The NRA is only 50% of the problem.

[busterbrown]

You need a huge segment of the population to believe their bullshit..Most of these people find it very easy to believe their racist crap centered around fear and home protection. And thats because the stuffs already exists in their psyche....So please stop telling me the NRA is responsible for all of this..All they are doing is preaching to their choir in their own Parish..

[YoungDemCA]

1. Does a "huge" segment of the population actually believe the NRA propaganda?

I tend to doubt that.

I do, however, think that a much larger segment of the population (maybe a majority) doesn't really know enough to have anything resembling an informed opinion on guns (and other issues, for that matter). That leaves powerful special interest groups (like the NRA) ,with a very narrow yet explicit agenda, to fill the information void.

If 90 percent of the population-including a majority of NRA members, FWIW-were in favor of universal background checks, and even that fails in Congress because politicians are too beholden to the crazy NRA leadership on this issue....well, that makes an utter mockery of "democracy."

[Hoyt]

2. Clearly NRA's membership is small, but there are lot of right wing freeriders who are too cheap to

pay dues, but support the right wing agenda of the NRA.

I agree completely that racism/bigotry fuels most of the gun sales, accumulation, toting, etc., in this country.

All one had to do is look at how Zimmerman's attorneys use the scary black guy defense to appeal to jurors.