NRA/ Interest Group

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/opinion/who-the-nra-really-speaks-for.html?ref=topics&_r=0

Last Thursday the President was angered and made a public speech about the slaughter in Roseburg, Oregon. He made a very slight reference to the National Rifle association (an interest group), asking if the association properly represented their own views. People have to realize how big of a role the NRA plays in representing the 2nd amendment. The NRA contains over 4.5 million members and counting which include all gun owners -- hunters, sportsman, collectors and any ordinary American who keeps a gin for self defense. There was a recent poll saying that ninety - two percent of gun owners wanted a back round check for all people who would be purchasing guns. Then in April 2013 the Senate wanted to create a bill just to support this, but the NRA was in full swing just to prevent this bill from passing. So does the NRA really represent the people that the group contains?? 

I think that the NRA doesn't really support the people that are part of the group. If there was a poll taken that ninety- two percent of the population in the group suggested that there be a back round check on gun owners then the NRA should be in full support and they better not be against a bill that supports Brady checks. Then again there is the opposing side considering the federal law requiring licensed gun dealers to notify the beaurea of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives when a single purchaser buys two or more handguns within five days. The A.T.F. knows that multiple purchases are an indicator of trafficking, and that traffickers can evade the law by making a single purchase from five, 10 or 20 different gun stores. So this is saying that the process of a back round check is unnecessary when we have something so similar already in place. My theory is that there are those odd mass murders that could be possible if there weren't simple back-round check on people.

This is relevant to what we are learning because we are learning about interest groups and the NRA. The NRA is an economic interest group.