Can't Explain

The NRA was flogging this article hard in the latest edition of their propaganda ... err magazine.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/01/AR2009090103836.html

First the disclosure - I'm an NRA member. I joined because they're really the only viable option for a voice of gun owners. But, I do find I'm out of alignment with a lot of their views. This article was one.

The NRA commentators acted as if this process were completely egregious. In my opinion, gun ownership SHOULD be a little challenging. I think anyone who wants to own a firearm legally, who isn't a felon or mentally ill, should be able to do so. The author cites $833 in costs -- including a safety course ($250) and the purchase of his handgun ($275) as if these were outlandish costs. A first time gun buyer, especially handguns, who doesn't take some sort of safety course is a moron. Guns are capable of lethal force. They should be treated with the same respect (as the author learned upon handling one).

This sort of spin is what makes the NRA so unpalatable for the masses. Did the author get to purchase a gun? Yes. So drop it. Making a Federal case of the process only points out your extreme viewpoint. And the article highlights inequities amongst States - something the NRA support under the "State's Rights" cloak. WTF?

-Sean-