This is the beginning of the end of the NRA

[billh58]

The NRA is not only a constituent part of the Republican Party. It is in some ways a microcosm of it. Its demographics: an aging, male, non-urban, racially anxious, white base. Its policy prescriptions: outlier positions unsupported by science. Its politics: defensive and bitterly opposed to compromise.

Like the GOP, which dominates state governments and has reached peak numbers in Congress, the National Rifle Association appears to be at the height of its considerable powers. It is well-funded, professionally staffed and deeply entrenched in U.S. politics, having fully hitched a major political party to its single cause.

-Snip-

Having abandoned even a pretense of bipartisanship, the NRA benefits from a conservative network of allies, including the religious right. But it has completely forfeited influence with Democrats, who have concluded that they have nothing to lose in becoming a party fully devoted to gun regulation. With the GOP publicly unraveling, congressional Democrats appear poised to grow stronger. That’s not good for the NRA.

-Snip-

On some level, those most enamored of firearms must sense that their victories, including a highly qualified 5-4 Supreme Court ruling written by a Supreme Court justice who is now deceased, are fragile. Technology, politics, demography and reason itself will eventually gang up to defeat a movement that demands guns for everyone, anywhere, all the time, for any reason, regardless of the consequences and in defiance of every civilized norm the world over.

http://www.startribune.com/this-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-nra/386828361/

Of course NRA apologists will rush to defend Uncle Wayne and Bubba Ted, but to no real gain. The mood of the country is shifting -- not only on gun control, but on the entire rabid, hateful, right-wing segment of our society. Vote Democratic at all levels of government and help stamp out the extremist cold-dead-hands gun nut culture in this country.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Would that it were.

I don't hold out much hope, because too many people unthinkingly support the right of anyone to own any sort of gun whatsoever.

[billh58]

2. "Too many people"

is a rapidly dwindling group. The demographics are changing with increasing speed, and the right-wing gun lobby will lose more and more influence as more Democrats are elected, and the extremist NRA base dies out.

You are free to believe the Republican propaganda, but the reality is that the country is moving to the left, and quite unintentionally, Donald Trump is one of the prime causes for this shift. He exemplifies all that is wrong with the racist, bigoted, uncaring, hateful, gun-worshiping segment of our society.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I certainly hope I'm wrong, and I don't buy any of the Republican propoganda.

In reading through posts in this place I see an extremely strong support of essentially unlimited rights to own guns. Should I be thinking that those people are racist, bigoted, uncaring, or hateful? I hope not.

But the question I should be asking is: do you honestly see a sea change, that people can run for office and get elected while promoting new gun laws? Restrictions on gun ownership? Maybe harsher penalties for those who violate what laws are currently out there? I'm not an expert. I don't know very much about guns, have no desire whatsoever to own one. What I would like to see is an end to the sorts of mass murders that occur because guns are so easy to obtain, and an end to toddlers shooting themselves or someone else because an adult is convinced it's a good idea to keep a loaded gun around.

[billh58]

4. To answer your first question:

"In reading through posts in this place I see an extremely strong support of essentially unlimited rights to own guns. Should I be thinking that those people are racist, bigoted, uncaring, or hateful?"

The answer is in your question: "an extremely strong support of essentially unlimited rights to own guns" is a right-wing, NRA gun-lobby political position, and as such indicates a Republican mindset. While I don't believe that all right-wingers are racists or bigoted (some are), most of them are uncaring and hateful.

The Democratic platform states the following:

Right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation

We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans' Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here is limited and precious. We believe in an honest, open national conversation about firearms. We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense improvements--like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole--so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.

Reauthorize assault weapons ban, close gun show loophole

We will protect Americans’ Second Amendment right to own firearms, and we will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists by fighting gun crime, reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show loophole, as President Bush proposed and failed to do.

Strengthen gun control to reduce violence

Democrats passed the Brady Law and the Assault Weapons Ban. We increased federal, state, and local gun crime prosecution by 22 percent since 1992. Now gun crime is down by 35 percent. Now we must do even more. We need mandatory child safety locks. We should require a photo license I.D., a background check, and a gun safety test to buy a new handgun. We support more federal gun prosecutors and giving states and communities another 10,000 prosecutors to fight gun crime.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Democratic_Party_Gun_Control.htm

This is the Gun Control Reform Activism Group on Democratic Underground, and the SOP of this Group is to discuss, promote, and support the Democratic approach to gun control. This is NOT the proper forum to argue about the necessity for gun control.

To answer your second question: Yes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. I take it then, that the strong support

I have seen here can simply be taken as a right-wing NRA lobby position and therefore I can ignore it. Glad to know.

[billh58]

9. The "strong support" that

you believe you see, is actually a very vocal minority.

[Jerry442]

7. Once upon a time, the Religious Right was an impregnable bulwark...

...against gay rights legislation and court decisions.

Until one day -- it wasn't. Same thing could happen with gun control.

[flamin lib]

5. The number of households having guns is declining.

From about 50% in 1960 to 30% today. Of that 30% only about 10% are rabid gun nutz. That the NRA, ILA and ALEC has so much power over Republican politicians has NOTHING to do with a constituency, only cash.

This election will finally put to rest the myth of gun nutz power as a voting block.

[billh58]

6. That fact always stands out

when I hear a response from the gun nuts to the effect of: "You can't argue with 80,000,000 gun owners!" They actually believe that their pitiful little very vocal minority "gunz for everyone" club can speak for ALL American gun owners.

The truth is that most Americans, including level-headed, sane, gun owners, support stricter gun control measures across the board. It is the bought-and-paid-for gun lobby politicians from both sides of the aisle who are afraid of the ILA/NRA/GOA/ALEC right-wing gun lobby.

We are on the cusp of turning this madness around thanks to the Democratic Party, and in his own maniacal way, Donald Trump.