Anti-gun violence demonstrators hold signs condemning the National Rifle Association in Washington, DC
As the Women’s March completes the final stages of planning for an 18 mile protest from the NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia to the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., one thing remains loud and clear….they’re not going anywhere. Local Women’s March chapters will also be participating in sister marches across the country along with Moms Demand Action, an organization that was created to demand action from legislators, state and federal; companies; and educational institutions to establish common-sense gun reforms. Many other organizations who have been relentlessly fighting for years to end gun violence will also be in attendance.
Two of the events that led to the organizing of this march were:
1) The National Rifle Association’s recent advertising video of their spokeswoman, Dana Loesch encouraging their supporters to “fight” against progressive activists and rally against the media.
“All to make them march, make them protest, make them scream racism, sexism, xenophobia and homophobia.” Dana Loesch can be heard saying in the ad. “The only way we save our country and our freedom is to fight this violence of lies with a clinched fist.”
2) The lack of response by the NRA to Philando Castile, who was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer. Philando was the owner of a concealed weapons permit but was still shot while complying with the office.
The Women’s March says they are looking for a statement from the NRA equally defending the Second Amendment Rights of all people and the removal of the advertising video suggesting violence against protesters.
Why is it an extra big deal that the women’s groups are going after the NRA?
Because while everyone is at a greater risk of dying by homicide if they have access to a gun, the connection is stronger for women. Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice-President of the National Rifle Association, has been known to argue that firearms are a great equalizer between the sexes. In an analysis published by the American Journal for Public Health, a survey done strictly on battered women showed that 71.4 percent of respondents reported that guns had been used against them. The other study comparing abused women who survived to those killed by their abuser found that 51 percent of women who were killed had a gun in the house. By contrast, only 16 percent of women who survived lived in homes with guns.
Women in the United States account for 84 percent of all female firearm victims in the developed world, even though they make up only a third of the developed world’s female population. And in states that require background checks for all handgun sales, there are 38 percent fewer women shot to death by intimate partners. So shouldn’t background and mental health checks be a given before purchasing a firearm? Nope. Why you ask? Money.
What it boils down to is this: The NRA wrote the book on creating fear within it’s base, putting it into the minds of those who will believe and then making a ton and I mean a TON of money off of it.
Whether you’re new to all of this or have been following the NRA for years, it is important to know that the amount of money that is poured into politics by the NRA is astronomical. Last year, while other loyal Republican donors were turning their backs on then Candidate Donald Trump, the National Riffle Association broke their own record by donating more than 21 million dollars to his campaign alone and over 36 million dollars to other GOP candidates in the 2016 election.
While we see tragedy after tragedy, this alone is what makes it is so hard to get gun legislation passed. Some may believe it’s logical to make those who desire to purchase a firearm pass a background check, but too often money is chosen over the issues that are affecting the every day lives of Americans.
One group fights to make gun violence and LGBT rights top issues after Orlando shooting
As Women’s March National Organizer, Tamika Mallory mentioned on Sunday in an interview with CNN, imagine what a different world we would live in if the National Rifle Association used positive messaging and preached responsibility while owning a fire arm. For a second, try to imagine the parent’s of the children killed in Sandy Hook, and the pain they feel every day due to gun violence. How the families of the Pulse victims feel. How moms and grandmas feel when they find out their young children were shot while innocently walking home from school in the South Side of Chicago. How the grandchildren of the innocent people who were shot and killed while praying in a Charleston Church must feel.
As such a powerful group that dominates many aspects of our country, any logical person would tell you that the NRA has the responsibility to step up and take ownership for the way their propaganda has affected our country. How many more innocent children need to die before they stop? How much more blood will be on their hands before sensible gun legislation is passed? Those fighting for this cause, such as Moms Demand Action say that they are “Supportive of the 2nd Amendment, but believe common-sense solutions can help decrease the escalating epidemic of gun violence that kills too many of our children and loved ones every day.” So this isn’t about “Protecting Second Amendment Rights”, that’s what the NRA tells their base.. it’s about Money and Power.
Want to know if your Congressional representatives accepted campaign contributions from the NRA?