In the weeks since George Zimmerman's killing of Trayvon Martin, corporate America has been force fed a crash survey of public opinion on gun policy. Some of America's most popular --and message-savvy -- companies announced their swift verdict when they, and then ALEC, withdrew support for the National Rifle Association's paranoid, violent agenda.
Their conclusion should be heeded by politicians of both parties.
The message from ALEC's decision is clear. When exposed to the light, the NRA's agenda becomes toxic. And Americans want nothing to do with those who conspire to bring about the gun lobby's dangerous "guns everywhere" vision they saw played out that February night in Sanford, Florida.
For those unschooled in Beltway acronyms, ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council, a behind-the-scenes conglomeration of corporate money that plays puppeteer to compliant legislatures across the country who enact their bills.
ALEC's abrupt abandonment of the conservative agenda's gun plank wasn't caused by sympathy for Trayvon or the 32 killed by gunfire each day in America. ALEC's corporate sponsors are a bottom line bunch, and for years were happy to push for NRA laws to force guns on college campuses, deprive cities of the authority to reasonably regulate guns, and, most notably, Stand Your Ground or "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" laws that embolden and immunize killers.
But then the public noticed.
You see, the NRA and its political minions like to work in the shadows. They cannot credibly explain to voters why they support loopholes that allow criminals to buy guns without background checks, or allow terrorists to buy all the AK-47s they desire. Secrecy and cynicism are their greatest allies.
But the media did not just focus on Zimmerman's culpability for Trayvon's death. They also shone a spotlight on other fingerprints found at the crime scene: the NRA's, and the politicians who do its bidding. Americans learned that NRA laws (supported by ALEC) entitled a vigilante with an arrest record and a violent past to carry loaded hidden handguns anywhere, and almost prevented him from even being charged with a crime after he shot an unarmed teenager.
Far more than other high-profile shootings, the Trayvon Martin tragedy has shown the American people the complicity of the NRA, and its political lackies, in our shameful epidemic of gun violence. The people can now easily "connect the dots" between the gun lobby and mayhem on our streets.
Under the spotlight of America's scrutiny, so glaring was the culpability of ALEC in implementing the gun lobby's dark vision, that Coca Cola and Pepsi, McDonald's and Wendy's, Kraft and Mars, Blue Cross and Bill Gates all reached the same conclusion: association with the NRA's extremist agenda was toxic.
And once corporate America fled the gun lobby cause, ALEC jettisoned the NRA in order to save its financial lifeblood, and terminated its "Public Safety and Elections" task force.
Gun violence prevention has powerful salience to a broad swath of Americans. Common Cause, Color of Change, the Center for Media and Democracy and other progressive groups valiantly exposed ALEC's support of voter suppression efforts, and deserve great credit for pressuring its members to withdraw support. But their campaign only prevailed when they exposed ALEC's work with the NRA to enact laws that put a gun in the hands of a dangerous man, and issued him a license to kill an unarmed teen.
While Michael Jordan refused to speak on public issues because "Republicans buy shoes too," LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Amar'e Stoudemire donned hoodies for Trayvon. Bill Cosby, a beloved icon and longtime spokesperson for some of our favorite brands, recently pointed to "that gun" as a key cause of Trayvon's killing. The tide is turning.
The Trayvon Martin tragedy has illuminated the dark vision of the gun lobby and created an indignant voice that is holding accountable those who do the gun lobby's bidding. That voice has already forced ALEC to change. Now we need to hold our elected officials accountable and demand that they change too.
Josh Horwitz: Why Would Dems Take Money from an Organization That Wants to Behead Them?
Give me a gun in my hand and all of a sudden the playing field is level, his size,weapons, speed and buddies have been neutralized and I can expect to live for another day.
That is why guns make people safer.
More than 80 percent of rapes occur with someone a girl or woman knows, not a stranger in a dark alley with a baseball bat.
"Acquaintance rape is much more prevalent than stranger rape. In a study published by the Department of Justice, 82% of the victims were raped by someone they knew (acquaintance/friend, intimate, relative) and 18% were raped by a stranger."
From a report on Violence Against Women based on data from the National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1995
"In the Rape in America study, 80% of the girls and women who were raped were victimized by someone they knew."
Rape in America: A Report to the Nation, National Victim Center, 1992
The 1934 National Firearm Act did not lower the crime rate. The 1968 Gun Control Act did not lower the crime rate. The 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act did not lower the crime rate. The 1994 "Assault Weapons Ban" did not lower the crime rate.
The Second Amendment exists, so the burden of proof should be on the anti-gunners to say the least. Where is the evidence that you will somehow be right this time? Why should people allow you to violate their rights when gun control laws have never worked?
Of course, the Brady Campaign is not staffed by ignorant people. You are just anti-gun ideologues, and the ends (gun ban) justify the means (lying). I am sure you all sleep like babies at night after spouting bogus claims about "assault weapons," AK47s on every street corner, "gun show loopholes," military sniper rifles bought for $30 on the internet, and all of the other dishonest and disingenuous things you say every time you go to work.
"A plurality of Floridans support the Stand Your Ground law. Support is particularly high among Republicans and Independents, with Democrats against it by about half. "
http://www.pagunblog.com/2012/04/24/bad-news-for-our-opponents/
How does it feel to be marginalized Daniel?
Helmke said the exact same thing back in 2008 and now he's unemployed, Dan.
Meet 4' 11" Lulu, that Filipina lady from Macon, Georgia. She may just be the Suzanna Gratia of 2012.
http://www.macon.com/2012/04/23/2000577/i-carry-a-gun-all-the-time-says.html
Do you advocate for violence only for those who "carry a gun all the time"? Evidently Lulu has a past...
No charges were filed. I suspect that there is more to the story that we likely will never know.
And your 'advocating for violence' is a straw man! Mr. Santiago, like the rest of the pro-2d Amendment folks here, advocated for defense of life & limb. But then, you knew that, didn't you?
De Oppresso Liber
Old SF MJT
Poor Dan. Just as afraid of the NRA boogyman as Helmke was. Imagine if they spent some of that Joyce Foundation money on articles about our criminal recidivism rate and gang violence.....
So who's 'winning'?
Alsoi don't forget these people who want extreme justice for Martin. They want it so bad that they almost killed for it, this time. Next time...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/justice-for-trayvon-beating_n_1449159.html?ref=crime
2) “Americans learned that NRA laws …charged with a crime after he shot an unarmed teenager” False, again Mr. Gross.
The laws did not entitle him, law enforcement in FL did. You also seem to be another one of those people who either have not read the SYG laws or flat out fail to comprehend them (I believe the latter). Zimmerman has been charged and when tried, if the evidence supports he went outside of the bounds of the SYG laws, he will likely be convicted. These laws do not give immunity and the NRA does not support vigilantism. False again!
3. “While Michael Jordan refused to…The tide is turning” Maybe. Maybe not.
This situation has drawn incredible media attention. Of course it will bring out celebrities that will voice their opinions. That doesn’t make them right. Trying to get, what, 30 states to eliminate stand your ground laws because of an isolated incident and one which may not apply anyway is not going to happen. These laws are designed to protect victims and that is what they do.
Some much needed rebuttals Mr. Gross.
1) "...the NRA...support loopholes that allow criminals to buy guns without background checks, or allow terrorists to buy all the AK-47s they desire". False and you know that.
There is no loophole. Private sales of firearms have fallen under property laws. The NRA has said it supports expansion of NCIS to private sales, at least at gun shows. The issue of background checks on private sales goes very deep and has many 2nd and 3rd order effects that you have not even begun to understand Mr. Gross. You sound like they support criminals obtaining guns - no, they don't.
Regarding AK47 to terrorists, you must be talking about the lack of support of the NRA behind prohibiting sales to people on the terror watch list. First, you know that list is full of people that don't belong on that list. Second, you can't take away citizens Rights without due process. You know this but fail to address it in your article because to do so would not only validate your competency but it would eliminate one of your arguments. Disingenuous at best Mr. Gross.
Gun control: a movement without followers http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/gun-control-a-movement-without-followers-01052012.html
Or money...
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00113449&cycle=2012
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, 1998