NRA Members Smarter Than Leaders

It has always been the choice of the leaders of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to take some extreme positions in defense of gun-owner's rights, but it seems like some of those positions have been ridiculous lately. NRA leaders have successfully pushed for the right to carry loaded firearms into places that sell alcohol in at least a couple of states. Now they are pushing for the right of those carrying loaded firearms to drink alcohol while in those facilities -- a really bad idea considering the number of bad drunks in the world.

These same NRA leaders think it is also fine for those who are on America's terrorist watch list to own firearms. That one seems ludicrous to me -- if a person is too dangerous to fly on commercial airlines, do we really want them owning and carrying firearms? A recent GAO report has found that since the terrorist watch list was initiated, at least 1,119 people on the list have purchased firearms from licensed U.S. gun dealers. Congress now wants to pass a law preventing this, but the NRA's leaders are fighting this tooth-and-nail.

Oddly enough, the rank-and-file members of the NRA are not nearly as extreme as their leadership. The huge majority of the members are in favor of commonsense laws controlling gun ownership -- including restricting the right of those on the terrorist watch list to own firearms. Here are the numbers from a December 2009 poll:

- 82% of NRA members support prohibiting people on the terrorist watch list from purchasing guns.

- 78% of NRA members support requiring gun owners to report a loss or theft of their guns to police.

- 69% of NRA members support requiring gun sellers at gun shows to conduct criminal background checks of gun buyers.

- 69% of NRA members say the federal government should not restrict the ability of police to access, use and share data that helps them enforce federal, state and local gun laws.

- 86% of NRA members believe the country can do more to stop criminals from getting guns while protecting the right of citizens to own them.

It looks like the leadership of the NRA is out of step with the huge majority of the organization's members, since they oppose all of the above commonsense regulations.