US Gun Epidemic Can’t Be Cured by Politicians Who Are Controlled

Published in Haiwai Net
(China) on 31 August 2023
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jo Sharp. Edited by Michelle Bisson.

 

 

 

 

Gun-related incidents continue to occur in the United States, so why can’t they stop the guns? The reality is that there is an organization behind the scenes that has a hold on U.S. politicians and prevents U.S. society from “quitting” firearms. That organization is the National Rifle Association.

The NRA has spent $140 million to date since 2010 supporting political candidates who advocate on behalf of firearms. CNN reported in 2018 that more than half of all members of Congress at that time had received funding from the NRA, and many lawmakers had longstanding financial relationships with the lobby.

But money alone isn’t enough to hold onto politicians in Washington. The NRA effectively manages political interests, too. With about 5 million members, the NRA is powerful in mobilizing grassroots voters to get involved in politics. They take part in rallies, write letters and win over their friends. Because they are so vocal and receive a lot of attention, American politicians tend to gravitate toward them.

Moreover, the NRA’s collusion with U.S. politicians is nothing new. A number of U.S. legislators were leaders in the NRA as long ago as the 1960s and helped the organization with its strategy.

Among them was Michigan Democratic Rep. John Dingell Jr., who died in 2019. He had served in Congress since 1955 and joined the board of the NRA in 1968. Taking advantage of his position, he not only leaked information from federal agencies to the NRA but also gave the NRA a “head’s up” whenever relevant legislation was proposed.

A staunch gun advocate, Dingell continued to defend gun rights even after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In the 1960s, when President Lyndon Johnson sought strict gun control, Dingell asked the Library of Congress to research Nazi Germany’s confiscation of firearms to prove that gun control was a regressive step. He also wrapped himself in the U.S. flag, claiming that owning guns was the “patriotic duty” of citizens.

The NRA is well versed in applying such “skewed” arguments and has continued to shape this cultural mindset among U.S. society. Bloomberg.com suggests that the NRA’s most transformative achievement is not financial but cultural. Those who oppose gun control firmly believe that they are “reputable, honest, patriotic citizens who are self-sufficient and lovers of freedom.”*

After joining the NRA board, Dingell became even more committed to the group. As gun violence grew increasingly out of control in the U.S. there was an increased public demand for gun control. Dingell realized that the NRA needed a new strategy to deal with this changing environment. He proposed launching new lobbying efforts, focusing on presidential candidates and engaging in party politics. Under his influence, the NRA reshuffled its leadership putting hard-liners in charge and defending gun rights even more fervently than before.

The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act, a significant piece of pro-gun legislation, was passed in 1968. Dingell drafted most of the legislation, which was also sponsored by another Democratic Party politician. President Ronald Reagan, supported by the NRA, appointed conservative judges who were in favor of gun ownership. At this point, the NRA’s influence had reached parts of the government, government, including Congress, the president and the judiciary. The NRA also became increasingly tied to partisan politics, as multiple Republican Party legislators became directors. Even today, the Republican Party often aligns with the NRA on the issue of gun control.

From the past to the present, too many U.S. politicians have willingly allowed themselves to be bought and used because, for them the NRA “gives” so much — money, status and political influence. But the current situation is leaving ordinary Americans with nothing but fear and anxiety.

*Editor’s note: This quote, though accurately translated, could not be verified.


美国枪击事件频频发生,枪支为何屡禁不止?
其实背后有这么一个组织,直接“拿捏”住了美国政客,让美国社会“戒不掉枪”,它就是美国全国步枪协会(NRA)。
从2010年至今,NRA向支持枪支的选举候选人花费了1.4亿美元。美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)2018年报道称,当时,超过一半的国会议员从NRA获取资金,许多议员与NRA有着长期财务关系。
但想要抓牢华盛顿的政客,光靠钱还不够。NRA就连政治利益也能一并“打点”到位。NRA拥有大约500万会员,他们有非常强大的能力来动员基层选民参与政治,他们会参加集会、写信、拉拢朋友,而由于他们的声量大,收获的关注也多,美国的政客也就会向他们靠拢。
并且,NRA和美国政客勾搭在一起可不是这几年才有的事。早在上世纪60年代,美国有不少议员就曾是NRA的领导者,帮NRA出谋划策。
其中,已于2019年去世的密歇根州民主党人小约翰·丁格尔就曾是NRA的一名“爱将”。他从1955年开始担任议员。自1968年开始,他便担任NRA的董事会成员。他借职权之便,不仅向NRA泄露美国联邦机构的信息,在有相关立法提案出现时,他也会给NRA“通气”。
丁格尔是一个坚定的枪支支持者,即便在肯尼迪遇刺后他也还在为枪支自由辩护。20世纪60年代,时任美国总统约翰逊希望对枪支进行严格管控,丁格尔便要求国会图书馆研究德国纳粹没收枪支的情况,以证明枪支管制是一种退步。他还扯起“爱国”大旗,声称拥有枪支是公民的“爱国义务”。

NRA对这套“歪理”运用的也很熟练,在美国社会不断塑造着这种文化观念。彭博社分析称,NRA最具变革性的成就不是在财务上,而是在文化上,反对枪支管制者坚信自己是“有信誉、诚实、爱国的公民,自给自足,热爱自由”。
成为董事会成员后,丁格尔更是对NRA尽心尽力。由于枪支暴力在美国越发失控,民众对枪支管制的呼声日益高涨。丁格尔意识到,NRA需要新策略来应对新环境。他提出,要开展新的游说活动,以及在总统候选人身上下功夫,并参与党派政治。在他的影响下,NRA高层也发生洗牌,强硬派占据主导地位,比以往更激进地维护枪支自由。
1986年,《枪支所有者保护法案》出台,这份重要的拥枪法案主要由丁格尔起草,由另一名民主党人发起。时任美国总统里根由NRA支持,里根任命的法官也为保守派,支持枪支自由。至此,NRA的触角已经伸向国会、总统、司法等部门。NRA也和党派政治绑定地越来越牢,多名共和党议员成为了董事。哪怕在今天,在控枪问题上,共和党也频频站在NRA一边。
从过去到现在,太多美国政客心甘情愿被收买、被利用,因为对他们来说,NRA确实“给的实在太多了”——金钱、地位、政治影响力。这种现状对于普通美国人来说,确实就只剩下担惊受怕的份了。


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