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How the NRA went from a marksmanship group to a mighty gun lobby

Theirs was a grass-roots movement within the NRA. The solution was to use the membership to make changes. The bylaws of the NRA gave members power on the convention floor to vote for changes in the NRA governing structure.

“We were fighting the federal government on one hand and internal NRA on the other hand,”Aquilino says.

In Cincinnati, Knox read the group’s demands, 15 of them, including one that would give the members of the NRA the right to pick the executive vice president, rather than letting the NRA’s board decide. The coup took hours to accomplish. Joe Tartaro, a rebel, remembers the evening as “electric.” The hall’s vending machine ran out of sodas.

By 3:30 in the morning the NRA had a whole new look. Gone were the Old Guard officers, including Maxwell Rich, the ousted executive vice president. The members replaced him with an ideological soul mate of Knox’s named Harlon Carter.

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Can’t wait for the followup articles …

how the sierra club went from a nature group to a powerful lobby
how the aarp went from an old people’s group to a powerful lobby
how the ama went from a doctors group to a powerful lobby
how the nea went from a teachers group to a powerful lobby
how greenpeace went from a whale watching group to a powerful lobby

and finally …

how the wapo went from a newspaper to a powerful lobby

Lost in Jersey on January 13, 2013 at 8:13 AM

The NRA was a country club type establishment focused on hunting and marksmanship. It is transitioning, after the application of huge pressure, into a pro 2nd amendment outfit.

Yeah it isn’t very pure and has made some interesting choices so by all means join GOA and 2nd Ammdt. Fdn. in addition to the NRA.

CorporatePiggy on January 13, 2013 at 8:51 AM

…a rump caucus…

No we are not a bunch of a$$holes.

meci on January 13, 2013 at 9:02 AM

If the Federal Government left the 2nd alone, it still would be primary a marksmanship group.

Bulletchaser on January 13, 2013 at 9:49 AM

Sorry, Primarily

Bulletchaser on January 13, 2013 at 9:49 AM

Yes, it’s only January. But this is the most comprehensive, in-depth reporting I’ll probably read all year. The one (unintentially funny) part was:

The organization had a new executive vice president[in 1991]…Wayne LaPierre, who knew the organization inside and out from years in the lobbying shop. LaPierre, then 41, had been a PhD student in political science at Boston University with political skills smooth enough to land a job offer after college with Tip O’Neill, the legendary liberal House speaker from Massachusetts.

Life is strange!

Ladysmith CulchaVulcha on January 13, 2013 at 9:53 AM

The organization had a new executive vice president[in 1991]…Wayne LaPierre, who knew the organization inside and out from years in the lobbying shop. LaPierre, then 41, had been a PhD student in political science at Boston University with political skills smooth enough to land a job offer after college with Tip O’Neill, the legendary liberal House speaker from Massachusetts.

And this is exactly why I don’t trust the NRA to really fight for gun rights. The left has already taken the NRA over.

bgibbs1000 on January 13, 2013 at 9:56 AM

And this is exactly why I don’t trust the NRA to really fight for gun rights. The left has already taken the NRA over.

bgibbs1000 on January 13, 2013 at 9:56 AM

Reagan and Perry were once Democrats.

Sins of the father…?

CorporatePiggy on January 13, 2013 at 10:03 AM