Saturday, July 25, 2009

idea

Every time someone in the mainstream media says something about "members of the NRA," it sounds like a slur - a bunch of bitter ignorant white folk living in the hills, clinging to their Bibles and guns. You can practically hear the banjos playing in the background. Find a left-leaning editorial about guns and read the comments. You'll see that gun owners are all believed to be fat paranoid racist white southern men with small penises and mall-ninja fantasies. Or something.

I am not their stereotype and neither, I suspect, are you.

So I think we need to start an "I AM THE NRA" campaign*, with photos and little bios of each participant. (Has this already been done? Yeah, kind of.)

p.s. Now I know ol' Uncle Ted is really popular and has a song with the same title (I confess I only discovered this after googling) but I honestly feel he's reinforcing the image of NRA members all being loudmouth gun-totin' redneck men. He's "scaring the white people," as Unc would say. Now, I know and you know that the NRA is far more diverse than this image - two past presidents were female, for goodness sakes. But that's not what the world sees - they see Ted on stage with his guitar and cowboy hat, either singing things like "Kiss My Glock" or running his mouth like a lunatic. Good intentions aside, I think Nugent might be doing more harm than good.

*perhaps I should send the NRA an email about this. Hmm.

13 comments:

the pistolero said...

Every now and then folks break certain stereotypes. While I was out and about today, I stopped by one of the local computer stores to ask about a battery for my Apple MacBook. And you know what some folks say about those who use Apple computers, right? Well, I happened to park beside a Toyota truck that had one of those little Apple decals in one corner of his rear window...and an NRA sticker in the other corner.
Of course, I also am a Mac user and NRA member, so there you go...

Earl said...

I think the NRA does all it can, but they really are too close to the evil city of Washington D.C., tough to stay clean working in that environment.

I am a proud Life Member of the National Rifle Association, but aside from the magazine and their fight for the government to get to behaving about my rights to keep and bear arms. That is one tough fight.

Mostly I am sure the NRA isn't for the little guy, they want big bucks, high speed low drag events and us poor cheap shooters will have to do everything without them. But we will, and still support the Gun Guys and Gals elite of the NRA, cause one should never say anything bad about another safe sane shooter - the more of us the better.

CGHill said...

I just wanted to point out that I'm not paranoid. :)

Robert Langham said...

I doubt there is much we can do to break the narratives of the left. That said, we need to be ourselves. Next up of course on MY blog: If I'm going to the NRA National Matches which is stuffed with rednecks and assault rifles, how many murders will I see?

The NRA has run those "I'm the NRA" ads for years, usually with black, disabled, elderly lesbians with a shotgun broken over one shoulder. I'm not sure it's done much good. More effective, I think are things like Texas Governor Perry shooting an AR at LaRue Tactical posted on the Web.

"Reference librarians who love guns" is an arrow in the heart of the narrative of the left.

Old NFO said...

WHy not Breda! Personally, I'd love to see it!

FatWhiteMan said...

They could use my picture but then I am a fat middle aged white hillbilly. It probably wouldn't due much good. You need to give Ted another look though. He is actually a very good speaker and author on everything 2nd Amendment.

Try this:
http://www.humanevents.com/search.php?author_name=Ted+Nugent

Anonymous said...

You sure you didn't see this idea somewhere? I drove in to Pensacola, today, and on westbound Hwy 90, driving from the woodbine stoplight, first billboard as you head across the causeway, is a picture, and "Greg Evers / I am the NRA."

Greg Evers is Florida state district 1 republican. If I'd read this post before I drove into town today, I could snapped a picture.

Caleb said...

I like Ted right up until he flat stole a chunk of his new book from Marko.

As far as the NRA itself goes - the NRA does a lot for "the little guy". They have an entire division dedicated to hunter and shooter education, child gun safety, etc. Yes Camp Perry and Bianchi Cup are high profile events, but those don't do nearly the nationwide good for NRA that their other programs do.

Anonymous said...

"So I think we need to start an "I AM THE NRA" campaign*, with photos and little bios of each participant"

You mean like they did in the '80s?

Shootin' Buddy

Joanna said...

I'd be up for it. A journo grad would probably make a few heads explode.

Joanna said...

Shootin' Buddy: Repeating an '80s campaign wouldn't be a bad idea, considering that my generation was a too busy with He-Man and My Little Pony to notice at the time.

Revolver Rob said...

The NRA does do stuff for the little guy. I honestly believe the organization has not only the protection of our second amendment rights at heart, but the protection and the goal of furthering shooting at most any level.

I also think the Nuge has a big damn mouth. While, I can appreciate his loud, in your face way, of dealing with the press and the antis, it's not working. Most of the antis just laugh at him and consider anyone associated with him to be just a loony. I've busted this myth, but he's not helping. If he wants to help...he needs to try a more subtle approach.

Finally, I AM the NRA. I am a young hispanic student, and I am the NRA. I like it, it will blow some minds.

-Rob

redmanlaw said...

I am a proud gun owning liberal Democrat Indian guy who hunts, reloads, shoots for fun and who has a ton of guns at the crib (M1903A3s, Savage 99s, Model 70, Marlin 36, Mossberg 500s, 10/22, Savage 28 shotgun, plus the Ruger GP 100 and SP 101, Glock 19, going out for a 22/45 or a Mk II today, looking at an LCP for the Mrs.) Gay marriage and high cap mags are both fine with me. I believe the Constitution has more than one amendment, wish elk and deer tags were easier to come by, wish Congress could come up with a universal health care plan regardless of the pressure of insurers, made Rachel Maddow laugh one day calling in to her Air America show in support of gun owners after Va Tech, has a truck with an Obama sticker next to his NRA sticker. I believe in liberty and justice FOR ALL, and support TU, the NWTF, RMEF, and our state wildlife federation. Jump on my politics all you want, but I am one of you. I just with the right wing didn't completely dominate the voice of the gun owner.