US Gun Lobby Becoming More Militant

The National Rifle Association, the organization that defends the free trade of firearms, held its annual convention this weekend in Texas with the air of a besieged citadel at “war” with the government. Two weeks after succeeding in overturning the gun control law, the powerful lobby promises to redouble its efforts to advance its interests. For three days, in front of more than 70,000 people, the NRA was persistent in calling its members to continue the fight to resist the “historic attacks” of the Obama administration. On Saturday, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the lobby, proclaimed in front of an ecstatic crowd, “We will never surrender our guns — never.” The king of controversial statements did not hesitate to exploit the Boston attacks either.

“How many Bostonians wished they had a gun two weeks ago? How many other Americans now ponder that life-or-death question?” he asked, standing amid hundreds of booths presenting the latest gun models.

Obama, ‘Public Enemy’

In Houston this weekend, Barack Obama was clearly seen as “public enemy number one” and a president to be stopped at all costs, according to Jim Porter, who will officially be inaugurated this Monday as the new president of the NRA. His appointment suggests anything but a desire for moderation within the organization. With a history of provocative rhetoric and, like Wayne LaPierre, a subscriber to conspiracy theories, he had already described the first mixed-race occupant of the White House as a “fake president” last year. The crowd gave the portly sexagenarian, nicknamed “Big Jim,” a standing ovation. Speaking about a “culture war” and describing the owners of guns as “the fighters for freedom,” he appealed for all citizens to be trained in the handling of military weapons so that they can “defend” themselves against “tyranny.”

Not content with the NRA’s victory on background checks for purchasers and the ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines — measures which were all defeated in the Senate vote in April — Porter will make good use of his legal expertise to dispute the restrictions adopted since the Newtown massacre in several states, particularly in Colorado and Connecticut. As for Wayne LaPierre, he is calling for the (record) number of members to be doubled from 5 to 10 million and for the troops to be mobilized for the next elections. A large part of the NRA’s influence comes from its ability to defeat candidates who are not sufficiently pro-arms in certain states.

If the power of the gun lobby has yet to be called into question — even by influential groups like that of Mayor Michael Bloomberg — its radicalization nevertheless raises questions. Its popularity dropped by four points, settling at 34 percent this year.

The astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., (who has miraculously recovered after being shot in the head), wrote an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle denouncing the leaders of the NRA. Kelly, an avid gun enthusiast, feels they have abandoned the interests of their members, traditionally hunters and sportsmen, in favor of those of the arms industry and the chance for personal enrichment.