Sangamon
County Rifle Association
Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights
Springfield, Illinois
Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights
Springfield, Illinois
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Sangamon
County Rifle Association
Right Reason on Second Amendment Rights Springfield, Illinois |
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 Selling “Fear” at the National Rifle Association Tom Shafer SCRA Meeting 4/4/11 Tom Shafer holds up one of the many NRA ads he brought Tom Shafer brought some of old NRA advertisements from magazines over several decades to discuss how the NRA effectively markets the fear of gun control legislation to everyday, ordinary Americans to help thwart those threats to our gun ownership rights. Shafer related how in the early 1990s it looked grim for gun ownership. Then the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles came along and suddenly Americans were reminded why gun ownership can make a world of difference when society breaks down. Shafer showed the ad the NRA ran after the Rodney King riots. “What’s it going to take? As violent mobs advance, police were ordered to retreat.” "Terrified and abandoned LA citizens raced to gun stores to buy firearms to protect themselves but their government had abandoned them years ago. Those who didn’t own a firearm were denied by California’s fifteen day waiting period. Those who had already endured the fifteen day waiting period were denied the delivery of their firearms.” The criminals were denied nothing, waited for nothing, filled out forms for nothing. They killed who they wanted, stole what they wanted, vandalized what wasn’t stolen and burnt to the ground what was left. In the end, fifty-two people were dead, two thousand injured, ten thousand arrested, 4500 buildings and homes destroyed, thousands of businesses destroyed, $735 million in property damage. Another classic ad was the one describing gun bans and asking where were you. “When they ban your semi-autos, your hunting, your handguns, your ammo and your magazines, you’ll ask, ‘Where was the NRA?’ And the NRA will ask, ‘Where were you?’”. The marketing is brilliant, says Shafer. Many of the political figures most obsessed with banning guns are around no more, either defeated, retired or assumed room temperature. One that is still around is Chuck Shumer. A few years ago he was bragging that he was going to beat gun rights on the anvil of legislative strategy. Well, the voters have spoken and it’s gun banners turn on the anvil. “Chuck,” Shafer began, “we whooped your ass, fair and square. Guys like Shafer here beat you - the number three guy in the US Senate!” Shafer noted how there’s very little talk of gun control, because if you talk gun control, you lose. And they’re just like Shafer - they just hate losing. The NRA’s critics cry out, “You’re selling fear!” Fear isn’t always irrational. Some fears are well-based in reality. Fears about gun control are not irrational and far away. The LA riots proved it. For all the times the media denigrated gun owners, called us names and put out propaganda from the anti-gun side, when they showed all that coverage of the LA riots, it did more to drum up business for gun shops and the NRA than anything the NRA could have done. “I just wanted to give them a big hug for what they did,” Shafer said, getting millions of people off the fence into the gun ownership side of the equation. Tom Shafer's Commentaries Return to SCRA Home Page |