Why Blame the NRA?

Another school shooting, a tragedy for students, parents, teachers, and first responders.  I'm a baby-boomer, when I grew up, my biggest concern was getting chased home by the school bully, not getting shot at my desk.

There is an alarming trend, people are grieving and scared.  So, they blame the NRA, call it a terrorist organization.  Never mind the thousands of people who are trained annually, from safety for children to advanced skills for Law Enforcement and everything in between.  Never mind that historically NO NRA members have been identified as the assailant in a mass shooting, although there are examples of NRA members stopping them, as in the church shooting in Texas.

The NRA was formed in 1871.  In 1966 an Engineering Student entered a tower at the University of Texas and terrorized people for 96 minutes, killing 17 and wounding 31.  For most of us, the earliest memory is Columbine High School, April 20, 1999.  They murdered 13 and injured 21.  News sources report 18 school shootings in 2018, but two of those were what we think of as school shootings, the others being 1 on 1 situations.  But two is two to many.

What does this have to do with the NRA?  Well, nothing, really.  In spite of the rantings of some traumatized teens, the NRA is not the problem.  Evidence from the school shootings from Columbine forward shine a bright light on violent video games, bullying, social outcasts, the breakdown of family norms and personal responsibility and a general lack of understanding or appreciation for the value of life.

Also note, the Gun Free Zone law went into effect in 1990.  School shooting have risen dramatically since that time.  This is a classic fish in a barrel.  There is a reason why concealed carry states have less instance of person on person crime.  Thugs don't want to risk being shot.  Hanging a Gun Free Zone sign is like ringing a dinner bell.  Some schools are arming well training volunteers and hanging up a sign warning intruders that staff may be carrying concealed weapons.  To date, we have not heard of a school shooting there.

This is not a gun culture issue, this is much more personal.  Our country was founded on a "gun culture".  We shot for defense, liberty and food!  In current day add competition and fun.

If it was the NRAs fault, this would not be a relatively new phenomenon.  Could it be the manufacturers?  The advances in the technology?  The civilian use of "military" weapons?  Well, design hadn't changed that much, pull the trigger, go bang.  As a Veteran, I can attest that the weapon I fired on active duty is not the same as the weapon in my gun safe.

I would be the first to line up to surrender my firearms if I believed it would prevent another tragedy.  It won't and I'm not handing in anything.

There are no easy answers, but there are a lot of accusations.

Blame me if you must, but know that in all the years I've been a NRA member I have not shot anyone.