Long time readers may know I’m a fan of Professor Brian Anse Patrick’s books. “Rise of the Anti-Media” is absolutely a must read for People of the Gun. But there is another book of his that today might be more relevant. With the media and the left in full overdrive to demonize the NRA, it is a good time to take a fresh look at Prof. Patrick’s book, “The NRA and the Media”. Here’s the summary:
Were it not for negative media coverage from elite American news organizations, the National Rifle Association and American gun culture would not be in the position of strength they enjoy today. The more negative coverage the elite press have dished out, the more people have been attracted to NRA and gun culture. Brian Anse Patrick, Professor of Communication at University of Toledo, presents the evidence for this startling case. Not only are the elite media biased towards NRA, they have helped mobilize American gun culture, making it one of the most successful social movements of modern times. In this e-edition, with a new foreword from the author, Dr. Patrick makes his case. The evidence is incontrovertible and based on scientific content analysis of ten years of actual coverage.
Over at PJ Media, Roger Simon provides some anecdotal evidence for this theory, writing “How the ‘New York Times’ and Loretta Lynch Made Me Join the NRA.“Â So don’t worry too much about the trolling clickbait from the New York Media. If Prof. Patrick’s theory is right, and I think it is, all this will only make our cause stronger in the end.
This is true. The hoplophobes want us mad and irrational. Just smile and keep working on the rout that will be this November.
Breaking nearly a century of editorial policy to openly demand mass confiscation after an Islamic terrorist attack where those terms are memory holed (terrorism shows up like once).
Is not exactly a strong position.
Especially when the article both tacitly admits that the “reasonable gun control” they want won’t do anything, and /openly/ admits that their confiscation dreams wouldn’t stop Paris like attacks.
We still need to get a way to culturally reverse NYC, NY, CA, NJ, MA, and MD by reaching the majority of the population in the cities and getting real results.
The best way to effect such a cultural change is to make the ownership and carry of firearms a practical possibility in those jurisdictions.
Given that the circuit courts for most of the bad states (except perhaps CA, IL, and HI) are openly hostile to us, our best bet at this point is likely going to take the form of some new federal statute.
Under the 14th Amendment, Congress could certainly prohibit the type of “licensing” schemes in place in many of the bad states (requiring prohibitive fees, requiring multiple in-person appearances, requiring references, etc.), and it could certainly also force reciprocity upon these states (if your EDC gear, including firearm, ammo, and magazine(s) is legal in your home state, it should be legal everywhere in the U.S.). Further, it could then set maximums for what states may require or charge for carry permits — no more than $X, no more than Y hours of training, and requiring that all training/live fire be done on the dime of the state in question (under the theory that it’s militia training)….
If, in 2016, we can keep and/or expand the pro-gun caucus in Congress, and get a nominally pro-gun president, I believe that something like this will be politically possible.
This pushed me over the edge to take up the NRA offer for a discounted upgrade from Endowment Life member to Patron Life member.
Also, does anyone know if it’s possible to do automatic monthly contributions to NRA and/or NRA-ILA? I didn’t see anything on their contribution forms about such a thing.
I’m another case. The hysteria after Sandy Hook compelled me to join, and now the combination of Paris and San Bernardino with the election rhetoric pushed me to upgrade to Easy Pay Life.
If guns weren’t so politized, then I think the NRA would be like the Elks or Kiwanis clubs. Civic organizations that people would join to provide some community benefit. In the case of the NRA it would be gun related education. Things like Eddie the Eagle, the intro to pistols courses, training in general. Of course, the NRA, does all that and more today, but the political and legal fight is what takes the limelight, and they have to keep up that fight, or else the rest is irrelevant.
I have long thought having people express such negative attitudes towards us helped us mobilize. This is the entire reason for my blog category “This is what they think of you”.