2023 NRA Convention Reveals Bullet Holes in America's Gun Control Policy

Outside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, where the NRA held its 2023 National Convention. [Credit: Indy Star]

Against the backdrop of one of the deadliest weeks of gun violence in America, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held their ‘152nd Annual Meeting’ starting April 14th. Lobbyists, Pundits, and Republican party presidential hopefuls all steadily streamed into the Indiana Convention Center to take the podium and deliver their latest fodder to an audience of gun enthusiasts, and most importantly, voters. The Convention gave the rest of us a glimpse into the myopic meeting that is known to shape gun legislation and give a sneak peek at who is running---or considering running---for the office of President of the United States. The NRA Conventions have long been used by hopefuls in the Right Wing as a “safe space” where they “feel accepted enough” to float ideas for legislation, culture wars and policy over the years. Though not so much policy in the past two decades. In more recent years, their focus on policy has morphed into a hopeless obsession with culture and rhetoric. And, despite knowing that they are losing voters due to an aging Boomer bloc and the emergence of a very politically-inclined, young class of voters… Business is booming for gun manufacturers.

Founded in 1871 as a means to advance nationwide marksmanship skills between wartime; Today’s NRA is “markedly” different from how it began. Today they are nothing more than a ‘political testing arena’ or lobbying group. They have injected billions into campaigns for the right wing Politic. In 2021, leader Wayne LaPierre and the NRA were sued by the New York Attorney General and accused of diverting donation funds for lavish comforts such as private jets, fancy meals, and expensive vacations. Most of which being for LaPierre personally, including thousands on his custom suits. One could say that times have been tough for the NRA in the past few years...

This alleged fraud---along with the overall stigma of gun culture---has caused an internal revolt among it’s members and internal management. In short, There is no shortage of controversy surrounding the NRA and its conventions. Especially during these recent times of school shootings and rising domestic extremism. Just last year, only two days after a gunman massacred 19 children and 2 adults in Uvalde, Texas, the NRA refused to cancel or postpone their annual meeting held in that very same state. This is a far cry from the 1999 NRA choosing to dramatically scale back their Meeting after the Columbine Massacre. Even the NRA had more reverence for life back then.

Flash to now. We have already had 131 mass shootings [those leaving four or more dead] this year. There have been more mass shootings than there are days in the year so far in 2023. Political polarization, domestic extremism and differing interpretations of the Second Amendment have all helped the NRA stay relevant, gain prominence, and---most importantly----kept those donations rolling in [particularly from the “Come and Take It” crowd]!

This year the convention in Indiana had much of the same. Republican Presidential hopefuls such as Donald Trump and Mike Pence delivered LIVE speeches to the raucous crowd. The former President seized his time onstage as a chance to strengthen the connection with his base. After all, The Trump base and the NRA base are one and the same [you're most likely aware of their most recent hit, "Hang Mike Pence!"]. This is most likely why Mike Pence was unceremoniously booed---a moment Trump reveled in, according to the subsequent post on Truth Social. DeSantis and Haley both appeared by Telecom, signaling a bit of distance on their part from the NRA as an entity. But, they were still able to connect with the base, the crowd cheering each time one of them promised to keep guns in the hands of NRA members.

Bottom line? The tide is turning.

It has been for a while.

But, we finally see signs that the Right can see it from their own shore---even if most of the country has been drowning in it for decades. Increased national organizing efforts by younger people and an aging, dying base is starting to scare even the most stalwart Conservatives.

And they should be scared.

That fear may be what motivated the surprising comments made by some Republican Governors in red states that signal they would be willing to pass some gun restrictions, including background checks or mental health-related ‘Red Flag’ laws. Overall, these have been shown to curb gun violence. However, the Right’s recent embrace of these protocols could be a deception. The Republican tendency to fear-monger, obsess over wedge issues and stoke ‘culture wars’ could put the power of controlling who is armed and who is not- into the wrong hands. Which would only increase the overall threat to marginalized communities. No speaker at the convention revealed this better than Donald J. Trump, saying in his keynote that “the country has been chock full of guns for centuries. And there was no talk of massacres until 2000…This is a mental health problem…This is a culture problem.”

In other words: “Disarm THEM. Not us.”

Trump’s use of the word “culture” as a well-worn anti-black dog whistle is not only implied, but obvious. These comments are troubling as the Right wing media machines, such as “The Daily Wire,” constantly equate being trans to having a mental health issue. The mental health issue is being trans, according to their most transphobic host Matt Walsh, who has stated multiple times that dysphoria is a mental illness, despite this was disavowed in 2012 by the World Health Organization.

The crux is this: If Republican politicians are going to implement any gun control legislation, they have to have a grasp on the basics of Mental Health as it relates to Trans and BIPOC people. And they have got to stop relying on gun culture to get elected. So far they have shown they are far from being capable of wielding gun control. If a threatened population is solely targeted for disarmament---or jail on an even larger scale---the devastation will echo for decades.

There is a risk when putting any control in the hands of fascists. It's hard to believe that the same transphobia, racism, and bigotry that the NRA currently champions would not be reflected in the lawmakers’ policies. “Disarm THEM. Not us,” seems to be the long term plan so far, coming out of the 2023 NRA Convention. Which is ironic for an organization that was quick to embrace implementing the Mulford Act in the 1960s---but only after the Black Panthers had a peaceful show of force at the California State House. Black, armed men were just too much for the NRA... but it reveals where they draw the line from their shore of the 2nd Amendment debate.

Disarming marginalized groups is nothing new to Republicans. Gun buy-backs, over incarceration of the black community, even on a local level they attempt their own form of “gun control.” Politicized gun shops and dealers send a frank message to many leftists, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ that their business is not wanted. Many are told to shop elsewhere or are afraid of getting doxxed or attacked by their local right wing gun community. However, this stunning miscalculation by Republicans reveals their ignorance---particularly about just how many non-Republicans are armed.

There is only one certainty in this excruciatingly nuanced national gun debate: it is sure to continue, along with the near-daily mass shootings---which are expected to become much more frequent, if we are to remain on our current trajectory. As the Right Wing echoes Charlton Heston’s famous line: “Pry it from my cold, dead hands!” as the Left Wing increase armaments in the name of community defense, eventually we will all have to reckon with gun violence.

For now, both sides are just saying to each other, “YOU FIRST!”