NRA takes message to liberal academia with new NRA U

[OakRidgeStars]

http://dailycaller.com/2010/07/24/nra-t ... nitiative/

http://tinyurl.com/28xyw8v


NRA takes message to liberal academia with new NRA University initiative
By Caroline May- The Daily Caller
Published: 2:57 AM 07/24/2010
Updated: 12:40 PM 07/24/2010


The National Rifle Association is in the process of educating the next generation of gun rights advocates, taking their message directly into the belly of liberal academia with their campus initiative, NRA University, or NRA U for short.

NRA U is a training class for students interested in learning more about gun safety, the NRA, the Second Amendment, methods for crime prevention and legislative threats to gun rights. It aims to arm — pun most definitely intended — students with the information they need to debate and become effective activists for gun rights.

Rachel Parsons, an NRA spokesperson told The Daily Caller, “NRA U was conceived to help pro-gun students have a voice in the often one-sided gun control debate on many college campuses.” She continued, “We wanted to offer students the opportunity to learn facts about the Second Amendment and educate them on ways to get involved.”

The program has been in existence for three years and is continuing to grow. To date, the NRA says they have held programs at 14 campuses throughout the country and have reached over 1,000 students.

Sarah Adler, a senior at Central Connecticut State University, went through the program this year. “It’s a great opportunity,” she told TheDC. “They teach you all about Second Amendment issues, history, legislation and how you can get involved. Everyone who came to the event at my school had a great time.”

While the event participants had a good time, Adler says the program was not without detractors. “I go to a school in Connecticut which is definitely a blue state. People who disagree don’t come to the event and voice their problems, they will just rip down our posters. It’s very passive aggressive,” she said.

In the face of such adversity, Parsons notes the manner in which the program can help. “Educating young people on the truth about the Second Amendment provides them with the proper tools to educate others, both on-and off-campus.”

To be sure, gun proliferation is a polarizing issue. In 2007, Seung-Hui Cho opened fire at Virginia Tech, murdering 32 people and wounding 25 others. Gun rights activists have argued that more lenient carry laws may have helped to prevent or end the massacre. Others disagree, however, saying the preponderance of guns is what lead to the tragedy.

Today, Virginia Tech remains a gun-free zone, but not one overtly hostile to discussing the issue of gun rights. “If a student organization wanted to bring a speaker to campus they have a right to do so. We don’t restrict anyone from discourse,” Mark Owczarcski, Virginia Tech spokesman, told TheDC. “It would not be a question of whether we welcome it, just so long as the group followed the rules and protocol, such speakers could come on campus.”

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a gun-advocacy group, is gung-ho about the NRA’s attempts to breed young gun advocates. “We fully support gun rights education efforts in universities,” Kurt Mueller, eastern director for the group, told TheDC. “We believe it is important for all adults to be educated about guns and gun safety…..We think its great.”

Parsons is very positive about the effects this program will have in the coming years. “NRA University helps students learn how to become effective grassroots activists working to preserve Second Amendment rights for their generation and for future generations,” she said.

“College students today are our leaders tomorrow.”

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[nova]

NRA U is nothing new, I went to NRA HQ for an NRA U 3 hour event where I got two free years NRA membership and some cool stuff, not to mention I walked away with more knowledge of how NRA is getting the word out about gun rights to college students. This was in 2008 IIRC.

[CowboyT]

This has been an ongoing problem for years--attracting more liberals to our cause of the 2A. I'm glad to see the NRA finally doing something to address this.

This is an important point here. Sometimes, I tell you, I feel like the lone liberal among a sea of hostile wolves. Since I'm a pretty tough-minded guy, I can deal with it. But we as a firearms community don't do much to attract other than social conservatives. I submit that we, as a firearms community, could be doing much better in this area.

[baz]

Nice article, thanks!

My hope is that this will open many minds. We will see. Either way, rather than letting the anti-gun agendas of many universities appear to be the best way, this is an eye opener to another perspective.

[zephyp]

@Cowboy - hey, you're an old school liberal...not one of these far left rabid socialist. Big difference when you parse the original meaning of liberal and what we normally associate today...

[CowboyT]

True, zephyp, though I do share many social, if not necessarily Constitutional, positions with so-called "modern liberals". Though I also happen to share some positions with so-called "modern conservatives". Former Gov. Jesse Ventura came the closest I've ever seen to a really good politician. He probably would've lasted about 10 days as President before he got assassinated.

It'd amaze folks how many other people are like me out here. This is the audience that we, as a firearms community, need to pursue. We need to figure out how to speak their language. This is an area in which I'm fairly decent, being originally a San Franciscan. This is something that more of us should consider getting better at, myself included.

An example of the importance of this. It is an unfortunate reality that most black people look upon us derisively--yes, even me. My Dad, who is totally pro-2A, totally pro-concealed-carry, won't have anything to do with a pro-2A organization, despite the fact that his entire life is the poster child for the pro-2A position. "Too redneck, Son," he told me. This sort of thing needs to change.

If we fail to change this, we will continue to be viewed, somewhat correctly in my experience, as a "Bubba Redneck" population. We cannot afford this perception. That means gettting liberals on our side...ESPECIALLY, in my view, racial minority liberals like my Dad.

[gunderwood]

This has been an ongoing problem for years--attracting more liberals to our cause of the 2A. I'm glad to see the NRA finally doing something to address this.

This is an important point here. Sometimes, I tell you, I feel like the lone liberal among a sea of hostile wolves. Since I'm a pretty tough-minded guy, I can deal with it. But we as a firearms community don't do much to attract other than social conservatives. I submit that we, as a firearms community, could be doing much better in this area.

I think you have it backwards...

We accept and attract those who support the 2nd amendment. It just so happens to be that there aren't many liberals who want to join us.

We need to figure out how to speak their language.

Seriously, what are we to do that would attract liberals? Here are my thoughts on speaking the language of the liberals:

1. Registered guns save lives!

2. When citizens have guns, the government needs bigger ones to keep them in their place.

3. Reasonable gun control for reasonable people!

4. Keep and bear arms means: keep them at home and you would have to be an idiot to give a gun to a bear!

5. Socialism provides free healthcare, free housing, free food, and free retirement...why not free guns?

6. While the women who lets her self be raped is morally superior to a women who wounds her attacker, the women who kills him dead with an exploding, incendiary hollow point is better than both.

7. Ban hi-cap mags, they take all the skill out of reloading.

8. Currently a select few gun owners have all the firearms and ammo in the country, we need to spread the wealth around by government confiscation and redistribution!

9. Many Americans can't afford to practice due to the high cost of ammo, we need a government program to hand out ammo stamps.

How am I doing?

[chfaunce]

Cash for plinkers! Government pays you $500 to trade in that beat up bolt action in your closet for something black and scary!