The NRA Needs to Keep its Eye on Target

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In the past few years the NRA has ramped up its messaging. With ballooning membership of 5 million, and donations rolling in, America’s strongest organization fighting for gun rights has been doing well.

But with the ascendancy of Oliver North to the organization’s presidency, and the addition of an online news channel (NRATV), something unfortunate has begun to happen. While NRA TV has been great at empowering new voices like Dana Loesch, Colion Noir and others, it’s also led to some mission creep.

While segments on drugs, Antifa, The Dangers of Socialism, the Mainstream Media, Jim Acosta, the National Anthem protests, Linda Sarsour, and corruption in Albany appeal to much of the NRA’s mostly conservative member base and may all have entertainment value, they aren’t really about protecting the second amendment. The organization is filling its airtime with other content for ratings.

This sort of mission creep can kill the effectiveness of an organization like the NRA. Up to now, the NRA has been highly effective because it is a credible, single-issue interest group that can mobilize congressmen and senators of both parties to vote against gun control. What happens to the NRA’s credibility when it begins alienating Blue Dog and other pro-Second Amendment Democrats with its conservative TV programming?

This is the age of specialization. The NRA’s mission is not to become a miniature version of Fox News. It’s mission is “To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially with reference to the inalienable right of the individual American citizen guaranteed by such Constitution to acquire, possess, collect, exhibit, transport, carry, transfer ownership of, and enjoy the right to use arms.”

NRA members, like you and me, are the only check on the misuse of our donations and manpower by those running the organization. Please pay attention to what’s happening at the NRA, and act in a way that will protect the institution.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.

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E.J. Smith is the Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH, where he completed course-work in Practical and Defensive Handgun, Conceal Carry Pistol, Shotguns, Precision Scope Rifle and Kidnapping Prevention. E.J. plays a Yamaha Recording Custom drum set with Zilldjian cymbals. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zilldjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@youngresearch.com. Sign up here to receive all the best content from Richardcyoung.com each week.