NRA - Defenders Of America's Patriots

Referenced from NRA.com – The NRA – National Rifle Association has long history of marksmanship training and support since its inception in 1871, when it was originally founded to ‘promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis’. It is interesting to note that during World War II, the association offered its training ranges to the government, developed training materials, encouraged members to serve as plant and home guard members, and developed training materials for industrial security. NRA members even reloaded ammunition for those guarding war plants. Incidentally, the NRA’s call to help arm Britain in 1940 resulted in the collection of more than 7,000 firearms for Britain’s defense against potential invasion by Germany (Britain had virtually disarmed itself with a series of gun-control laws enacted between World War I and World War II). After the war, the NRA concentrated its efforts on another much-needed arena for education and training: the hunting community. Law enforcement training was next on the priority list for program development. The NRA became the only national trainer of law enforcement officers with the introduction of its NRA Police Firearms Instructor certification program in 1960. Today, there are more than 13,000 NRA-certified police and security firearms instructors. In civilian training, the NRA continues to be the leader in firearms education. Over 125,000 certified instructors now train about 1,000,000 gun owners a year. Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and others. Since the establishment of the lifesaving Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program in 1988, more than 28 million pre-kindergarten to fourth grade children have learned that if they see a firearm in an unsupervised situation, they should “STOP. DON’T TOUCH. RUN AWAY. TELL A GROWNUP.” Over the past seven years, Refuse To Be A Victim® seminars have helped more than 100,000 men and women develop their own personal safety plan using common sense strategies. While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world.

Established in 1975, The Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the NRA and committed to preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ILA’s ability to fight successfully for the rights of America’s law-abiding gun owners directly reflects the support of NRA’s 5 million members—a number that has more than tripled since 1978. When restrictive “gun control” legislation is proposed at the local, state or federal level, NRA members and supporters are alerted and respond with individual letters, faxes, e-mails and calls to their elected representatives to make their views known.

In 1986, the NRA and millions of gun owners nationwide applauded as the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. ILA worked for more than a decade to secure passage of that historic legislation to reform the Gun Control Act of 1968. Combined with the strong grassroots efforts of NRA members and NRA-affiliated state associations and local gun clubs, the Institute has worked vigorously to pass pro-gun reform legislation at the state level. These efforts include enacting laws that recognize the right of honest citizens to carry firearms for self-protection; preemption bills to prevent attacks on gun owner rights by local anti-gun politicians, and fighting for legislation to prevent the bankrupting of America’s firearms industry through reckless lawsuits. While NRA is a single-issue organization, the Institute is involved in any issue that directly or indirectly affects firearms ownership and use. These involve such topics as hunting and access to hunting lands, wilderness and wildlife conservation, civilian marksmanship training and ranges for public use, law enforcement-related issues, product liability, trapping, crime victim rights and criminal justice reform.

One of the most sacred freedoms afforded to U.S. Citizens is the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” With the Biden Administration and a host of left-wing socialist focused on taking away the guns and gun rights of every American, the NRA is at the forefront of this fight.

The Department of Justice released Biden’s model state Gun Confiscation Order Legislation in June that is sometimes referred to as the ‘Extreme Risk Protection Order’ or ‘Gun Violence Restraining Order’ or the ‘Red Flag’ Legislation. As reported by NRA-ILA, “Regardless of the marketing, such laws empower the government to extinguish a person’s Second Amendment rights and confiscate their firearms without due process. Those subject to these orders are stripped of their rights without being convicted of any crime. By releasing this model language, the Biden administration has endorsed these unconstitutional measures. The Biden gun confiscation language provides that a, ‘court shall issue an emergency ex-parte extreme risk protection order upon submission of an application by a petitioner, supported by an affidavit or sworn oral statement of the petitioner or other witness, that provides specific facts establishing probable cause that the respondent’s possession or receipt of a firearm will pose a [significant danger/extreme risk/other appropriate standard established by state law] of personal injury or death to the respondent or another person.’ An ex-parte hearing takes place without notice to respondent and without their ability to participate in the hearings. The court is only presented the statements of the individual petitioning to strip the respondent of their rights. There is no opportunity for the respondent to challenge the veracity of the petitioner’s statements. This one-sided procedure is ripe for abuse. The Biden administration proposes a ‘probable cause’ evidentiary standard for the ex-parte gun confiscation order procedure. This means that the petitioner need not establish proof that the respondent poses a ‘risk’ in order for the court to issue a confiscation order.”

“During the course of an order, a respondent would have one opportunity to petition for the termination of their gun ban. In order to prevail, The respondent shall have the burden of proving, by the same standard of proof required for issuance of such an order, that he or she does not pose a [significant danger/extreme risk/other appropriate standard specified by state law] of personal injury or death to himself or herself or another.”

“In a sick perversion of our constitutional order, under the Biden legislation, the state would be relieved of its burden to prove that the respondent poses a ‘risk’ that necessitates the continued deprivation of a fundamental right. Rather, the respondent would be required to prove that they do not pose a ‘risk’. Such a bastardized legal procedure based on a flimsy evidentiary standard combined with an ill-defined concept of ‘risk’ endangers all gun owners’ right-to-keep and bear arms.”

Furthermore, “The legislation anticipates that law enforcement would be empowered to confiscate firearms owned by individuals who are not covered by a confiscation order. The legislation places no burden on law enforcement to determine whether the firearms at a location accessed by the respondent are in fact the respondent’s property. To add further insult, those whose firearms are erroneously confiscated would be required to undergo an FBI background check before the return of their lawful property.”

It is imperative that Americans stay informed of these continuous efforts by the Democrat socialist party to take away our guns and protect ourselves from enemies both foreign and domestic. Many times, the Democrats present legislation under the guise of one thing and plant other items within the bill that are unrelated, so remember that knowledge is key. Supporting the NRA-ILA and their legal efforts to protect our Second Amendment right is an excellent way to stay informed and provide protection of our Constitutional rights.