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You're suggesting there is a type of symmetry around relative moral beliefs on the gun debate, and it is somewhat arbitrary to be upset on one side of it but no

You're suggesting there is a type of symmetry around relative moral beliefs on the gun debate, and it is somewhat arbitrary to be upset on one side of it but not the other. If that was all there was to it, I would agree. However, that's missing the huge asymmetry at play here: money. Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it, and the people who's family members have been victims of gun violence don't. If this was a spat between, say, Google and Oracle, each of which has boatloads of money to buy the competitor's advertising spots, no one would care. But this story feels scummy because it's a human story, one where the little guy is fighting a noble cause but is being shaken down by organizations who write weekly checks larger than some of these people will see in their lifetime. If you pretend that money doesn't create an asymmetry, then yes, you being upset this way but not the other is all relative.

mindcrime 10y ago
Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group Is it really? It seems to me that there is a lot of reason to believe that the NRA is funded primarily through membership fees and individual contributions. https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the NRA, and probably ever other pro-gun advocacy group you've ever heard of, and some you haven't.
DannyBee 10y ago
" Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it," It's really really not. There are plenty of groups that fall into that category, the NRA is not one of them. The fact that you are just kind of saying this blindly, without any data to back it up, when even trivial searches would tell you it's wrong, severely dilutes any argument you have. (note, i actually am very anti-gun, but i try to at least research the assertions i'm going to make)
diek 10y ago
> Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it That's just not true at all: https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... (edit: bah, in the time verifying my sources, three other people posted the same info :) )
wl 10y ago
The industry group for gun manufacturers is the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The NRA is a membership organization with over five million members. Portraying the NRA as an industry group just because corporations donate to it is misleading. Would you consider the EFF to be an industry group because PayPal donates to them?
whatthesmack 10y ago
> [...] money. Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it [...] The NRA is a member-funded group. Five million members paying annual dues -- that's where their money comes from.[1] They use some of this to fund gun safety education and training (Everytown For Gun Safety does not, oddly enough). Sure, industry chips in, but it's just a couple million $ (which is tiny compared to member dues). [1] https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... (graphs data from NRA's public tax filings)
jlcx 10y ago
Everytown is funded by wealthy people like Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett. If there aren't enough other donors to give them the resources that the NRA has, it might be that there aren't enough people who support their agenda enough to donate. They are not "the little guy".
monochromatic 10y ago
You've got it completely backwards. The NRA is member-funded, and Everytown is funded by Michael Bloomberg.

mindcrime 10y ago

Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group Is it really? It seems to me that there is a lot of reason to believe that the NRA is funded primarily through membership fees and individual contributions. https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the NRA, and probably ever other pro-gun advocacy group you've ever heard of, and some you haven't.

DannyBee 10y ago

" Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it," It's really really not. There are plenty of groups that fall into that category, the NRA is not one of them. The fact that you are just kind of saying this blindly, without any data to back it up, when even trivial searches would tell you it's wrong, severely dilutes any argument you have. (note, i actually am very anti-gun, but i try to at least research the assertions i'm going to make)

diek 10y ago

> Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it That's just not true at all: https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... (edit: bah, in the time verifying my sources, three other people posted the same info :) )

wl 10y ago

The industry group for gun manufacturers is the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The NRA is a membership organization with over five million members. Portraying the NRA as an industry group just because corporations donate to it is misleading. Would you consider the EFF to be an industry group because PayPal donates to them?

whatthesmack 10y ago

> [...] money. Specifically, the NRA is an industry-funded group that has lots of it [...] The NRA is a member-funded group. Five million members paying annual dues -- that's where their money comes from.[1] They use some of this to fund gun safety education and training (Everytown For Gun Safety does not, oddly enough). Sure, industry chips in, but it's just a couple million $ (which is tiny compared to member dues). [1] https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Rifle-Association-NRA-come-from https://www.quora.com/Where-does-funding-for-the-National-Ri... (graphs data from NRA's public tax filings)

jlcx 10y ago

Everytown is funded by wealthy people like Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett. If there aren't enough other donors to give them the resources that the NRA has, it might be that there aren't enough people who support their agenda enough to donate. They are not "the little guy".

monochromatic 10y ago

You've got it completely backwards. The NRA is member-funded, and Everytown is funded by Michael Bloomberg.