An Open Letter To The National Rifle Association

An Open Letter To The National Rifle Association

Dear NRA Directors and Membership,

At some point someone has to stand up to you and tell you enough is enough.  I believe I am that someone, though I know I am not alone.  You are correct in assuming I am not one of your supporters.  I am not.  However, my lack of support is not just simple loathing.  My lack of support is predicated on your complete inability to grasp reality.  In essence, what I am not supporting is your utter contemptible pandering to the emotionality of your supporters through the extension of your bank accounts — bank accounts that keep equally contemptible politicians at your beck and call.  Please, allow me to elaborate.

You like hate.  You enjoy bullying and hatefulness because it riles your membership into inane frenzies that are capable of circulating on social media such obscene graphics as the mother carrying her baby on her hip while aiming a gun with her free hand claiming protection for our children, while simultaneously having the same supportive membership (and I reiterate for emphasis, a membership claiming to rally for the protection of our children) criticize, blaspheme, and bully the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary who had to bury the remains of their dismembered and mutilated sons and daughters.  Since most of these members and your organization also seem to feel it necessary to claim Christian affiliations while forcing your edicts, I must reasonably assume that you have not stopped to ask yourself in any serious manner what would Jesus do if presented such a situation.  From my reading of the bible, I do not think you have much of a leg to stand on in terms using the Savior’s name in conjunction with an assault rifle that killed 20 children.  Still, you manage such associations.  You manage these logically incompatible associations because you like them.

You do not want peace.  That is quite apparent.  You enjoy the fight.  You enjoy the rush of feeling you get when you flex your jaw muscles, aim your words, and shoot off your mouths.  It gives you the similar rush of firing your guns. And your reliance on such tactics is enough for me to loathe you, your membership, and what you stand for.  I loathe your ignorance.  I loathe your non-creativity.  I loathe your anger.  I loathe your hatefulness.

To want peace, to seek peace, to be wise, to be leaders (and I do believe you see yourselves as leaders; however, I do not define leadership as “power over,” the definition you seem to enjoy), is to find solutions so that all win without the implementation of brute force.  To be peaceful, wise leaders, you would have remembered that dictatorial leaders are usually deposed.  But again, you do not want peace, you do not want intelligence — you want war.

Being in strong opposition to war, I have a few proposals:

1) Dig your fists into your coffers and dig out some money towards a good public relations campaign instead of buying off politicians.  A reasonable, logical, visible campaign that promotes gun responsibility and gun safety would do much to repair your reputation.

2) Stop your fear mongering.  You know as well as I do that no one has suggested that there will be or should be an elimination of the Second Amendment.  Instead, walk toward the Second Amendment and structure the argument in the way the Constitution intended – that gun ownership is a right and privilege, and that no right should be misused or misappropriated.

3) Go towards the parents who have lost children rather than condemn them.  What have you done to help the families that have lost children?  Have you tried to apologize to them; to state that your organization and your membership do not condone what took place; that in fact you find nothing redeeming in what occurred?

4) Take up the fight on illegal guns.  Make the streets rather than Washington the aim of your venom.  Say, unequivocally, that you do not and will not tolerate our country becoming a war zone initiated by irresponsible, stupid behavior.  Make it understood that gun owners have a duty – a duty to make certain our streets and our homes and our schools do not become battlefields.

You could do any one of these things and the action would bring me closer to not believing you are a bunch of loud-mouthed, ignorant, hateful bullies.  But, again, you enjoy me believing you and your membership are that way.  You get a kick out of the derision you foment.  It fuels you.  It gives you that high feeling of indomitable power.  Except, there is a flaw to your argument and method.  As has been true throughout history, dictators fall and your dictatorial leadership shall too pass. If you continue in the hateful manner you have chosen, we will get tired of you, and at that time we will come for your guns.  Who does not stand with us is against us – and we will make certain you are defeated.  I would suggest that you join us.

With tepid respect (to extend the very least),

Christina E. Mitchell