members, LaPierre referred to federal law enforcement officers as "jack-booted government thugs" and urged its members to challenge their authority. Charlton Heston (a former liberal Democrat) has blamed America's gun problem on its "ethnic diversity". While Heston may have marched with Martin Luther King Jr in his younger days, some of his recent comments regarding African Americans have been nothing short of racist. Does the right to bear arms include the right to own assault weapons? Who hunts game with an H&K MP5 or a Colt M16? Assault weapons aren't exactly the most accurate weapons for hunting. They are also an overkill for the purpose of home defence. The main aim of assault weapons is to cause maximum carnage in the shortest possible time. Yet, the NRA is actively campaigning to have the assault weapons ban overturned. So, where does one draw the line? How about allowing civilians to own Stinger or TOW missiles? The NRA's claim to being the protector of the right to bear arms is a total farce! It is nothing more than a front for the extreme right-wing. Of course, it's not hard to imagine support for the NRA coming from a person who assumes all rappers are gun-toting criminals. After all, the NRA has more than once insinuated that minorities, especially African Americans, are the main cause of gun violence. By the way, I don't listen to rap either; but I also don't despise others who do. Have a nice day!
|
