By: Jim Porter
What AL.com writer John Archibald is really saying in his December 4 column, “To hell with the NRA; this country has to talk about guns,” is to hell with the Constitution, to hell with democracy.
The National Rifle Association is the nation’s oldest civil right organization whose strength lies in the grassroots support of our 5 million dues-paying members and tens-of-millions more who want their Second Amendment rights protected.
The National Rifle Association is not to blame for the San Bernardino terrorist attack, or any other act of violence and neither are our Second Amendment freedoms. The American people understand that an act of evil unfolded in California. They know the government isn’t protecting them. That is why Americans now, as much as ever, want to ensure they can exercise their Second Amendment freedoms to protect themselves and their families.
Mr. Archibald would have you believe that violent crimes and murder are on the rise in this country. The nation’s murder rate has been cut by more than half since 1991. In 2013, it fell to perhaps an all-time low, as Americans’ firearm acquisitions soared. On December 3, the Washington Post reported that gun crime has been on the decline for nearly 20 years, except for high-profile shootings in gun-free zones. According to the Post, shootings in gun-free zones are the ones that are increasing.
Mr. Archibald made the uninformed claim that the “NRA [is] firing money into politics like a Gatling gun.” He claims that over the past 17 years the NRA has spent more than $38.5 million in federal campaigns. What he isn’t telling you is that according to the New York Post, gun control advocate Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, has spent $72 million in just the last 4 years alone to push his gun control agenda. The NRA’s true strength lies in our grassroots support. Our members and supporters are savvy, engaged, and most importantly, they vote for elected officials who will protect their Second Amendment freedoms.
Mr. Archibald makes the wildly inaccurate claim the “NRA [wants to] make sure as many guns as possible are bought and sold and left lying around.” He clearly hasn’t heard about the NRA’s nearly 100,000 firearms instructors who since 1982 have trained more than 16 million people in firearms safety and marksmanship. No organization in the world does more to promote gun safety, education, and training than the NRA.
In a rare moment of truth, Mr. Archibald admits he doesn’t have the answers and doesn’t know how to solve the problems. The State of California thought they had all the answers. Turns out, they didn’t, either. California has already adopted President Obama’s gun control wish list: “universal” background checks, registration, waiting periods, gun bans, magazine bans and an expansion of prohibited gun categories. But those laws did nothing to prevent this horrific crime from taking place. Nothing. In fact, California’s gun laws are so restrictive, fewer than two people out of a thousand even have a license to carry.
When we find ourselves under attack, no one is there to protect us. That responsibility is ours and ours alone. The American people — including law-abiding gun owners — are scared these days. As a nation, we sit helpless and watch as innocent and defenseless people are slaughtered.
The NRA will continue to stand and fight for law-abiding gun owners who are both disgusted and heartbroken by these heinous acts — whether committed by madmen, gang members or terrorists. The NRA will not accept the blame for the acts of murderers. We will not apologize for fighting for our right to defend ourselves against them.
Jim Porter is a former NRA president and current board member, He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The National Rifle Association (NRA) over the weekend honored Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) during its annual board meeting for his “unwavering support of and commitment to the Second Amendment” throughout his over four-decade tenure in elected office.
“Throughout his career in the U.S. Congress, Senator Shelby has stood strong against the gun control agenda in Washington, and has continuously fought for the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms for hunting, recreational shooting, and self-defense,” said NRA Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director Chris Cox.
The NRA presented Shelby with a resolution at the meeting expressing its “sincere admiration and great appreciation” for his “advocacy and staunch support for individual gun ownership rights, the Second Amendment, and the NRA’s legislative agenda.”
The resolution, which can be read in full here, specifically mentions Shelby’s efforts to “protect sensitive firearms trace data from public disclosure,” his co-sponsorship of legislation to “end reckless lawsuits against America’s gun manufacturers,” and his vote to “prohibit gun confiscation from law-abiding Americans during states of emergency or major disaster,” among other examples of his pro-Second Amendment legislative record.
Shelby said he has made the defense of gun rights one of his top priorities since he was first elected to the Alabama state senate in 1970.
“I believe that it is imperative to protect Alabamians’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” he said. “I have a long-standing record of unwavering support for the Second Amendment, and I will continue to fight against any attempts to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens.”
NRA board meetings are typically held in Washington, D.C., but they chose to gather in Birmingham this year because current NRA President Jim Porter is a Birmingham resident. Porter’s two-year term concludes in May.
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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
National Rifle Association President and Alabama native Jim Porter told the Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ) Tuesday that he believes more gun manufacturers will follow in Remington’s footsteps and move to Alabama. He even alluded to some projects that may already be in the works, although he declined to get into specifics.
“I think Remington is doing what Mercedes did for us in the automobile business — it opens the doors to opportunity,” Porter said in a brief video interview with the BBJ. “There are a lot of things that we’re working on now for the state.”
Porter cited Alabama’s low tax, low regulation business climate and pro-Second Amendment policies as two of the main reasons gun manufacturers are looking to relocate to the Yellowhammer State.
“We’ve been fortune to have the most pro-gun state and the most pro-business state in the country,” Porter said. “I told (Remington CEO) George (Kollitides), ‘You will not make a better business decision in your lifetime other than to come to the State of Alabama. You will have the support of the Administration. You will have the support of the population. Everybody in the state is going to be lining up to work for Remington, to put on one of those green t-shirts.’ Through that we were able to get them to come down to Alabama and find a place that they absolutely love. And as you can see now, they have integrated a lot of their separate businesses into the facility there in Huntsville. They’re going to end up over the next couple of years with over 2,000 jobs being generated.”
Porter also expressed optimism that Alabama will continue its recent run of high-profile economic development successes.
“It’s absolutely fabulous,” Porter said of the Remington deal in particular. “And in my view there are a lot more opportunities out there that are available.”
Check out more of Yellowhammer’s Remington coverage:
1. Remington Arms moving 2,000+ jobs from NY to Alabama
2. Remington moves Bushmaster production line to Alabama
3. VIDEO: Alabama’s ‘We Dare Defend Our Rights’ motto played role in landing Remington
4. Ted Nugent: ‘God bless Alabama and God bless Remington!’
5. Birmingham Attorney Jim Porter Elected NRA President
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The National Rifle Association is having a massive fundraising year, thanks in large part to gun-control efforts led by President Obama and his congressional allies.
Friends of NRA, a grassroots outreach program the NRA uses to host fundraisers and volunteer events, has raised an incredible $51 million in 2013. According to the the NRA, that’s over a million dollars more than they raised all of last year. They still have more than 200 fundraising events left to go before the end of the year.
“The success of this year’s Friends of NRA banquets would not have been possible without the hard work of our incredibly dedicated volunteers and attendees,” Sarah Budi, Director of Volunteer Fundraising, said in a statement. “Our success is a direct result of their efforts and the reason 2013 has been a record breaking year. Thanks to our supporters, the future continues to look bright for the shooting sports.”
“Funds raised by Friends of NRA protect our shooting heritage by supporting youth education, firearm training, range development, conservation efforts, and so much more,” said John da Silva, National Manager of Events and Marketing added. “From hunters, to competitive shooters, to those who are just proud gun owners, Friends of NRA ensures that all can enjoy the shooting sports for a very long time.”
The NRA Foundation Board of Trustees elected Birmingham, Ala. attorney Jim Porter as its president in May of this year.
“My father, former NRA President and Honorary Life member Irvine C. Porter, and mother instilled in me a great respect for our firearm heritage and constitutional freedoms,” Mr. Porter said at the time of his election. “I am honored to be able to continue their work to ensure that the inalienable right to keep and bear firearms for the defense of one’s country, family, and self is protected for future generations.”
Porter is in the first year of a two-year term heading the nation’s largest Second Amendment advocacy group.
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The NRA Foundation Board of Trustees has elected Birmingham attorney Jim Porter as its new President.
Mr. Porter, a longtime NRA Board member and Second Amendment activist, is a graduate of the Cumberland School of Law and a Special Assistant Attorney General for the state of Alabama. He volunteers his time and legal expertise to serve as a trustee of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund and as a legal advisor/counsel to the NRA in federal court litigation. Porter also serves as vice president of the Alabama Rifle & Pistol Association.
“My father, former NRA President and Honorary Life member Irvine C. Porter, and mother instilled in me a great respect for our firearm heritage and constitutional freedoms,” Mr. Porter said in a statement. “I am honored to be able to continue their work to ensure that the inalienable right to keep and bear firearms for the defense of one’s country, family, and self is protected for future generations.”
Porter’s two year term will begin on Monday when he takes over for current NRA President David Keene. “At this stage in the NRA’s history, Jim Porter will be the perfect match for president,” Mr. Keene told the Washington Times. “As we are likely to win most of the legislative battles in Congress, we will have to move to courts to undo the restrictions placed on gun owners’ rights in New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Colorado.”
Porter’s election comes at a time when Second Amendment rights are dominating the national political conversation. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre has become the gun grabbers’ public enemy number one. That will likely continue as sources close to Mr. Porter have indicated he plans to take on a more behind-the-scenes role and allow LaPierre to continue being the public face of the organization.
The NRA Foundation has provided over $70 million in grants since its inception in 1990, thanks to the support of donors and volunteers. Their generosity has allowed the foundation to expand its funding of youth education, conservation, and shooting sports activities. The NRA Foundation, Inc., is a tax-exempt organization that supports of a wide range of firearms-related public interest activities of the NRA and other organizations that defend Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
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