Is Wayne LaPierre Capable of Telling the Truth

No one can ignore the lobbying power of the NRA. For a rather small group they have exerted a tremendous amount of influence in congress. But as I have said before their leadership does not seem connected with their membership, of which the majority support gun control legislation which will not take away their guns.  But the leader of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre continues to use scare tactics and misinformation for his extreme causes.

LaPierre claimed on Feb. 13, “Latin America drug gangs have invaded every city of significant size in the United States.” And “Phoenix is already one of the kidnapping capitals of the world, and through the United States.” PolitiFact had debunked the kidnapping statement in 2010 as one of it finalists for the Lie of the Year. They conclude again on the claim that it is false.

In the Daily Caller on the same date LaPierre encouraged Americans to arm themselves against terrorism and the economic instability and policies of the Obama administration. His focus was on illegals crossing the board and said, “the president flagrantly defies the 2006 federal law order the construction of a secure border fence along the entire Mexican border.” Flagrant defiance, oh my. The 2006 Secure Fence Act did not require a fence to be built along the entire Mexican border, but specific areas. Obama, senator at the time voted for the law. So, LaPierre’s claim is wrong and the fence has been built just one mile short of the requirement and he ignores the 2007 amendment which gave government discretion on how to build the fence.

Again on the 13^th of Feb. pushing for more folk to buy guns said, "Anti-gun New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had already done everything he could to prevent law-abiding New Yorkers from owning guns, and he has made sure that no ordinary citizen will ever be allowed to carry a gun. He even refused to allow the National Guard into the city to restore civil order because Guardsmen carry guns!"

Did that happen? No, Bloomberg didn’t mention guns he said there wasn’t need for additional help from the National Guard as the police were doing a fine at keeping the peace.  A reporter, asked about Bloomberg about the Brookly borough president Marty Markowitz request for more help from the National Guard. This was Bloombergs’ response: "No, we appreciate the help. The National Guard has been helpful, but the NYPD is the only people we want on the street with guns, and we don't need it. There has been one or two minor outbreakings, disgraceful though they may be, of looting reported in the paper, but the vast bulk of people are doing the right thing. And in Brooklyn people are safe the same way as they are in the rest of the city. We have the resources. The NYPD is 100 percent confident that we can protect the public. We've been doing this for an awful long time. You just have to take a look at the crime rate to understand how good a job this is. And the National Guard has plenty of responsibilities. There are plenty of locations upstate and into surrounding states where they don't have a police department the size of New York, and they can use help from the state, and that's where they should be."

So, LaPierre is wrong again; wrong that Bloomberg refused National Guard troop into the city, they were already there but he did reject an armed National Guard as being unnecessary.

Forbes magazine reports that LaPierre when he called for armed guards in schools and blamed the media and prosecutors for not enforcing the law the NRA paid him just under a million bucks according to NRA filings with the IRS. According to the NRAs 990 in 2010 their mission statement was “To protect and defend the U.S. Constitution.” To do this they have 781 full time employees, 125,000 volunteers and revenues of $227.8 million. Of that money they get $71 million from contributions and grants, $100 from membership fees and $46 million from other revenues such as ad sales, rents and subscriptions. They were $15 million short which was taken from assets of #37.5 million. They spent the money: $33 million ins salaries and wages, $28 million to advertising and promotions, $57 million for membership communications, $24 million for printing and shipping, and $10 million for the lobbying arm The Institute for Legislative Action. Their executive director Kayne B. Robinson was paid over a million, LaPierre $970,000 and Chris w. Cox the director for the lobbying earned $666,000.

The NRA was founded in 1871 to promote the right of citizens to bear arms, police training, firearm safety, marksmanship, hunting and self defense training.

Now let’s see, the last time we need a civilian militia to protect us from a tyrannical government was…

I wonder what the founders of the NRA would think of them today? One of the top 3 most influential lobbying bodies in the country today. Then they just wanted soldiers in the civil war to be able to hit the broad side of a barn and know what gun sights were for; most didn't.