Do you know if the gun lobby is for, or against, or no interest in...

[Bonhomme Richard]

the idea that the US Congress wants an off switch for the Internet. We are witnessing the use of that right now in Egypt. I would think that they would be up in arms over that kind of legislation since it is no different than the logic that we need our guns to protect us from the Government. In my view it would have just as much, if not more, of a detrimental effect on our freedom.
Those that follow the NRA..are they saying anything about it?

[cleanhippie]

1. I do not follow the NRA, but I do know that they are a one-issue organization.

I would think that org's like EFF, ACLU, etc would be better suited to tackle that issue, which IS a big deal.

[Statistical]

2. NRA is a single issue group.

It would be similar to asking if NARAL is up in arms about the internet kill switch.

There are many groups which are up in arms about the internet kill switch groups that deal with civil liberties and privacy like ACLU.

[damntexdem]

6. Actually, it would make sense for both NRA and NARAL to oppose the off switch.

As it does for all other advocacy groups.

[Statistical]

9. Why? What part of single issue is confusing.

There are some groups which are broad based and there are some groups which are single issue.

There are more than enough choice issues nationwide for NARAL to stay very busy focusing on that single issue.
There are more than enough right to keep and bear arms issues nationwide for NRA to likewise stay busy.

Someone joins/donates to NRA or NARAL for a specific reason.

[Electric Monk]

27. Being so stupid as to ignore a forest for some very specific trees. nt

[one-eyed fat man]

17. Did not the NRA, AARP and the ACLU wind up

on the same side concerning spending money to advocate their positions in campaign advertising?

[DonP]

3. Nothing on their web site about it

But the NRA never takes a position on anything that's not directly related to 2nd amendment issues. About as far as the stray is advocating for hunting rights and a few hunting related issues.

Don't know about GOA or any other groups.

[damntexdem]

7. The only way the NRA 'works' on the 2nd Amendment is to do a piece of work on it.

In short, it long ago left the 2A behind and substituted its fantasies for it.

[DonP]

11. Try and stay somewhat relevant to the question ... if you're able to.

[badtoworse]

14. LOL! The NRA is the most effective single issue lobby there is and that is not a fantasy - nt

[cleanhippie]

16. Ahh, I love the smell of hyperbole in the morning.

It smells like.....ignorance.

[TheWraith]

4. As far as I'm aware, they have no interest in the issue.

Any more than, say, Planned Parenthood does. Single issue groups are single issue.

As for an internet "off switch," it's important to have an understanding of the technical concepts. You don't need to have a law legalizing it in order to be able to essentially cut off all major international telecom pipelines... but that's a lot easier done in Egypt than it is here in the US. Imagine for a second how much vital data flows through those connections: futures prices, live scientific data, business transactions, stock trades--The cost to shut down internet access in and out of the US would be astronomical, even for a relatively short period. Imagine the economic impact after 9/11 when everything was shut down.

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I understand but it's a shame. Even one single issue statement would

would carry a lot of weight.

[aikoaiko]

10. The NRA sometimes comes out against laws or policies that interfere with their business

For example, they lobbied about campaign donations and advertising because that's how they support the 2nd Amend

[DonP]

12. I seem to recall they took a POV on the breeding and sale of hunting dogs at one point.

Some state was trying to regulate breeders and wanted anyone that had a field breed to register and pay a tax as a breeder, whether they actually bred dogs or not. Something like that, but that's as far away from the basic 2nd amendment as I've ever seen them get in 50+ years.

[GreenStormCloud]

21. It would dilute the NRA's effectiveness.

The NRA is as effective as they are because they ignore other issues.

[Atypical Liberal]

8. The NRA is about firearms.

I don't recall them every making forays into other political discussions.

[Bonhomme Richard]

13. Evidently the NRA is not as single issue as some here think regarding free speach

Which is the basic issue when discussing an internet off switch.
"The decision will have a major impact on NRA's ability to reach the American people with our public policy messages about firearm rights." WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA Executive Vice President
They ought to do a policy statement. It's in their own interest.

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?id=252&issue=098

[Statistical]

15. Still single issue.

The limit would have restricted the ability of NRA to effectively inform voters and members on RKBA issues.

[Bonhomme Richard]

18. I propose that cutting off the internet, if possible, would have......

the same effect with regards to informing their members.

[Statistical]

19. Possibly but it is the potential vs immediate effect.

The internet kill switch would only have an effect IF the internet was killed and even if so the huge cost would mean (hopefully) it would only be used sparingly. The law would have affected NRA ability to deliver message on a continual basis.

I doubt you will see NRA or any other single issue group speak out on this issue.

[GreenStormCloud]

20. Self-delete. N/T

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Lieberman can go piss up a rope.

[Bonhomme Richard]

23. Fortunately his time is coming to an end. n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

24. I swear the guy is a republican saboteur.

I can't believe he's fooling ANYONE.

[benEzra]

25. It is a very big issue on the gun boards I frequent...

and the current Congressional push toward an "internet kill switch"---one that goes so far as to ban judicial review---is exceedingly worrisome when you view it through the lens of the actions of governments like Egypt, Myanmar, and China doing exactly the same thing.

There are multiple threads running all over the broader 'net (including the gun boards) regarding how to stay informed if the Internet is killed or censored. Old-fashioned dialup to ISP's outside the USA is a possibility, as are ad hoc networks running on alternate hardware (remember Fidonet?) and even packet radio. For a lesser shutdown (say a DNS kill), I believe direct IP addresses would still work.

I honestly don't know if it would be possible to shut down the U.S. Internet. I do know that such an action would seem to be monumentally destabilizing on its face.

[YllwFvr]

26. Ill agree with most of these posts

how do you feel about it? Im pro gun, but Im not as narrowly focused as the NRA, im pro rights. A internet kill switch is WRONG