Let's create an anti-NRA lobby and give the same amount of money they give - to anti-gun candidates.

[spin]

37. Your problem is not just the NRA. ...

Estimates vary but there are somewhere between 80 to 100 million gun owners in our nation. Only 4.5 to 5 million belong to the NRA.

Obviously gun owners are just as distressed as non gun owners over the recent tragedies that have recently occurred and by criminal gun violence. However, it is hard to convince an honest, responsible and sane gun owner that he is in any way responsible for these incidents.

While some gun owners will agree that there is no reason for anyone to own an assault style rifle or a pistol with a magazine capacity of over ten rounds, many do not.

Gun owners will point out that rifles such as the AR-15 are used for hunting in many states and target shooters use them in national competitions. While not the best firearm to use for self defense in an urban environment they might be a good weapon for those who live in a rural area. They are accurate, reliable and have a very low recoil which makes them a pleasure to shoot. A shotgun is possibly the best choice for a self defense weapon at close range but unlike what you see in the movies it has to be aimed and the recoil is intimidating for those not used to handling a powerful weapon.

(I should stop to point out that most states that allow an AR-15 for hunting game such as deer place a limit on the number of rounds a hunter has in a magazine. However hunters often use AR style rifles to hunt feral hogs while using 20 or 30 round magazines. Wild hogs are a significant problem in states like Florida and Texas as these pests are not native to our nation and cause considerable damage to the environment and to crops on farms.

Also while a 12 gauge shotgun has a nasty recoil, a 410 or 20 gauge shotgun has far less and with proper loads should be adequate for self defense.)

Right or wrong, gun owners often believe that passing another assault weapons ban will do little to reduce the level of gun violence and the number of massacres carried out by deranged individuals. They believe that if it passes and fails, the next ban will be for all semi-automatic firearms and then all handguns. Therefore they oppose any and all bans.

Gun owners vote. They do not often vote for politicians who wish to impose strong gun control such as bans on certain weapons. This is largely because they have a fair to considerable amount of money invested in their shooting hobby and own several firearms or even a large collection. People who do not own firearms also vote but they have no money in the game and are largely driven by emotion. Demand for gun control increases dramatically after a terrible tragedy but rapidly drops as time passes.

Another factor rarely considered is that each state only gets two Senators. Gun control may have strong support in a liberal state with a large population but be very unpopular in a less populated state where firearm ownership is common. Therefore gun control may be supported by the majority of citizens in our nation but will be unable to pass in the Senate because the voters from the smaller states effectively have more power than the voters from the big states.

The media paints the NRA and its donations as the reason gun control efforts are stymied. The NRA is indeed a strong organization with good lobbyists. However, the real reason legislation such as the AWB fails is because an enormous block of voters oppose it and the politicians fear the ballot box.

If there is anything positive in this situation, it's that gun owners do wish to see current laws improved and better enforced. They will also support new legislation that has a good chance of decreasing gun violence.

Is the end objective to disarm all Americans or to decrease gun violence and tragic massacres? If your goal is the first then assault weapons ban is a good first step but you face a long and difficult road. If you wish to reduce criminal gun violence and tragedies caused by those with severe mental issue, you can improve and better enforce existing laws and work to pass new legislation that will prove effective and you will find the path easier.

One fact rarely mentioned by both sides of the gun control debate is that gun violence in our nation has fallen to levels last seen in the late 1960s. We seem to be heading in the right direction but we can still do far better.